By Tiffany Williams –
Gov. Ned Lamont has selected West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor to chair the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees, placing a longtime trustee and UConn graduate at the head of the governing body overseeing the state’s largest public university.
The appointment takes effect immediately. Cantor succeeds Dan Toscano, who stepped down from the chairmanship this week after serving in the role since 2019.
Lamont made stronger connections between the university and Connecticut employers a central priority in announcing his choice. Cantor brings experience in accounting, municipal leadership and university governance, having served on UConn’s board since 2014.
“In selecting a board chair, I want someone who not only has extensive experience with UConn and knows its academic and administrative needs, but who also has strong connections to Connecticut’s business community and will actively work to strengthen the bonds between the university and our state’s employers so that our graduates are prepared with the resources they need to lead successful, long-lasting careers,” Governor Lamont said.
“Shari Cantor is the right person to lead the board, and her input is going to significantly benefit the university and its mission to develop the graduates who will flourish in today’s rapidly evolving, modern economy. Shari bleeds Husky blue, and I look forward to having her serve in this leadership role.”
Cantor’s appointment expands a relationship with UConn that began long before she entered public office.
A West Hartford native and Hall High School graduate, she earned an accounting degree from UConn in 1981, graduating magna cum laude. She later worked as a certified public accountant at PwC and Cigna.
Her municipal career began with election to the West Hartford Town Council in 2004. She became deputy mayor in 2012 and mayor in 2016. She continues to serve as mayor in an unpaid, volunteer position.
Cantor joined the university’s Board of Trustees in 2014 and was inducted into the UConn Business Hall of Fame in 2017. She now moves from board member to chair, assuming leadership of a body whose responsibilities span the university’s academic and administrative needs.
“As a proud UConn graduate, I am deeply honored to take on this responsibility,” Mayor Cantor said.
“UConn has played an extraordinary role in my life and in the lives of so many Connecticut families. Public service has always been a deeply meaningful commitment for me, and I see this opportunity as another way to give back to a university and state that have given me so much. I thank Governor Lamont for his confidence and Dan Toscano for his many years of dedicated leadership, service, and commitment to UConn’s success. I look forward to working collaboratively with President Radenka Maric, my fellow trustees, faculty, staff, students, and alumni to build on UConn’s remarkable momentum, expand opportunities for our students, and strengthen the university’s impact on Connecticut and beyond.”
The connection between education and employment highlighted by Lamont is already part of Cantor’s work with the university.
Shari Cantor and her husband, Michael Cantor, worked with the UConn Foundation to help create Build Hartford, a course that pairs undergraduate and graduate students with Hartford-area start-ups, local businesses and community organizations.
The course gives students hands-on experience while supporting economic development and encouraging graduates to remain in the Greater Hartford region.
That effort provides a concrete example of the relationship Lamont wants strengthened: Students gain experience with organizations beyond campus, while local employers and community groups gain access to university talent.
The Cantors have also supported Students First, a university program providing emergency financial assistance to students facing unexpected hardships.
Together, those initiatives address different points in a student’s experience. One creates opportunities to apply classroom learning. The other provides assistance when an unexpected financial problem threatens to disrupt a student’s education.
Cantor’s family ties to UConn extend across generations.
All three of her siblings graduated from the university. Michael Cantor earned a chemical engineering degree there in 1980 and a law degree from the UConn School of Law in 1983.
He taught at the law school for more than 20 years and serves on advisory boards for the School of Engineering and the School of Law. Two of the couple’s four sons also attended UConn.
Beyond the university, Shari Cantor’s volunteer and leadership experience includes work with the American Heart Association of Northeastern Connecticut, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, West Hartford Rotary and Foodshare.
Her involvement also includes the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, West Hartford Art League and American School for the Deaf.
The transition follows seven years of Toscano’s leadership as board chair. In announcing his successor, Lamont credited Toscano with helping strengthen the university and its national reputation.
“Over the past seven years, Dan Toscano’s leadership on the board has helped strengthen UConn and elevate its reputation as one of the best universities in the country, contributing to a record-breaking surge in applications from aspiring Huskies across the nation,” Governor Lamont said.
“I applaud Dan for his eighteen years of service on the UConn Board of Trustees and the UConn Foundation Board of Directors, and I am grateful for his commitment and dedication to the university.”
Cantor will lead a 21-member board that includes gubernatorial appointees, elected representatives and officials serving by virtue of their offices.
Twelve trustees are appointed by the governor. Alumni elect two members, and students elect two.
The five ex-officio members are the governor, the UConn Health Board of Directors chair and the commissioners of the state departments of Agriculture, Economic and Community Development, and Education.
All trustees serve as unpaid volunteers.
With the appointment effective immediately, Cantor takes over the chairmanship with an established record at UConn and a stated focus on student opportunity, collaboration and the university’s contribution to Connecticut’s economy.