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18 Hartford Business Journal • August 6, 2018 • www.HartfordBusiness.com E mily Hultquist is principal planner and policy analyst at the Capitol Region Council of Governments in Hartford. Discovering the field of urban planning at Bryn Mawr College and attending PennDesign for planning school, she began her career in Stamford at Regional Plan Association, the nation's oldest and most distin- guished urban planning policy and advocacy group. Hultquist is staff lead to the Sustainable Capitol Region Initiative and currently manages CRCOG's Metro Hartford Transit-Oriented Development project, seeking to engage anchor institutions on the benefits of the region's transit assets. Hultquist speaks at conferences across the country on topics ranging from innovative land-use regulations to complete streets to affordable housing. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment? I initiated the Sustainable Capitol Region Initia- tive, which helped CRCOG leverage a $4.2 million regional sustainable communities grant from the Obama Administration's Sustainable Communities Partnership. This grant helped put our agency on the map nationally as we were one of 45 regions across the country to receive this funding. With this grant, CRCOG assisted the region's communi- ties in implementing land use, transportation and urban design solutions. How are you involved in the community? Whether reading to children at Betances Elemen- tary School or serving as the Easter bunny's assis- tant at the Chrysalis Center's North End Neighbor- hood Easter celebration, I cherish the opportunity to help foster the next generation. What do you like to do outside of work? My family and I have committed to visiting every town in the state of Connecticut. We have a jar in our house that holds the names of all 169 munici- palities written on slips of paper. When we have the time, we pull one out and head off on an adventure. What must the Greater Hartford region do to attract more talented young professionals? Young professionals seek vibrant, engaging, fun places to live, work and play. The Greater Hartford region must make investments in mar- keting its existing assets and in creative place- making to attract and retain talent. Four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty: • Managed the first Connecticut Mayors Insti- tute on Community Design for the Regional Plan Association. • Dedicated time to volunteering with the Chrysalis Center, a nonprofit that provides so- cial services and develops affordable housing. • Became one of the youngest and one of the few female presidents of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association at age 31. • Initiated an internship scholarship through the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association. Fun Fact I am named after the famous American poet, Emily Dickinson. Emily Hultquist Age: 36 Company: Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) Title: Principal Planner & Policy Analyst No. of years with current company: 11 Town where I live: West Hartford Town where I work: Hartford College: Bryn Mawr College Highest degree: Master's degree in city and regional planning M eghan Hanrahan is the UConn School of Business' director of the business analyt- ics and project management graduate program in downtown Hartford and Stamford. Hanrahan has worked for UConn for 14 years and served in a variety of roles across the institution. As director, she manages an $8 million program for the school and supports over 450 students recruited from around the world. With a vision and commitment to offer first- in-class experiences including data challenges, hackathons, corporate capstone projects, net- working, career placement and alumni events — the student profile and rankings of the program are now among the best. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment? Recently, I ran into a former first-generation college student who received his GED, not a high school diploma. This was a man who was special and who I believed in, in terms of his potential. I recruited him to UConn and guided him through every step. While catching up on all his success — degrees, career, children, wife, etc. — he looked at my son and said, "Your mom changed my life." This is the greatest accomplishment of my career. How are you involved in the community? I'm a volunteer coach for youth basketball. I not only teach the game of basketball, but organize opportunities for players to engage with college athletes to set expectations on the importance of college. Additionally, I speak at public schools across the state about the importance of higher education. What do you like to do outside of work? Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my beautiful family — husband, JP and two chil- dren, Jack and Julia. We attend and participate in a variety sporting events. I also enjoy kayaking, golfing, running and visiting my family in my home state of Maine. What must the Greater Hartford region do to attract more talented young professionals to the area? Hartford must attract young professionals through a holistic approach — exposure to excit- ing projects, opportunities to give back, trans- parent career pipeline, mentorship, convenient and safe transportation and entertainment. Four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty: • Manages the fastest-growing and highest- revenue graduate program at the UConn School of Business in Hartford and Stamford. • Selected regularly to serve on university- wide programs, focus groups and new initiatives. • Increased access to education by developing pipeline programs from community colleges to UConn. • Mentor women to obtain higher-profile posi- tions in higher education. Fun Fact I scored 1,000 points on my high school bas- ketball team. Meghan M. Hanrahan Age: 38 Company: UConn, School of Business Title: Director, MS in Business Analytics and Project Management program No. of years with current company: 14 Town where I live: Newington Town where I work: Hartford and Stamford College: University of Connecticut Highest degree: Master's degree in higher education administration 40 UNDER FORTY 2018