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T H E 2 0 2 6 WOMEN IN BUSINESS H O N O R E E S HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 23, 2026 B9 passion, which is unifying people by educating them with empathy, compas- sion and emotional intelligence. What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? The next big goal I want to accomplish professionally is to grow the work- based learning program within the manufacturing industry, while also providing my assistance within the food service industry. I am passionate about getting the youth into the workforce as it builds skills and opportunities for them to be successful. What's one of the biggest professional challenges you've overcome? One of the biggest professional chal- lenges I have overcome was entering a new career/industry (human resources) after dedicating over 14 years of my life to food service. How are you involved in the community? I am a mentor for young women in the community. Also, through Pursuit Aerospace, we support the community by running food drives for the Eastford Food Bank, raising money for the East- ford Fire Department, and volunteering our time to local businesses in need of assistance. C asandra King is the human resource manager of East- ford-based Pursuit Aerospace, a manufacturer of aircraft engine compo- nents. She is also the owner and founder of KissMySweets LLC, a catering company, and works as an independent consultant for food service companies on customer experience and business strategy. She also teaches at Central Connecticut State University as an adjunct professor. With more than 10 years of experience in human resources, King works with leadership teams on workplace culture, productivity and employee engagement. Her role focuses on communication, workforce alignment and execution of business strategy. She holds a SHRM-CP certification and degrees in human resource manage- ment, food service management, and baking and pastry arts. What have been your biggest profes- sional accomplishments so far? My biggest professional accomplish- ments so far have been mentoring and coaching leaders to their greatest potential. Being an advocate for both employees and leaders has provided me with the ability to fulfill my biggest Casandra rosa King Human Resource Manager Pursuit aerosPace sCarlett lewis Founder Jesse leWis choose love movement S carlett Lewis founded the nonprofit Choose Love Movement after the death of her 6-year-old son, Jesse, in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. She later developed programs focused on character development and social-emo- tional learning aimed at helping individu- als respond constructively to trauma. Choose Love programming has been used in more than 17,500 schools across all 50 states and in more than 135 countries. Lewis is a national and international speaker and has been recognized as a Forbes 50 Over 50 Impact honoree. She has also spoken at the 2022 New York Times DealBook Summit and appeared as a guest on "The Oprah Podcast." Lewis is also the author of four books and hosts the podcast "Choosing Love for Authentic Power," which has more than 220,000 listeners. What have been your biggest professional accomplishments so far? My greatest accomplishment is founding the Choose Love Movement after the loss of my son, Jesse, in the Sandy Hook trag- edy. By transforming profound grief into purpose, I created a model for healing that provides no-cost character and social-emo- tional programming, now impacting over 11 million children worldwide. Hurt people, hurt people; healed people, heal people. What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? My goal is to continue to create a global ripple effect of happiness, health and school safety. Choose Love addresses root causes of violence, supports mental health and builds essential life skills, reducing the suffering before it becomes an issue. Grounded in science and centered on love, it is a universal, adaptable and sustainable approach that helps people flourish. What's one of the biggest professional challenges you've overcome? My biggest professional challenge has been leading a transformational shift in school safety — championing proactive, love-centered prevention and social-emo- tional development as essential founda- tions for thriving schools, mental wellness and safer communities. How are you involved in the community? Choose Love programming is used in schools, organizations and communities throughout Connecticut. Through speaking engagements across the state, I inspire and motivate students, educators and commu- nities to cultivate resilience, compassion and proactive solutions to mental health and school safety challenges. dinora e. lopez Executive Vice President and General Counsel liBerty Bank What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? My next goal as general counsel of Liberty Bank is to refresh the legal department's strategic plan and deploy it in a way that further inte- grates the department into the fabric of the bank as a partner that is ready, willing and able to assist our team- mates and dedicated to help move the bank closer to its vision of building the community bank of the future. What's one of the biggest profes- sional challenges you've overcome? My biggest professional challenges come up when I try to accomplish a task in a way that is not natural to me. I've learned that I end up squandering time by taking nonproductive paths. I've overcome this challenge by leaning in to learning about what my strengths are and leveraging them, so I am not working against myself. How are you involved in the community? I serve on the boards of the CT State Capital Foundation, the regional American Cancer Society chapter, Interval House and Hartford Health- Care's Hartford Region board. D inora Lopez currently serves as executive vice president and general counsel of Middletown-based Liberty Bank. Lopez leads Liberty Bank's office of general counsel and supports all bank business lines. She earned her law degree from the University of Connecticut and bachelor's degree from the University of Hartford. Lopez is a recipient of the Graduates of the Last Decade Impact Award from the UConn Law School Alumni Association. Prior to joining Liberty, she was employed by private law practices where she worked closely with, and counseled, senior leaders at many banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions. What have been your biggest profes- sional accomplishments so far? My biggest professional accom- plishment was securing a role at Liberty Bank, a company whose "Be Community Kind" mission aligns so deeply with my own personal beliefs and allows me to combine my skills as a strategic, business-minded legal advisor with my desire to effectuate positive change in my community. nwcommunitybank.com Congratulations, Maura, for the well-deserved recognition of your success. Maura Malo Northwest Commnity Bank President & CEO We're proud and grateful for your leadership. NMLS ID: 510148