2012 Judges
Judge's Chair
Genevieve Lattimer
Genevieve Lattimer is thrilled to be a part of the Shad Derby planning committee this year as Judges Chair. In 1989 she was a Queen's Candidate and was selected as one of the finalists. Genevieve received her Bachelor degree in Finance from Bryant College and began her professional career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hartford, where she worked in various Human Resources roles for over 15 years. Meanwhile, Genevieve has always been active in the community. As a member of the Windsor Library Association she served as Fundraising Chair for several years. Genevieve volunteers for the Walden Woods Neighborhood Association as the Editor of their newsletter and previously served on their Social Committee. She is currently the Treasurer of the John F. Kennedy School Parent/Teacher Organization and also Chairs several committees for that group. Genevieve also contributes her time at First Church Early Learning Center and Roger Wolcott School. In 2009 she was nominated to participate in the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), which is funded by a grant from the State of Connecticut Social Services Department. She was chosen by her classmates as the speaker at their local graduation ceremony. Genevieve has many hobbies but especially loves spending time running outdoors. She and her husband, along with their three children, enjoy making Windsor their home.
2012 Judges
Hedy Ayers
Hedy has called Connecticut home for nearly 23 years. A native New Yorker, Hedy came to the Nutmeg State to attend Trinity College, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. Craving a career in public service, she decided to continue her education and went on to earn a Master's Degree in Public Affairs from the University of Connecticut, ultimately landing an internship with the Town of Mansfield. Since that time, Hedy has made her mark on the Greater Hartford community, both personally and professionally. She has been a valued resource to local governments, first working for the Town of Wethersfield and for the past fifteen years, for the state's largest regional planning agency, the Capitol Region Council of Governments. A graduate of Leadership Greater Hartford's signature Quest program, Hedy parlayed the skills she developed there into numerous executive board level positions for organizations like the Connecticut chapter of the American Society for Public Administration, the Connecticut Town and City Management Association, the Simsbury Junior Woman's Club and, most recently, served as President of the Hartford-based Knox Foundation. Hedy is an active member of her local school community, volunteering her time as a room parent and as a member of both the Safe Routes to School and Playground Committees. In her free time, Hedy enjoys reading and writing, baking her award-winning chocolate chip cookies, and spending as much time as she can with her husband and two sons. The family resides in West Simsbury.
Valerie Payne-Masse
Val brings to the table a menagerie of work experience, the bulk of which was as a paralegal supporting personal injury, insurance and medical malpractice attorneys. She received her Associates of Science Degree and Bachelor of Political Science Degree from Sacred Heart University. Val has worked as a substitute teacher, an Americorp Vista volunteer, and in the social service field as a case-worker. She currently earns her living as an Underwriting Assistant at a highly respected insurance company in the Hartford area, still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. Val has facilitated the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) in various towns within the State of Connecticut since 2001, after she took the class as a parent leader and graduated in 2000. In her spare time, Val can be found doing some kind of physical activity to get and keep fit; most notably running, swimming and participating in group exercise classes. She enjoys reading, writing and spending time with her family. Val is a native of Bridgeport but currently resides in Manchester with her husband, daughter and three cats. She loves and respects ALL animals, especially cats and dogs. Val started participating in activities around Manchester in an effort to become more involved in the community that has been her home for over five years. She is eager to make a difference in her community and this is her second year as a Shad Derby Judge.
Nancy Tandon
Nancy is a writer and speech/language pathologist living in Glastonbury. She is a member of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Nancy's focus is children's literature (picture books through mid-grade novels). In addition, she is a licensed speech/language pathologist and member of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). Nancy is an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut, where she most recently taught a course in Child Language Development. In her spare time, Nancy enjoys spending time with her husband and their two children reading and "discovering" new hiking trails and walks in and around Connecticut.
Susan Weston
Susan has over twenty years of experience in Human Resources and Leadership Development. She began working in this area with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she held positions of increasing responsibility in HR for their Hartford office. Sue also worked with United Technologies Corporation, where she led the Leadership Development Program for Global Finance. Most recently, she worked with Blum Shapiro in West Hartford as their Chief Talent Officer, overseeing Human Resources and Administrative functions in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Sue recently left the corporate world and is exploring several small business opportunities focused on her passion for arts, crafts and antiques. Her volunteer activities have included the Connecticut Historical Society, Junior Achievement, United Arts Council, Habitat for Humanity, Connecticut Academy for Fine Arts and Knox Park Foundation. Sue lives in West Hartford and spends her free time collecting art, visiting museums and antique shops and traveling. Sue is thrilled to be returning as judge for the Shad Derby for a second year.
2012 Auditor
Timothy Carmon
Tim was born and raised in Windsor. He attended Loomis Chaffee School, graduating in 1999. Tim went on to the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in Religion. Soon after college he passed the CPA exam and became a practicing CPA in the state of Connecticut. Currently, Tim is the Assistant Vice President of financial reporting risk at MassMutual Life Insurance Company in Springfield, Massachusetts. After marrying his wife in 2004, Tim moved to South Windsor where they currently reside with their two young children.
Genevieve Lattimer
Genevieve Lattimer is thrilled to be a part of the Shad Derby planning committee this year as Judges Chair. In 1989 she was a Queen's Candidate and was selected as one of the finalists. Genevieve received her Bachelor degree in Finance from Bryant College and began her professional career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hartford, where she worked in various Human Resources roles for over 15 years. Meanwhile, Genevieve has always been active in the community. As a member of the Windsor Library Association she served as Fundraising Chair for several years. Genevieve volunteers for the Walden Woods Neighborhood Association as the Editor of their newsletter and previously served on their Social Committee. She is currently the Treasurer of the John F. Kennedy School Parent/Teacher Organization and also Chairs several committees for that group. Genevieve also contributes her time at First Church Early Learning Center and Roger Wolcott School. In 2009 she was nominated to participate in the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), which is funded by a grant from the State of Connecticut Social Services Department. She was chosen by her classmates as the speaker at their local graduation ceremony. Genevieve has many hobbies but especially loves spending time running outdoors. She and her husband, along with their three children, enjoy making Windsor their home.
2012 Judges
Hedy Ayers
Hedy has called Connecticut home for nearly 23 years. A native New Yorker, Hedy came to the Nutmeg State to attend Trinity College, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. Craving a career in public service, she decided to continue her education and went on to earn a Master's Degree in Public Affairs from the University of Connecticut, ultimately landing an internship with the Town of Mansfield. Since that time, Hedy has made her mark on the Greater Hartford community, both personally and professionally. She has been a valued resource to local governments, first working for the Town of Wethersfield and for the past fifteen years, for the state's largest regional planning agency, the Capitol Region Council of Governments. A graduate of Leadership Greater Hartford's signature Quest program, Hedy parlayed the skills she developed there into numerous executive board level positions for organizations like the Connecticut chapter of the American Society for Public Administration, the Connecticut Town and City Management Association, the Simsbury Junior Woman's Club and, most recently, served as President of the Hartford-based Knox Foundation. Hedy is an active member of her local school community, volunteering her time as a room parent and as a member of both the Safe Routes to School and Playground Committees. In her free time, Hedy enjoys reading and writing, baking her award-winning chocolate chip cookies, and spending as much time as she can with her husband and two sons. The family resides in West Simsbury.
Valerie Payne-Masse
Val brings to the table a menagerie of work experience, the bulk of which was as a paralegal supporting personal injury, insurance and medical malpractice attorneys. She received her Associates of Science Degree and Bachelor of Political Science Degree from Sacred Heart University. Val has worked as a substitute teacher, an Americorp Vista volunteer, and in the social service field as a case-worker. She currently earns her living as an Underwriting Assistant at a highly respected insurance company in the Hartford area, still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. Val has facilitated the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) in various towns within the State of Connecticut since 2001, after she took the class as a parent leader and graduated in 2000. In her spare time, Val can be found doing some kind of physical activity to get and keep fit; most notably running, swimming and participating in group exercise classes. She enjoys reading, writing and spending time with her family. Val is a native of Bridgeport but currently resides in Manchester with her husband, daughter and three cats. She loves and respects ALL animals, especially cats and dogs. Val started participating in activities around Manchester in an effort to become more involved in the community that has been her home for over five years. She is eager to make a difference in her community and this is her second year as a Shad Derby Judge.
Nancy Tandon
Nancy is a writer and speech/language pathologist living in Glastonbury. She is a member of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Nancy's focus is children's literature (picture books through mid-grade novels). In addition, she is a licensed speech/language pathologist and member of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). Nancy is an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut, where she most recently taught a course in Child Language Development. In her spare time, Nancy enjoys spending time with her husband and their two children reading and "discovering" new hiking trails and walks in and around Connecticut.
Susan Weston
Susan has over twenty years of experience in Human Resources and Leadership Development. She began working in this area with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she held positions of increasing responsibility in HR for their Hartford office. Sue also worked with United Technologies Corporation, where she led the Leadership Development Program for Global Finance. Most recently, she worked with Blum Shapiro in West Hartford as their Chief Talent Officer, overseeing Human Resources and Administrative functions in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Sue recently left the corporate world and is exploring several small business opportunities focused on her passion for arts, crafts and antiques. Her volunteer activities have included the Connecticut Historical Society, Junior Achievement, United Arts Council, Habitat for Humanity, Connecticut Academy for Fine Arts and Knox Park Foundation. Sue lives in West Hartford and spends her free time collecting art, visiting museums and antique shops and traveling. Sue is thrilled to be returning as judge for the Shad Derby for a second year.
2012 Auditor
Timothy Carmon
Tim was born and raised in Windsor. He attended Loomis Chaffee School, graduating in 1999. Tim went on to the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in Religion. Soon after college he passed the CPA exam and became a practicing CPA in the state of Connecticut. Currently, Tim is the Assistant Vice President of financial reporting risk at MassMutual Life Insurance Company in Springfield, Massachusetts. After marrying his wife in 2004, Tim moved to South Windsor where they currently reside with their two young children.