BLOOMFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc. has announced that Mark T.
Bertolini has joined its Board of Directors. Mr. Bertolini is Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer and President of Aetna, a Fortune 100
diversified health care benefits company with more than $34 billion in
2010 revenue, a workforce of approximately 33,000 and operations in
North America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Mr. Mark T. Bertolini, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Aetna and member, Fidelco Board of Directors, along with Fidelco dog, Jeter. (Photo: Fidelco)
“It is with great pride and anticipation that we welcome Mark to the
Fidelco family,” said Eliot D. Russman, CEO and Executive Director of
Fidelco. “Adding Mark’s level of business expertise and strategic vision
to Fidelco’s board, combined with his keen sensitivity to the
life-challenging issues facing people with disabilities, is a coup for
Fidelco’s clients around the country. Of course, Mark’s love of dogs is
a plus. I’m confident that he will be instrumental in helping shape the
future of Fidelco.”
“I’m very pleased to join Fidelco’s board,” said Mr. Bertolini. “Fidelco
is an organization doing truly honorable work and making a difference in
people’s lives every day. While I am hoping to help Fidelco continue to
grow and prosper into the future, I also know that the experience will
enrich my life as well.”
Recognized as an accessible, forward-thinking and solutions-oriented
leader, Mr. Bertolini is actively engaged in the national dialogue on
health care reform, meeting regularly with state and federal
policymakers to advocate for measures that increase access, lower costs
and improve quality of health care. He is a strong advocate of
market-based solutions, the expansion and use of health information
technology, and the sustainability of the employer-based system.
Mr. Bertolini serves on the board of the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, an
organization founded by Paul Newman that serves children with cancer and
other serious illnesses. He was elected the first straight ally board
member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. He also has
been honored for his leadership by numerous universities and
organizations, including the National Italian American Foundation,
Outward Bound, the National Kidney Registry, Out & Equal Workplace
Advocates, the Quinnipiac University Business School, and Wayne State
University School of Business.
Mr. Bertolini is a spinal cord injury survivor and is partially disabled
as the result of an accident in 2004.
The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3)
organization based in Bloomfield, Conn., breeds, trains and places its
own, unique type of German shepherd guide dogs with people who have
visual disabilities. It pioneered In-community Placement in the United
States; a process that allows guide dog users to be trained in the
communities where they live and work. Now in its 50th year of service,
Fidelco relies solely on the gifts and the generosity of individuals,
foundations, corporations and civic organizations that partner with us
to “Share the Vision.”
Aetna (NYSE: AET)
is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits
companies, serving approximately 36.5 million people with information
and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their
health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and
consumer-directed health insurance products and related services,
including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and
disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care
management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer
groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers,
health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor
groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6856205&lang=en
Fidelco Contact:
Eliot D. Russman
Cell: 917-855-1832
or
Aetna
Contact:
Susan Millerick
Office: 860-273-0536
Source: Aetna and Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc.
