Congratulation to Larisa Kottke: The New President & CEO of Leadership Greater Hartford

October 11, 2021

Please join the Department of Public Policy (DPP) in congratulating Larisa Kottke on recently being named the new President and CEO of Leadership Greater Hartford (LGH). After serving as Vice President for finance and operations, Kottke took on the role of acting President last spring. She distinguished herself as the right person to take on the official title through her dedication to the Greater Hartford region, communities, and LGH team. Community leadership is Kottke’s passion,

Larisa Kottke
Larisa Kottke, MPA ’13

“As I look to the future of LGH and our region, I know we have work to do, but I also see tremendous opportunities to collaborate with individuals, organizations, and businesses throughout Greater Hartford. We have the right people in place as well as the desire and dedication to effect real, enduring change. Together, we are moving LGH forward, and I am thrilled to be a part of this work, this team, and this community of possibilities.”

As she takes on new responsibilities, Kottke credits the DPP’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program with helping her expand her nonprofit knowledge to different content areas. The core competencies taught in her financial management, human resources, program evaluation, and nonprofit management classes provided a foundation for her career. These basics have informed her ability to create strong infrastructure and business operations for the organizations she has worked with.

Kottke was named to the Hartford Business Journal’s (HBJ) 40 Under Forty in 2020. She currently serves as the President of the DPP Alumni Council. She credited her role with the Council as one of her responses to “Four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under forty.”

In her role with the DPP Alumni Council, she supports career opportunities for students through networking, alumni mentorships, and mock interviews. She appreciates the vast and supportive alumni network, which not only supports current students, but also fellow alumni. Since stepping into her new role, Kottke has already reached out to other DPP nonprofit leaders and values sharing them as resources. This past spring she welcomed the DPP’s most recent alumni to the DPP Network at the 2021 Celebration to Honor the Graduates.

Congratulations again to Larisa Kottke!