WEST HARTFORD – Bonnie Gauthier, president and CEO of Hebrew HealthCare in West Hartford, received the LeadingAge Connecticut Humanitarian Award at the organization’s annual meeting on Oct. 14.

LeadingAge Connecticut is a membership organization representing more than 130 not-for-profit agencies serving older adults and disabled individuals across the continuum of care, including nursing homes, residential care homes, housing for the elderly, continuing care retirement communities, adult day services, home health care agencies and assisted living. The Humanitarian Award is presented to an individual whose personal integrity and contributions to the elderly best exemplify the ideals of LeadingAge member organizations.

Gauthier, a former Chair of LeadingAge Connecticut, has served within the association in a governance capacity for more than twenty years.

“There is no one that I know of who can speak as eloquently or as passionately about aging services than Bonnie Gauthier. She speaks from the heart,” said Mag Morelli, president of LeadingAge Connecticut in announcing the award. “The inspiration that Bonnie Gauthier is to others is remarkable. Her teaching, mentoring and advocacy activities have carried throughout her entire professional career and have advanced the LeadingAge public policy initiatives on a state and national level. Her passion for aging services is evident in all that she does.”