Julie Belaga was a dedicated public servant and served for a decade as a Republican lawmaker in the CT General Assembly. She worked her way up to a deputy House majority leader and, in 1985, launched a historic campaign for Governor. While she did not win the general election, she became the first woman to be nominated for Governor by the Connecticut Republican Party.
After Julie left elected office in 1986, her political record, expertise, and passion for environmental issues attracted the attention of President George H.W. Bush and he appointed her to be the Regional Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency for New England. A few years later, President Bill Clinton appointed Julie to the Export-Import Bank, which oversees government loans to domestic companies competing abroad. Her responsibility there was to ensure that American loans were not made to industries that would damage our environment.
Having seen the impact of the National League of Conservation Voters on federal legislation during her time at the Export-Import Bank, Julie joined with Democrat Russ Brenneman and created the bi-partisan organization that is today's CTLCV. CTLCV is grateful for her children; Debra Belaga, David Belaga and Heather Belaga McLean, as well as other generous donors who have recently established the Julie Belaga Scholarship Fund that will help advance CTLCV's mission and goals, as well as create a paid internship program in her name to provide environmental and advocacy opportunities to diverse candidates for generations to come.
