News & Media

We're pleased to announce that Catherine Kortlandt has rejoined the Special Olympics Connecticut Board of Directors. Kortlandt previously served on the Board from 2013 through 2024. During this time, she held the position of Vice Chair twice and was Board Chair from 2015 to 2016. She and her husband are also recipients of Special Olympics Connecticut's President's Award and Eunice Murtha Award for Philanthropy. 

Kortlandt first got involved in Special Olympics when her sister, Jennifer (Jenny), began participating as an athlete when the two were young girls. Kortlandt volunteered as a timer and "hugger" at the finish line when that was a volunteer role.

Later in life, after her two oldest children left home to begin college, she sought out opportunities to volunteer. Through the University she attended, she connected with a Special Olympics International Board Member and inquired about volunteer lawyer opportunities with the organization. The Board Member introduced her to former SOCT President and CEO Beau Doherty who invited Kortlandt to volunteer and a year or two later, join the SOCT Board of Directors.

 Kortlandt proudly shares that volunteering with Special Olympics became a "family affair." Kortlandt recalls, "My husband, Chris, was Jenny’s Unified partner for a couple of years; she and her teammates called him 'hot pants' because his shorts were short!" Kortlandt, who is the Associate General Council at Linde Inc. also engages her work family in helping out. She leads a team of volunteers from her company in volunteering at Summer Games. She also serves food and presents awards at Winter Games.

Kortlandt says she made the decision to rejoin the Board because she "missed having those good news moments sprinkled in my day."

"Seeing and experiencing joy, whether an athlete’s proud smile on finishing and getting their medals or getting good news about a donation or grant" - that's what Kortlandt says is most rewarding about spending her time as a Board Member for Special Olympics Connecticut. 

An accomplished professional, passionate advocate for inclusion and dedicated volunteer, Kortlandt has made and will continue to make a profound and indelible mark on our organization and the lives of our athletes as one of our organization's most committed and caring leaders.