ADL 2013 Greater New Haven Torch of Liberty and Centennial Gala is May 21

WOODBRIDGE — The Anti-Defamation League will honor New Haven Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo, community leaders Beverly Levy and Dr. John Levy, and Wiggin and Dana LLP at ADL’s 2013 Greater New Haven Torch of Liberty and Centennial Gala, at 5:30 p.m. May 21. For more information, contact Janet Magid, associa

te development director, at (203) 288-6500 ex. 313 or jmagid@adl.org.
Founded in 1913, ADL’s theme in its centennial year is “Imagine A World Without Hate,” according to a release.
“The Torch of Liberty Award is presented annually to outstanding citizens and corporations whose extraordinary work has helped to strengthen the Greater New Haven community,” the release said.
Mayo, show in top photo,
has been schools chief since 1992. During his tenure, New Haven built  37 new schools and launched a nationally recognized School Change Initiative, the release said. Mayo was named Connecticut Superintendent of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents in 2004 and was named a finalist for National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.
Dr. Levy,  a New Haven native, is owner of Levy Dental Groups. Among his many charitable endeavors, he has served as board president for Jewish Home for the Aged in New Haven and the New Haven Jewish Foundation, and has been on ADL’s Connecticut Regional Board for the past 16 years, the release said. Beverly Levy has served on ADL’s Connecticut Regional Board for the past 20 years, including three as chairwoman. She has been chairwoman of the boards of Jewish Family Service and Ezra Academy. In 2005, she retired from her role as vice president of public relations at AT&T after a 29-year career, then worked as an adjunct professor of public relations at Quinnipiac University, from which she recently retired, the release said. The couple lives in Woodbridge.
Wiggin and Dana LLP is a full-service law firm with four offices in Connecticut, as well as New York City and Philadelphia, the release said. “The firm has had a longstanding commitment to civil rights and offers pro bono counsel to a number of organizations, such as New Haven Legal Assistance, All Our Kin, Lawyers for Children America, the Ronald McDonald House and the NAACP,” the release said.” In Connecticut and nationally, Wiggin and Dana has been especially valuable in helping the Anti-Defamation League to pursue its work in civil rights and constitutional matters, including authoring three Supreme Court briefs on ADL’s behalf.” Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.