Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy is Named as an Honorary Board Member of Smart Kids with LD

Westport, Conn., November 5, 2009 - Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, Inc. (SKLD), a nonprofit organization serving parents of children with learning disabilities, announced today that Stamford, Conn. mayor Dannel Malloy has been named an honorary board member. (http://www.smartkidswithld.org/sk-1-directors.html)

Westport, CT (PRWEB) November 5, 2009 -- Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, Inc. (SKLD), a nonprofit organization serving parents of children with learning disabilities, announced today that Stamford, Conn. mayor Dannel Malloy has been named an honorary board member. (http://www.smartkidswithld.org/sk-1-directors.html).

"I am very pleased to join Smart Kids' efforts to provide parents of children with learning disabilities and ADHD with both the information and confidence they need to support and encourage their sons and daughters," said Malloy, who is exploring a second bid to become governor of Connecticut. "Parents of kids with LD play a pivotal role in helping ensure that their resourceful, capable children succeed in school and beyond." At SKLD's annual benefit in April, Malloy spoke of his own difficulties with dyslexia as a child, including his inability to read, write or do math problems.

Since taking office in 1995, Malloy has increased public school funding by over 99%, helped Stamford earn four "City Livability Awards," and been instrumental in making the city a major financial center. An honors graduate of Boston College and the Boston College law school, Malloy serves as a trustee and co-chair of several committees of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and is a trustee of Mitchell College in New London, Conn.

Jim Kabakow, President and CEO of Media Horizons Inc. (MHI), a direct marketing agency based in Norwalk, Conn., has been elected as a member of SKLD's board of directors. Kabakow, who joined MHI when it was founded in 1988, was named president in 2004 and CEO in 2007. He holds a degree in economics from Tufts University, and has taught direct marketing at Western Connecticut State University. Kabakow also plays a leading role in the direct marketing industry, including participation in The CEO Roundtable and The Direct Marketing Idea Exchange. He lives in Westport, Conn. with his wife and two sons.

In addition to Kabakow, the organization announced the appointment of two new members of its Professional Advisory Board:

Nora Belanger, Esq., a special education and disability rights attorney in Norwalk, Conn., holds a JD cum laude from the Pace University School of Law and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. Belanger, previously a certified special education teacher, presents frequently to parents, professional groups and attorneys on special education law and parents' rights. She lives in Wilton, Conn.

Jonathan Mooney, president of Project Eye-to-Eye, an advocacy organization providing college mentors to children with LD, is a well-known speaker on LD and other cognitive issues. His award-winning first book, Learning Outside the Lines, co-authored by David Cole, was published in 2000. That same year, he graduated with honors from Brown University, quite an achievement for someone who didn't learn to read until age 12. Mooney published a second book, The Short Bus, in 2007, and accepted SKLD's Community Service Award in May 2008.

About Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities
Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities (SKLD), based in Westport, Conn., is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) and attention-deficit disorder (ADHD). Since May 2000, it has provided action-oriented information via its newsletter, website, and educational programs -- information that can help parents become successful advocates for their children. For more information, please see http://www.smartkidswithld.org.

Contacts:
Jane Ross - 203-226-6831
Anamy Engle - 203-644-2425
Note: Photos are available on request

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