Connie Royster has worked with URU for more than 10 years as an ambassador on URU events, including URU’s joint events with the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and URU’s joint event with the Harvard School of Medicine, “Black Women in Medicine.” As an expert in addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion, Connie enables URU to support DEI efforts at private and public institutions, from the board level to the broader workforce.

Outside of URU, Connie is the principal of Laurel Associates LLC, providing consulting and development support focused on fundraising, board training, professional development, crisis management, and DEI. She began her career as U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, then as an Associate with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, and was a founding partner at Cooper, Liebowitz, Royster & Wright. She has more than 20 years of experience as an institutional fundraiser, including as Director of Major Giving at WSHU and Director of Development at the Yale School of Divinity.

Connie earned a B.A. cum laude from Yale University and a J.D. at Rutgers University Law School – Newark. She is certified in International Systemic Team Coaching, Boardsource Nonprofit Board Consulting, and gender, diversity, & inclusion management.

Connie serves on the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund Board of Trustees. She is Co-Chair of Open Communities Alliance Board of Directors. Other Boards of Directors that Connie serves on include: International Festival of Arts and Ideas, Dwight Hall at Yale, Yale Alumni Fund, and FilmFest New Haven. She is on the Advisory Board of the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven Fund for Women and Girls. Connie was named Outstanding Woman of Connecticut in 2003.