Santilli named to People’s charity unit

The Bridgeport-based bank People”™s United Financial Inc. has tapped Vincent Santilli to run its $46 million-asset charitable giving operation.

Beginning July 1, Santilli will be responsible for the multimillion-dollar foundation as executive director of People”™s United Community Foundation, taking over for a retiring Hank Mandel.

Jack Barnes, president and CEO of People”™s United Financial, said Mandel was able to bring the foundation to a new level and was instrumental in its development. Mandel was head of the foundation since its start in 2007 when it began with $60 million in seed money.

Santilli who has been with People”™s for 25 years, is a vice president with the bank”™s retail and business banking division in Bridgeport. Santilli said he hopes to make grant decisions that are responsive to the needs of the community.

“There”™s a large responsibility here to do right by the community,” Santilli said.

The bank”™s foundation provides grants to nonprofit agencies in all six states in which it does business.

In the foundation”™s annual report, there were three times the number of grant requests in 2010 compared with 2009. Last year the foundation awarded a total of $2.4 million to 277 organizations.

“It”™s all a matter of being judicious,” Santilli said.

Santilli is familiar with the world of charity as a member of the Kennedy Center”™s board of directors in Trumbull and the financial advisory board for Sacred Heart University”™s business school. He also coach”™s soccer for the Special Olympics and serves as a head basketball coach in the developmental basketball league at the Cardinal Shehan Center.