Melissa McCaw is leaving her job as Gov. Ned Lamont’s price range main to grow to be the new finance director for the City of East Hartford, Mayor Mike Walsh explained Friday.
Walsh said the town has hired McCaw, who is stepping down as secretary of the condition Business office of Policy and Administration. She’ll start her new position March 14.
McCaw — explained by Walsh as “a public finance rock star” — succeeds Linda Trzetziak, who declared her retirement in November.
McCaw is leaving her submit as 1 of her former top deputies, Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, is less than federal criminal investigation for his get the job done on college building grants and the state-financed redevelopment of the condition pier in New London.
McCaw hired Diamantis in 2019 as deputy secretary at OPM. He resigned in October right after becoming put on administrative go away as officers investigated the employing of his daughter by Main State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo Jr. as Colangelo was lobbying Diamantis with regards to raises for his staff members.
There have been no community allegations that McCaw acted improperly.
She’ll be having a pay back lower — Walsh said she will be paid $165,000. As OPM secretary, she was paid out $204,255 in 2021, according to the Place of work of the Point out Comptroller.
At a Capitol news conference, Lamont explained McCaw, 42, as a “great friend” who did an “extraordinary” work as the state’s funds director. McCaw did not go to the news conference.
“She was hunting for a refreshing get started and I realize what she is doing,” Lamont explained, denying he or everyone in his administration experienced questioned McCaw to phase down. Jeffrey Beckham, the Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs at Office environment of Coverage and Management, will turn into the acting OPM secretary.
Walsh stated McCaw will be an “invaluable asset” to the town because of to her working experience and talent.
“She is the statewide specialist in governmental finance, both at a municipal level with the town of Hartford, at the condition stage with the Business office of Policy and Administration,” Walsh mentioned in an job interview, including that he worked with her at the OPM as an undersecretary from 2019 to 2021.
“Her do the job ethic is 2nd to none, and her competency amount on points like municipal budgets, pensions, tax coverage, is just what the town of East Hartford needs in a finance director,” Walsh stated.
A information launch from the city notes that McCaw was the first African American and 1st girl to provide in the senior administration role of OPM secretary, a position that gave her oversight more than the state’s funds and finances and general legislative plan for the administration.
“I am thrilled to provide a public finance rock star like Melissa McCaw to be part of our crew,” Walsh explained.
“Melissa brings unmatched knowledge in managing budgets and cutting down personal debt with a crystal apparent motivation to public insurance policies that make investments in infrastructure, improve our public schools, and build the sort of financial local weather that assists our business owners start out and expand businesses, and generate the positions of now and tomorrow,” Walsh mentioned.
Lamont praised McCaw, citing her operate “in guiding our condition to the best fiscal place Connecticut has witnessed in a long time.”
McCaw claimed she is happy that she was capable to help convey the point out to a sturdy fiscal placement.
“I am going to pass up this do the job and our wonderful team, but I am quite fired up to start out a new job aiding to shore up the municipal funds in East Hartford and function with Mayor Walsh, who I bought to know performing alongside one another at OPM,” she stated in a news release issued by East Hartford.
McCaw, a graduate of Wesleyan College and the University of Connecticut, earlier served as finances director for the city of Hartford and the College of Hartford. She also labored as a spending plan specialist at OPM from 2001 to 2009
This tale features Associated Push reporting.
Joseph handles East Hartford and South Windsor. He joined the JI in July 2021. Joseph graduated from the University of Connecticut and he is an avid guitarist and coffee enthusiast.
