After meeting with his transition team earlier this week Gov.-elect Dan Malloy announced he won’t be naming four top agency heads prior to his Jan. 5 inauguration.
On Tuesday Malloy said he will be launching a national search for applicants to head the departments of social services, environmental protection, transportation, and education. The Education Commissioner will ultimately be chosen by the State Board of Education, which Malloy will have a hand in appointing, but the rest of the positions are completely under his discretion.
“As I’ve said before, I’m not looking to rush the appointment of commissioners simply to have someone named by the time I take office on January 5,” Malloy said Tuesday.
That’s not to say Malloy won’t consider some of Connecticut’s homegrown talent for these four positions.
“This only expands the applicant pool, and does not narrow it – no one has been eliminated and current agency commissioners, should they wish to stay in their current positions, may relay that to Tim Bannon, who will be speaking with them shortly in order to ascertain their level of interest and to ensure the continuity of government,” Malloy said.
Sen. Donald DeFronzo’s name has been mentioned several times as someone interested in heading the Department of Transportation.
Reached by phone Thursday DeFronzo said he’s had some discussions with the transition team, but can’t say too much about it. It’s likely he’ll know more next week, he said.
Other lawmakers whose names have been mentioned as potential members of the incoming Malloy administration said the rumors they’d be applying for a position or are being asked to take a position were false.
Click here to read last week’s piece on why the Malloy administration is taking the appointment process slowly.
Outgoing Gov. M. Jodi Rell sent a letter prior to the Thanksgiving holiday asking about 156 state employees to tender their resignation so the new administration can make decisions about which ones will stay and which ones will go. The letter caused some confusion because Malloy wasn’t expecting he would immediately need to fill all of those positions.
Rell’s Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Joan McDonald told the New Haven Register earlier this week that she was interested in staying.