Malloy Seeks To Elevate Acting Veterans Affairs Commissioner

HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday nominated a former assistant attorney general and major in the U.S. Army Reserves to head the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs.

Thomas Saadi, of Danbury, has been with the department for the past three years, first as general counsel and then as chief of staff. He became the acting commissioner of the agency when Sean Connolly resigned to run for governor. In the Reserves he serves in the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion.

Saadi, 48, will still need to be confirmed by the legislature when the session convenes in February.

“I will put my heart and soul into this job,” Saadi said at a Capitol press conference announcing his nomination.

Saadi said the biggest challenge facing the department at the moment is making sure that a new generation of veterans is able to connect with the services they earned. He said they’re making progress in reaching new veterans through a new mobile phone application.

There are approximately 200,000 military veterans in Connecticut.