CT Labor Commissioner To Retire At End Of Month

CONNECTICUT — Kurt Westby, Connecticut's Department of Labor Commissioner for more than five years, will retire at the end of the month, and Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday that he will nominate Deputy Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo to succeed him.

Westby became commissioner in June 2018, after serving as deputy commissioner for a couple of years. Before his stint with the state, he was a consultant for SEIU, where he managed negotiations in Connecticut, Florida, and New Orleans. Additionally, Westby also served as vice president and a district leader for SEIU Local 32BJ, president of SEIU Local 531, and vice president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO.

Under Westby's leadership, the state labor department expanded the apprenticeship program, strengthened working partnerships with Connecticut’s five Workforce Development Boards, and put resources and funding into employment and training programs to support the state’s workforce pipeline, according to Lamont.

"I am incredibly appreciative to Commissioner Westby for his leadership, particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that sent a flood of nearly 600,000 residents to the Labor Department for assistance," Lamont said in a statement. "He led a team that got $8.5 billion in unemployment benefits disbursed across six programs – some of which were established only weeks prior. He has my utmost respect and I wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement. I thank Danté for agreeing to step into this leadership position. Since day one she has been committed to the department’s mission and programs. I have no doubt that she can quickly transition into her new role as commissioner."

Westby said he is honored to have served the agency, and thanked Lamont for supporting him, the department's mission and its staff.

"This past year has tested us immeasurably and Connecticut Department of Labor staff rose to each challenge – for that, they have my deepest respect and gratitude," Westby said. "Deputy Commissioner Daryle Dudzinski, Danté, and the whole team rolled out program after program to serve our residents, worked through the problems caused by antiquated technology and few resources, and did whatever they had to do to get the job done and get benefits out to the residents who needed them. There is much more we have left to do, and I have every confidence that the team will continue their extraordinary work under Danté’s leadership."

Deputy Commissioner Bartolomeo has served in her current position in January 2019. Previously, she was elected to serve two terms as state senator for the 13th senatorial district of Cheshire, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, and Rockfall, during which she was the co-chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee and co-chair of the Children’s Committee. Priority issues included children’s safety and well-being, access to healthcare, and the continuation of education from primary learning through post-secondary and workforce training. Prior to her tenure at the General Assembly, Bartolomeo was the deputy majority leader on the Meriden City Council, where she served for two terms and focused on education advocacy.

She will begin serving as interim commissioner immediately upon the retirement of Commissioner Westby. Her nomination will be forwarded to the General Assembly for its advice and consent.

"It’s an honor to be nominated, and I thank Governor Lamont for his trust and confidence," Bartolomeo said. "Commissioner Westby leaves an amazing legacy – the Connecticut Department of Labor has received national recognition from the U.S. Department of Labor for our apprenticeship and workforce development programs. These programs benefit generations of young people who are coming up in the workforce, and they create a highly-skilled labor pool for employers. He’s been a committed and thoughtful leader and left big shoes for us to fill. We wish him the very best in his retirement."