Mayor-elect Justin Elicker names 11 more to lead administration, including three from the Harp team
NEW HAVEN — Mayor-elect Justin Elicker Friday announced 11 more appointments to his administrative team, including three leaders who are part of outgoing Mayor Toni Harp’s administration and some staff who had worked on his campaign.
Sean Matteson, who was the chief of staff for Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and then chief administrative officer for Harp, will stay on as Elicker’s chief of staff.
Michael Piscitelli will remain as the economic development administrator and Michael Gormany will stay as the budget director for the new administration.
Kevin Alvarez, who ran the grassroots outreach and direct voter contact program for Elicker ahead of the primary and general elections, will be director of legislative affairs, while Gage Frank, who was Elicker’s campaign manager, was named communications director for the new mayor.
Already appointed are Scott Jackson, the former mayor of Hamden, who will be the chief administrative officer; Dr. Mehul Dalal, named community services administrator; and Patricia King, corporation counsel.
Elicker, in a statement, said he picked team members who have “strong issue area expertise and bring diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to the job.” He said he promised not to appoint people simply based on “personal relationships or political connections.” Elicker said the decisions were difficult given the many “applications from qualified people.”
The appointments of Jackson, Piscitelli, King and Dalal will be subject to approval by the Board of Alders. Elicker has the ability to appoint the remaining hires announced on Friday.
Taijah Anderson has been named liaison to the Board of Alders; Patricia Drax was named an administrative aide; Ana Garcia was named executive assistant to the mayor; Omena McCoy will be a policy assistant and community liaison; Maria Melendez will be an administrative aide; Cathleen Simpson will be director of labor relations.
Positions yet to be announced include the director of cultural affairs, director of health, and director of parks. Elicker intends to have Bill Carone (currently director of parks operations) as acting parks director.
The director of cultural affairs and director of health are conducted in consultation with appropriate committees. All other department heads are appointees in the middle of four-year terms.
Elicker will be sworn into office on Jan. 1 at Hillhouse High School.
The administration released the following background information on the new appointees:
Kevin Alvarez, director of legislative affairs
Alvarez is a Connecticut native who has worked at the local, state, and federal levels of government. Alvarez worked with the communications and legislative affairs team in the office of then-Gov. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island during his budget proposal and the legalization of same-sex marriage. He also served as a district aide within the office of U.S. Rep. Joseph Courtney, D-Conn., focusing on housing, higher education and workforce development. Most recently, Alvarez served as a campaign and policy consultant to municipal, legislative, and statewide candidates during the 2018 and 2019 election seasons. He is currently assisting on the Elicker transition team. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, Mr. Alvarez has served as a member of the North Central Opioid Task Force and the Capitol Region Council of Governments subcommittee on Crumbling Foundations.
Taijah Anderson, liaison to the Board of Alders
Anderson joins the Elicker administration after a long tenure in the Office of U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney. Beginning as an intern during her time as an undergraduate at the University of Connecticut, Anderson was promoted through the ranks and most recently served as the outreach coordinator and a constituent services representative. In that capacity, she serves as a surrogate for the Courtney at in-district meetings and events, oversees outreach efforts to the 64 municipalities in the district, and communicates with stakeholders in the public and private sector regarding federal policy. In addition, she handles immigration casework, assisting constituents and new residents in a wide range of immigration matters including communicating with federal agencies and navigating complex administrative challenges.
Patricia Drax, administrative aide
Drax has lived most of her adult life in New Haven, where she raised her two children. She loves New Haven, appreciates its many treasures and has served on several boards and commissions to contribute to the city’s growth and economic development. Drax has a bachelor’s degree from Albertus Magnus College, and is working on an associate degree in computer science from Gateway Community College. Drax believes that the best inheritance we can give our children is a strong education that will help them secure good jobs and claim their rightful place in our society. Drax came to the city government through New Haven Works, which connects New Haven residents with careers in their own city.
Gage Frank, director of communications
After graduating from the University of Scranton with a degree in sociology, Frank jumped headfirst into politics on the reelection effort for then-Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Realizing his passion for grassroots organizing, Frank continued to work to elect and reelect local candidates in his hometown of Bridgeport and surrounding areas. In addition to his political expertise, Frank has also worked at the Working Families Party in a communications role spearheading messaging on legislation concerning higher wages and implementing corporate responsibility for low-wage work. In 2018, Mr. Frank entered the nonprofit sector, serving as the Civic Engagement Manager at Bridgeport-based FaithActs for Education-focused on lobbying and organizing for more school funding. He is currently managing Elicker’s Transition Team. Frank now resides in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven.
Ana Garcia, executive assistant to the mayor
Garcia was born and raised in Manhattan and currently resides in New Haven. She is fully bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. Over the past 25 years, she has worked in a wide variety of professional capacities. Most recently, Garcia worked as an executive assistant for six years at Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut. She also served on the board of directors for the Children's Home of Cromwell mental health facility. In addition, Garcia hosted two Spanish radio programs, and directed the nonprofit organization panel on Community and Youth Outreach in Puerto Rico where she regularly interacted with the mayor of Fajardo. She earned her associate’s degree in business occupational studies from Wood Tobe-Coburn School and also obtained a bachelor’s degree in theology from Jerusalem Theological University in Puerto Rico. Currently, her passions are volunteering and serving the community of New Haven.
Michael Gormany, budget director
Gormany has a wealth of financial experience working in City Hall. He first worked for the city as an accounts payable auditor back in 2004 and served in that role for over seven years. He later served the Elm City when he moved on to be a management and policy analyst. Since July 2017, Gormany has served as the interim budget director of the city of New Haven. Gormany has a bachelor’s degree in business and leadership from Albertus Magnus College, and a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Phoenix.
Sean Matteson, chief of staff
Matteson is a seasoned administrator, organizer and collaborator committed to equity, fairness and improving the lives of working families. Matteson, a graduate of Kent State University in Ohio, has spent more than two decades in electoral politics, government and lobbying working with communities that face real struggles to make positive change. While working for Unite HERE International Union as a Special Project Manager, he worked with Sen. Chris Murphy to change state law on how Connecticut’s hospital industry treats involuntary medical debt. Matteson went on to serve the city as former Mayor John DeStefano’s chief of staff as the city created the nation's first residential ID card, launched the New Haven Promise program, and introduced new policies on prison reentry and school change campaign. Mr. Matteson resides in the Quinnipiac Meadows neighborhood of New Haven with his three sons — Liam, Seamus and Anakin — who keep him very busy.
Omena McCoy, policy assistant and community liaison
McCoy is a resident of Hamden. After graduating from Southern Connecticut State University with a master's in Sociology, McCoy worked on then-Gov. Dannel Malloy's campaign as a field organizer in New Haven and shortly thereafter began working in Hartford for the Senate Democratic Caucus. In her role as a legislative aide to State Sen. Gary Winfield, McCoy has served the needs of constituents in the 10th Senatorial District (New Haven, West Haven) and looks forward to bringing her skills, expertise, and passion for people from Hartford to City Hall.
Maria Melendez, administrative aide
Melendez grew up in the Fair Haven neighborhood in New Haven. Melendez is fully bilingual, speaking English and Spanish. She graduated from Wilbur Cross High School in 1987. Previously, Melendez worked as a deputy director for the Knights of Columbus. Melendez comes with 29 years of experience in the area of Principles of Life Insurance and Annuity. One of her achievements is in Life Office Management Association (LOMA). Melendez currently lives with her husband and three children.
Michael Piscitelli, economic development administrator
Piscitelli, a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, serves as the deputy economic development administrator for the city of New Haven. EDA coordinates the work of six city departments and Piscitelli has prior experience in the Transportation, Traffic and Parking Department (2007-2010) as well as the City Plan Department (2000-2007). Piscitelli has participated in various state and national level policy tables on planning, transportation and economic development related to a three-year term (2017-2019) as president of the American Planning Association’s Connecticut Chapter. Prior to joining the city of New Haven team, Piscitelli served in similar capacities for the MTA/Metro-North Railroad and the city of Springfield, Mass. Piscitelli earned his bachelor’s at St. Bonaventure University and MRP in regional planning at the University of Massachusetts.
Cathleen Simpson, director of labor relations
Simpson is an attorney with decades of experience with handling highly complex and sensitive labor and employee relations. Her extensive background includes representing the state of Connecticut as a chief negotiator for contract negotiations, human resources director for the state Department of Labor, and representing the city of Bridgeport for its labor and employment cases. As part of her practice, Simpson provides legal guidance as well as training to government officials and administrators in all areas associated with labor and employee relations. She has served on the Housing Authority Commission as well as the Bridgeport Charter Revision Committee. Since 2016, Simpson has co-chaired the BRYAC Community Beach Clean-Up, responsible for coordinating volunteers to help keep shoreline environments clean in addition to bringing awareness to challenges facing Connecticut shoreline areas. Simpson holds a JD from Quinnipiac University and a bachelor’s in psychology from Sacred Heart University.
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