Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve as key leaders in his Administration:

• Jennifer D. Gavito, Nominee to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the State of Libya
• Vanesa Soledad Simon, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Arts

Also today, the White House will begin renominating candidates whose nominations were returned to the President at the end of the first session of the 118^th Congress. Today’s transmission to the Senate will include 25 renominations. The White House will continue transmitting renominations to the Senate in the coming weeks and hopes the Senate will take action expeditiously.

Jennifer D. Gavito, Nominee to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the State of Libya

Jennifer Gavito is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor. She most recently served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq, Iran, Press and Public Diplomacy.  Prior to assuming that position, she served as the Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in London and, before that, she was the U.S. Consul General in Munich, Germany. Gavito, a specialist on the Middle East, served previously as Deputy Principal Officer of the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai; Director for Syria and Lebanon on the staff of the National Security Council at the White House; Deputy Director of the Maghreb Affairs Office in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs; Libya Desk Officer; and as head of the Economic/Commercial section at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Among her other assignments, Gavito was Chief of the Political Section at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and the Foreign Affairs Policy Advisor to the U.S. Africa Command’s Director for Plans and Policies (J5). Gavito earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from American University, Washington, D.C.

Vanesa Soledad Simon, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Arts

Vanesa Soledad Simon is an entrepreneur and artist who has innovated ways to use the arts in health for herself and others. She is the Founder and Program Director of Healing Through the Arts, which she piloted in 2017. This program works with an array of organizations to bring varied art modalities to communities facing health, environmental and historic traumas. It promotes the use of the arts in non-clinical ways to process stress for wellbeing and encourages participants to develop a creative practice in a supportive environment. Mariposa Arts, Simon’s company, utilizes strategic partnerships at the organizational, sponsor and community level with an entrepreneurial approach to community building that is human-centered and promotes belonging. 

Simon holds a Creative Catalyst Certificate, is a Certified Zentangle Instructor, holds a Trauma-Informed Teaching Artist certification and training for instructing Adults as Beginners from Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, has been trained in Creative Aging facilitation practices through Lifetime Arts, and is a Certified Facilitator for Open Studio Project method. 

As an artist, she has participated in exhibitions throughout Argentina, Barcelona, and New York City with an artist collective from Argentina and has exhibited locally in Delaware.  

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HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he will be nominating Jodi Hill-Lilly to serve as commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) when the 2024 regular session of the Connecticut General Assembly begins in February. She will succeed Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes, who is planning to leave state service in January to pursue a new opportunity in the private sector.

Hill-Lilly has worked at DCF since 1988. She is currently the agency’s deputy commissioner of administration in a role that she has held since 2019 and that requires her to oversee several of its administrative functions, including fiscal services, human resources, workforce development, information systems, multicultural affairs, and systems development. She also leads the department’s initiative on racial justice and is responsible for assisting with the development and implementation of policy, training, and coaching on issues related to race and culture throughout the agency and with community partners.

Prior to her current role, Hill-Lilly was DCF’s director of training, in which she was responsible for delivering and providing a multi-faceted training program for employees statewide. She also worked for the agency as a child welfare trainer, an investigations supervisor, and a case management social worker.

Hill-Lilly was one of only 15 fellows and the only child welfare professional to be selected for class 12 of the Annie E. Casey Fellowship program focused on leadership development for administrators in the nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sectors to improve life circumstances of children, youth and families living in low-income communities. She is the co-chair of the National Partnership on Child Safety and is a nationally recognized practice improvement and subject matter expert and consultant including for the Center for States in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, and the American Humane Association.

She earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social work from Southern Connecticut State University.

“Jodi has dedicated her career to strengthening the lives of children and families, and her direct, hands-on experience in this field, including as a case management social worker, will be a valuable benefit to Connecticut as we work to protect the safety and security of the youngest and most vulnerable residents of our state,” Governor Lamont said. “For more than 35 years, she has been intimately involved in every aspect of our state’s child welfare system and has formed strong relationships with the state and community partners who contribute to these efforts. Jodi will be able to seamlessly transition into the role of commissioner, and I thank her for agreeing to step into this leadership position.”

“Good leaders listen, they learn, and they remain teachable,” Hill-Lilly said. “In this world of child welfare and well-being, that means taking to heart the lived experiences of our kids, our families and our communities, and keeping our promise to remain accountable as we strive to serve their unique needs. I am grateful for the trust Governor Lamont has placed in me to follow in the footsteps of Commissioner Dorantes. My friend and my colleague of decades will be a hard act to follow, but I am committed to continuing the momentum of all we have accomplished over the last five years.”

Dorantes is leaving DCF after working with the department for more than 31 years. Since becoming commissioner in January of 2019, the department has reduced the number of children in state care and custody by approximately 30%. During this time, the department has helped more than 7,200 children have reached permanent housing, including 2,324 adoptions, 1,794 transfers of guardianship, and 3,117 reunifications.

Governor Lamont specifically credits Dorantes’ leadership with helping to bring an end to the three decades of federal court oversight DCF accepted under the Juan F. consent decree, which ended last year. The court’s decision to end the oversight indicated the court agreed that DCF had made transformative, systemic reforms that are meeting the needs of children in care.

“I am so grateful to have had Vannessa at the helm of DCF for the last several years, and I am absolutely convinced that her leadership is responsible for having a forever impact on improving the lives of many children in Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “The employees who work with DCF have some of the most essential responsibilities that we face in state government, and their selfless dedication to their work is an inspiration. Throughout her more than three decades with DCF, Vannessa has been amazingly devoted to serving and safeguarding the most vulnerable youths of our state. She is a friend, and I applaud her public service to Connecticut.”

“Social work is not just what I do, it’s who I am,” Dorantes said. “I have the highest regard for the DCF staff – as they are me. They make personal and professional sacrifices each and every day to keep children safe, empower parents, and strengthen Connecticut families. I will miss all of our cherished memories, shared experiences and accomplishments – most notably from the last five years. Lastly, I cannot thank Governor Lamont enough for his unconditional support from day one and the faith he has shown in me and my team. His trust in my leadership has been unparalleled.”

When Dorantes departs DCF in January, Hill-Lilly will immediately begin serving as the agency’s interim commissioner until her confirmation by the legislature as commissioner.

Twitter: @GovNedLamont

Facebook: Office of Governor Ned Lamont

Jill and I were horrified to learn that three college students of Palestinian descent, two of whom are American citizens, were shot Saturday in Burlington, Vermont. They were simply spending Thanksgiving gathered with family and loved ones.

We join Americans across the country in praying for their full recovery, and we send our deepest condolences to their families. While we are waiting for more facts, we know this: there is absolutely no place for violence or hate in America. Period. No person should worry about being shot at while going about their daily lives. And far too many Americans know a family member injured or killed as a result of gun violence. We cannot and we will not accept that.

Earlier today, I spoke to Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger to offer my support. We are grateful to the Burlington Police Department – as well as the FBI, ATF, and other law enforcement partners – for their swift work identifying and arresting a suspect. Our Administration will provide any additional federal resources needed to assist in the investigation.

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Governor Lamont Urges Connecticut's Semiconductor Industry To Take Advantage of Chips Manufacturing Incentive Funding Opportunities

Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development To Support Interested Semiconductor Industry Representatives Through the Connecticut Chips Consortium

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont is encouraging Connecticut’s semiconductor industry to submit applications to the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS) Manufacturing Incentive Program and to join the Connecticut CHIPS Consortium with the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). Recognizing the role semiconductors play in driving innovation across industries, Governor Lamont is committed to supporting continued growth and technological advancement in the semiconductor industry as part of a broader economic vision focused on job creation and sustainable growth.

“With a demonstrated track record in advanced manufacturing, Connecticut is well-positioned to support a regional cluster of semiconductor firms interested in leveraging federal dollars to strengthen the regional semiconductor fabrication and supply chain,” Governor Lamont said. “By utilizing the CHIPS for America Fund opportunities, semiconductor firms can tap into the state’s skilled workforce and industry experience to drive transformative technological advancements for next-generation chips.”

Administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the CHIPS Act created the CHIPS for America Fund, appropriating $52.7 billion to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor industry by reshoring the electronics supply chain as well as cutting-edge semiconductor research and development. Approximately $39 billion was appropriated for the CHIPS Manufacturing Incentives Program.

Funding will be made available across three Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), two of which target semiconductor manufacturers and suppliers. Applications for commercial fabrication facilities and larger materials and equipment facilities (project expenditures over $300 million) are currently open and accepted on a rolling basis. A second NOFO will accept project concept plans for smaller supply chain projects between December 1, 2023, and February 1, 2024. A research and development-focused NOFO is expected for release in 2024.

Commercial fabrication or larger supply chain projects may request up to 35% of capital investment through a combination of grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and loan guarantees, and are required to demonstrate state or local support in the form of other cost-share incentives. Smaller supply chain projects are encouraged to request up to 10% of capital investment in the form of grants or cooperative agreements.

Semiconductor companies looking to expand or establish a presence in Connecticut are encouraged to explore available incentives and partner together under the Connecticut CHIPS Consortium. DECD’s Federal Funds team will provide technical assistance to prospective applicants, supporting the development of a statewide semiconductor workforce development strategy for the Connecticut CHIPS Consortium.

For more information on CHIPS manufacturing incentives, interested parties can visit DECD’s Connecticut CHIPS Consortium website, submit a preliminary interest form, or contact DECD’s Federal Funds team at CTFederalFunds@ct.gov.