CT Senate expected to confirm Alexandra Daum as DECD head

Alexandra Daum

CT Gov. Ned Lamont has nominated DECD Deputy Commissioner Alendra Daum to be the next Commissioner of DECD, succeeding David Lehman who left office at tnd of Gov. Lamont'd first term.

The Connecticut Office of Tourism is a part of DECD.

At her confirmation hearing before the Senate Nomination Committee, Ms. Daum indicated that as Commissioner, marketing the state's culture and tourism assets would be one of four focus areas. DECD recently hired as Director of Tourism Noelle Stevenson, who previously headed visitors' bureaus in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties in Florida.

But the biggest challenges Ms. Daum faces are on the economic side, driven by soaring inflation and layoffs and relocations of some of the state's biggest employers:

• Lego has announced plans to relocate to Boston in 2025.
• Campbell Soup has said it will move its Pepperidge Farms operations to New Jersey.
• Sikorsky Aircraft may be about to lay off 800 employees.
• Biotech company GeneDx has announced it will close CT operations

At the same time, CT employers have thousands of jobs they're unable to fill - at least in part because of a shortage of affordable housing within commuting distance of jobs.

That's a lot of challenges.

The Nominations Committee approved Ms. Daum's nomination. which likely makes her confirmation by the full Senate a sure thing.

Will she be able to fix the CT economy while gaining tourism market share? Stay tuned.