Justin McCarthy.
The mayor has tapped a former city assistant fire chief to oversee the fire department — as well as police and 911 — as New Haven’s next chief administrative officer.
In a Monday afternoon email press release, Mayor Justin Elicker announced that he has picked Justin McCarthy to serve in that deputy mayor position, which is responsible for the city’s public safety agencies, along with the parks, public works, human resources, and engineering departments.
McCarthy spent two years as New Haven’s assistant fire chief of administration, before retiring in 2023 to take a similar assistant fire chief role in Greenwich.
His appointment now heads to the Board of Alders for review and a confirmation vote. If approved, McCarthy will replace Regina Rush-Kittle, who resigned as CAO in November — several months after the Elicker administration crafted a workaround for her to continue in the job without having to live in New Haven.
See below for Monday’s press release in full.
MAYOR ELICKER NOMINATES JUSTIN MCCARTHY TO SERVE AS CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN, SUCCEEDING REGINA RUSH-KITTLE
[NEW HAVEN, CT] – Today, Mayor Justin Elicker announced Justin McCarthy as his nominee to serve as the next Chief Administrative Officer for the City of New Haven. McCarthy will replace Regina Rush-Kittle who left city government in November 2024.
A direct report to the mayor and senior management position in city government, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is responsible for overseeing all of the city’s public safety agencies and several other departments, divisions and offices, including: the Office of Emergency Management, Fire Department, Police Department, Public Safety Communications Department (PSAP/911 Call Center), Engineering Department, Human Resources, Parks Department, and Public Works Department.
“The Chief Administrative Officer is one of the most important positions in city government, charged with overseeing several departments and hundreds of government employees dedicated to keeping our residents safe, our streets clean, our parks well-maintained, our infrastructure strong, and the nuts and bolts of government operating smoothly. Justin McCarthy has served on the front lines of city government and in senior municipal leadership positions with excellence and distinction. He knows New Haven, he knows city government, and I’m confident he will be an outstanding Chief Administrative Officer,” said Mayor Elicker. “I look forward to Justin rejoining the team, to continuing to build on the progress we’re making as a city, and to ensuring our residents are well-served by their city government.”
McCarthy’s first day will be January 21st. During the interim period between Rush-Kittle’s departure and McCarthy’s start, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Rebecca Bombero has assumed the duties of Chief Administrative Officer. Upon McCarthy’s appointment, Bombero will maintain her position as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer. McCarthy’s nomination as CAO is subject to final confirmation by the New Haven Board of Alders within 180 days of his appointment, as required by the City Charter.
“I am excited to return to the City of New Haven in this new capacity and to rejoin the ranks of its dedicated first responders and civil servants in providing a high level of government services to the residents of New Haven. Nearly my entire career in the fire service has been dedicated to serving the New Haven community, and I look forward to taking on this new challenge as Chief Administrative Officer and working with our city departments to help keep our residents safe, our communities strong, our quality of life high, and our government operations running effectively and efficiently,” said incoming Chief Administrative Officer McCarthy. “I thank Mayor Elicker for this appointment, and I look forward to partnering with the Mayor, the Board of Alders, my colleagues in city government, and the community whom I have worked so closely with over the years.”
McCarthy brings to the position an in-depth knowledge of municipal government and a proven track record of administrative leadership and emergency incident command experience. McCarthy joined the New Haven Fire Department in 2008 and worked his way up the ranks to serve as Assistant Fire Chief of Administration in January 2021, a post he held through April 2023. As Assistant Fire Chief of Administration, McCarthy oversaw the department’s budget, personnel matters, labor relations, and internal communications, among other areas of responsibility – working in coordination and cross-functionally with other city departments. Subsequently, McCarthy has been serving as Assistant Fire Chief for the Greenwich Fire Department. Since 2011, McCarthy has also been an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven, instructing students and supporting the Fire Science program within the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences. A well-respected and sought-after expert on matters of fire service and leadership, McCarthy has authored multiple articles, presented at several conferences, and served as a program leader and instructor at the Connecticut Regional Fire School. McCarthy has also received numerous awards and recognition for his outstanding public service, including the New Haven Fire Department’s Medal of Merit, the Quinnipiac School of Law Distinguished Scholar Award, and Certificates of Special Recognition from Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Senator Richard Blumenthal, among other accolades.
McCarthy received his Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science and Arson Investigation from the University of New Haven and his Juris Doctorate from Quinnipiac University School of Law. McCarthy is married to his wife Sara and they have a newborn daughter named Eloise.