New Faces In City Hall

Mayor Justin Elicker has rounded out his new City Hall team with eight new appointees and three familiar faces.

Elicker takes office Wednesday.

He ran for the office promising to bring new people and ideas into government and to field a diverse team of appointees. Seven of his eight new appointees are black or Latino.

Elicker also announced keeping on hand three top appointees from the Harp administration: Budget Director Michael Gormany, who had previously held the position on an acting basis; Michael Piscitelli, who will become permanent rather than acting economic development chief if confirmed by the Board of Alders; and Sean Matteson, who moves from the position of chief administrative officer to chief of staff, a role he played under Mayor John DeStefano.

Two of his latest appointees have worked for U.S. Rep. Joseph Courtney. Another worked for New Haven State Sen. Gary Winfield.

Click here to read about Elicker’s previously announced appointments of a chief administrative officer, corporation counsel, and community services administrator.

Following are bios of the latest appointees, from an Elicker press release:

Kevin Alvarez, Director of Legislative Affairs: Kevin Alvarez is a Connecticut native who has worked at the local, state, and federal levels of government. Mr. Alvarez worked with the communications and legislative affairs team in the Office of then-Governor Lincoln Chafee (RI) during his budget proposal and the legalization of same-sex marriage. He also served as a district aide within the office of Congressman Joseph Courtney (CT‑2) focusing on housing, higher education, and workforce development. Most recently, Mr. Alvarez served as a campaign and policy consultant to municipal, legislative, and statewide candidates during the 2018 and 2019 election season. He ran Mayor-Elect Elicker’s grassroots outreach and direct voter contact program ahead of the primary and general elections. Now he is 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 (CRCOG) subcommittee on Crumbling Foundations.

Taijah Anderson, Liaison to the Board of Alders: Taijah J. Anderson joins the Elicker Administration after a long tenure in the Office of Congressman Joe Courtney. Beginning as an intern during her time as an undergraduate at the University of Connecticut, Ms. 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 Congressman at in-district meetings and events, oversees outreach efforts to the sixty-four 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: Patricia Drax has lived most of her adult life in New Haven, Connecticut, 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. Ms. Drax has a bachelor’s degree from Albertus Magnus College, and is working on an associate degree in Computer Science from Gateway Community College. Ms. 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. Ms. Drax came to us 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, Gage Frank jumped head-first into politics on the re-election effort for then-Governor Dannel Malloy. Realizing his passion for grassroots organizing, Mr. Frank continued to elect and re-elect local candidates in his hometown of Bridgeport and surrounding areas. In addition to his political expertise, Mr. 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. This past year, Mr. Frank managed Mayor-Elect Justin Elicker’s Transition Team, and previously served as his Campaign Manager during the primary and general election season. Mr. Frank now resides in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven.

Ana Garcia, Executive Assistant to the Mayor: Ana Garcia was born and raised in Manhattan and currently resides in New Haven. She is fully bi-lingual, speaking both English and Spanish. Over the past 25 years, she has worked in a wide variety of professional capacities. Most recently, Ms. Garcia worked as an Executive Assistant for six years at Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut. She also served on the Board for Directors for the Children’s Home of Cromwell Mental Health Facility. In addition, Ms. Garcia hosted two popular Spanish radio programs, and directed the non-profit organization Panel on Community and Youth Outreach in Puerto Rico where she regularly interacted with the Town Mayor of Fajardo. She earned her associate 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: Michael 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 of 2017, Mr. Gormany has served as the Interim Budget Director of the City of New Haven. Mr. 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: Sean Matteson is a seasoned administrator, organizer and collaborator committed to equity, fairness and improving the lives of working families. Mr. 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 CT ​‘s hospital industry treats involuntary medical debt. Mr. 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 re-entry and school change campaign. Most recently, Mr. Matteson returned to serve the City of New Haven again, but as the Chief Administrative Officer at the request of Mayor Toni Harp. Mr. Matteson resides in the Quinnipiac Meadows neighborhood of New Haven with his three sons – Liam, Seamus, and Anakin – that keep him very busy.

Omena McCoy, Policy Assistant and Community Liaison: Omena is a resident of Hamden After graduating from Southern Connecticut State University with a master’s in Sociology, Ms. McCoy worked on then-Governor 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 Senator Gary Winfield, Ms. McCoy has proudly 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: Maria Melendez grew up in the Fair Haven neighborhood in New Haven. Ms. Melendez is fully bi-lingual, speaking both English and Spanish. She graduated from Wilbur Cross High School in 1987. Previously, Ms. Melendez worked as a Deputy Director for the Knights of Columbus. Ms. 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). Maria currently lives with her husband and three children.

Michael Piscitelli, Economic Development Administrator: Michael Piscitelli, American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), serves as the Deputy Economic Development Administrator for the City of New Haven. EDA coordinates the work of six City departments and Mr. Piscitelli has prior experience in the Transportation, Traffic and Parking Department (2007 – 2010) as well as the City Plan Department (2000 – 2007). Mr. 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, Mr. Piscitelli served in similar capacities for the MTA/Metro-North Railroad and the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Mr. 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: Cathleen 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 Connecticut Department of Labor, and representing the City of Bridgeport for its labor and employment cases. As part of her practice, Attorney Simpson provides legal guidance as well at 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 for the City of Bridgeport. Since 2016, Attorney Simpson has co-chaired the BRYAC Community Beach Clean-Up responsible for coordinating volunteers help keep shoreline environments clean in addition to bringing awareness to challenges facing Connecticut shoreline areas. Attorney Simpson holds a JD from Quinnipiac University and a bachelor’s in psychology from Sacred Heart University.