Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Tuesday he has reappointed Department of Labor Commissioner Sharon Palmer to serve a second term.
Palmer joined the Malloy administration as labor commissioner in August 2012. The Waterford resident had served for nine years prior to that as president of American Federation of Teachers, the smaller of the two statewide teachers’ unions. She also had served on the governing board for the Connecticut AFL-CIO.
“Sharon has been determined in her passion for helping people from all walks of life to expand their employment opportunities and ensure that workers have a voice in their work environments,” Malloy said. “Over the past several years, the Connecticut Department of Labor has implemented initiatives that create new jobs by working with small businesses to expand their workforce and hire unemployed jobseekers.”
Under Palmer’s tenure, the labor department:
- Created a new partnership with the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office to fight unemployment fraud.
- Implemented a new state-subsidized worker retraining program and expanded state apprenticeship programs in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
“Governor Malloy has been a true advocate of the Labor Department’s efforts to provide effective workforce programs to the residents of this state,” Palmer said. “I am honored to have his continued support as the agency works with the community and our partners to develop innovative approaches to services that meet the needs of Connecticut’s workers and employers.”