Creative Commons License

Jordan Scheff steps to the microphone as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy looks to the new commissioner's family. Scheff was named commissioner of the state Department of Developmental Services on April 21, 2017. Credit: Mark Pazniokas / CT Mirror

Connecticut Department of Developmental Services Commissioner Jordan Scheff is leaving his position to pursue a new role in Virginia, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Tuesday. Scheff will be replaced in the interim by Deputy Commissioner Elisa Velardo.

Scheff has led DDS since 2017 when he was appointed to the role by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, and Lamont expressed gratitude for his service to the department, which serves some of the most vulnerable people in the state.

“I am proud of the services offered here in Connecticut through the Department of Developmental Services and its partners to ensure that everyone has access to pursue meaningful life opportunities and can fully participate as valued members of our communities,” Lamont said in a statement. “Throughout his tenure, Jordan has strengthened this state agency to innovate and refine these services to provide quality supports for the individuals and families it serves, and his leadership has been instrumental in their continued success.”

Lamont expressed confidence in Velardo’s ability to lead the department in the interim.

For his part, Scheff said the “difficult decision” to leave was made for personal reasons after deliberation.

“Serving in this role has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together over the past 12 years to expand opportunities, strengthen supports, and continue building a more person-centered system for individuals and families across Connecticut,” Scheff wrote. “I know the future of DDS is bright, and I look forward to seeing its continued progress.”

In recent months, DDS has been criticized for the findings of a February report about abuse and neglect of people in the department’s care, which found that there were more than 4,000 allegations of abuse and neglect in 2024 alone, along with 15 deaths.

Following that report, lawmakers passed a bill that requires DDS to send reports about alleged abuse and neglect to the parent or legal guardians, provided they are not the alleged abuser, and provide them with a guide to help them navigate such allegations. DDS would also be required to train staff about confidentiality regarding complaints. It creates new requirements for the department’s annual reporting of abuse and neglect, and it requires an annual hearing on those reports.

That legislation now awaits Lamont’s signature.

During a hearing about the 2026 report, Scheff told lawmakers that he had been concerned about declining reports of abuse and neglect during COVID and that 2024’s high numbers reflect training and reporting systems that have empowered staff to file more reports. 

“It means I have more eyes and ears from people who’ve been trained to see something and say something. And I think it’s important to note that, that’s an outcome of training,” he said. “Things that might not have otherwise been perceived as potential abuse and neglect are better perceived as potentially being that.” 

Sarah Eagan, executive director of the Center for Children’s Advocacy and former Child Advocate, said Scheff should be commended for running a challenging agency.

“Jordan is someone who I think, to his credit, had an authentic commitment to partnership with families and advocates and was rarely if ever defensive about the areas that state government needed to improve,” she said. When Scheff used the word “partnership,” Eagan said, he was genuine and embraced dialogue.

That said, Eagan added, significant work needs to be done to ensure people receive the care they need and the state moves into a modern age of access.

“Jordan has not shied away from these conversations, which I appreciate, but we need to be clear that with a new leadership team must come an urgent commitment to timely work on these issues and transparency with families, advocates, the Office of Policy Management and legislators about what the needs of this system really are.”

Interim Commissioner Velardo, who began her career as a direct support professional, said she has spent more than 25 years dedicated to expanding opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families.

“This work has always been more than a job for me. It has been a passion and a lifelong commitment,” Velardo said in a statement. “I am honored by the opportunity to serve as interim commissioner and appreciate Gov. Lamont’s confidence in me. I look forward to continuing the important work ahead and building on the strong foundation that has been created at DDS.”

Laura Tillman is CT Mirror’s Human Services Reporter. She shares responsibility for covering housing, child protection, mental health and addiction, developmental disabilities, and other vulnerable populations. Laura began her career in journalism at the Brownsville Herald in 2007, covering the U.S.–Mexico border, and worked as a statehouse reporter for the Associated Press in Mississippi. She was most recently a producer of the national security podcast “In the Room with Peter Bergen” and is the author of two nonfiction books: The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts (2016) and The Migrant Chef: The Life and Times of Lalo Garcia (2023), which was just awarded the 2024 James Beard Award for literary writing. Her freelance work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. Laura holds a degree in International Studies from Vassar College and an MFA in nonfiction writing from Goucher College.