DAS Employee Spotlight Frank Rivera

Frank Rivera
Assistant Director
Department of Administrative Services
Collections

1. What do you do?

I am the Assistant Director for the Collections unit, responsible for inter-agency collection efforts, wherein, we recover monies from Decedent Estates, Inheritances, Civil Litigation through the accident lien unit, lottery intercepts, tax offsets, and hospital billing.

2. Why do you work for the State of Connecticut?

Coming from a military background having served in the Army, I found that working for the State of Connecticut provided a similar structure minus the physical fitness training of course. I enjoy working with multiple agencies in an attempt to provide the best customer service to the general public.   

3. You’re currently enrolled in the State’s Aspiring Leaders course.  Can you tell us some positive outcomes you’ve gained from taking the course?

The Aspiring Leaders course has been an incredible experience, we are about halfway through the program now and can say, that the tips, techniques, and new strategies learned will go a long way. I am currently in the process of implementing many of the strategies acquired through the AL course and rolling them out to my unit. Part of the program involved an MBTI assessment that has helped shed some light on the variances in employee personalities, which will be useful for future engagement and communications with staff.

4. What do you love about your job?

I love the diversity my job offers, and the ability to drive change. We work with an incredible group of people, all tasked with varying responsibilities and I love being able to provide them with the tools they need to get the job done. In the 26 years that I have worked with DAS, exclusively with collections. I have had the privilege of working in every single unit the department offers in every available position. Which afforded me a personal level of appreciation for all my staff and has allowed me to lead from a unique perspective.

5. What are some of your favorite activities outside of work?

Outside of work, I enjoy many activities, whether it’s working on home improvement projects, spending time with family, designing full house automation and lighting, and maintaining my 240-gallon saltwater reef aquarium just to mention a few.

6. Where is your favorite place that you have traveled?

Picking a favorite is difficult as I enjoy traveling with my family as often as I can. I would have to say Hawaii but Aruba is a close second. I guess anywhere that has palm trees, turquoise water, and beaches is my spot.

7. What would you tell someone who is interested in working for the state? 

I would encourage anyone to join the ranks within the state workforce. There are so many agencies and roles, that the possibilities are endless as far as what your interest may be. The state of CT offers so much diversity in pretty much any field you could imagine. Anywhere from IT, Engineering, Public health, family services, DOT, Environmental, Etc. the list goes on and on.

8. Where is your favorite place in Connecticut? 

I have two extremes, so I would say you can find me either in Madison CT at Hammonasset Beach camping and fishing, or in Lakeville CT at the race track at Lime Rock Park.

9. If you could choose one superpower, what would it be, and why?

Not sure if this would qualify as a superpower, but I would love to have a photographic memory. In my current capacity, I am often tasked with assignments due almost overnight, so this would allow me to quickly absorb information and harvest data in fast bursts like a snapshot.

10. Who inspires you and why?

I would have to say that my biggest inspiration is my Mom. She raised me as a struggling single parent growing up in the north end of Hartford, all while making minimum wage, (which at the time was a whopping $4.80.) She overcame all obstacles to make sure we had all the tools we needed in order to be successful. I attribute my work ethic and success to her and thank her daily for her dedication to raising my sister and me to the best of her ability. We are the product of her sweat, blood, and tears.

11. Tell us your favorite fun fact.

I have a fascination with marine biology, which is probably why I love snorkeling the reefs and the reason for my 240-gallon saltwater home aquarium. I have been in the reef hobby for over 20 years and belong to a local club called, The Connecticut Area Reef Society. This club focuses on reef preservation by teaching members how to propagate corals in our home aquariums, also known as aquacultured coral or fragging, ( a fancy name for homegrown coral, as opposed to being harvested from the ocean and depleting the living reef.) An annual event is held at E.O. Smith High School on the UConn campus, where speakers and vendors from all walks of the industry come together to discuss topics such as global warming and its effect on the coral reefs. Home aquarists such as myself attend these events and exchange corals and or fish from fellow enthusiasts in an event called, The Frag Farmers Market, (Frag is short for fragments or pieces of corals.) I look forward to this event yearly.