2024 CEEJAC Members

The Executive Order authorizes the Commissioner of DEEP to appoint members of the CEEJAC, including at a minimum, the following non-agency members:

The CEEJAC will also include representatives from the following State agencies: Department of Public Health (DPH); the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD); the Department of Housing (DOH); and the Department of Transportation (DOT). In addition, the Executive Order directs the Commissioner of DEEP to appoint additional members to the CEEJAC as needed in furtherance of the purpose of the CEEJAC.

Co-Chairs

 

Commissioner Katie Dykes

Co-Chair of CEEJAC, Katie Scharf Dykes is the Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP). She was nominated by Governor Ned Lamont to serve as the Commissioner of DEEP, and was confirmed on February 20, 2019. Katie previously served as Chair of the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) from 2015-2018, and as Deputy Commissioner for Energy at Connecticut DEEP from 2012-2015. Katie also served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Inc. (RGGI) from 2014 to 2017. RGGI is a multi-state effort focused on reducing carbon emissions from electric generating facilities. Katie joined CT DEEP in March 2012 after prior service as Deputy General Counsel for the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as a Legal Advisor to the General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy. She is a graduate of Yale College and the Yale Law School.

Dr. Mark Mitchell

Mark Mitchell, M.D., MPH, FACPM, is Associate Professor of Climate Change, Energy & Environmental Health Equity at George Mason University. Dr. Mitchell is Director of State Affairs for the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health and is Founder and Director of the Climate and Health Equity Fellowship, a leadership development program for physicians of color to advance equitable climate solutions. He also co-chairs the National Medical Association’s Commission on Environmental Health and co-chairs the Governor’s Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council (CEEJAC). A preventive medicine physician trained in environmental health and health policy, Dr. Mitchell has spent over twenty years working in the public health sector, including as Director of the Hartford, Connecticut, Health Department and Deputy Director of the Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department. He spent fifteen years working with environmental justice communities to prevent and reduce environmentally related disease as well as to change policies that are detrimental to environmental health. He is the Founder and Senior Policy Advisor of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice. Dr. Mitchell has served on several U.S. EPA and FDA advisory committees and has received a number of awards for his community and environmental health leadership.  Dr. Mitchell earned his bachelors and medical degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and his Masters of Public Health from The Johns Hopkins University. Co-Chair since 2022

 

Environmental Justice Communities

 

Sheila Barney

Sheila Barney isa longtime community activist residing in the City of Stamford South End. The Secretary for the South End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone a grassroots organization that represents people who live or work in the South End Community. Sheila and other resident members of the South End NRZ have worked many years with representatives of DEEP to help resolve a number of issues that directly impacted our community:

• B&S Carting which recycled trash in the middle of our community has since relocated
• Vitti Construction who crushed rock in the middle of a residential neighborhood has since built a better facility to limit dirt flying throughout the community
• Removal of Dirt piles stacked against a rooming house contributing to respiratory issues.

Although the South End still struggles with issues the goal is to get more people in Stamford interested in Environmental Justice since there are a number of communities aligning I-95 that are not aware of how they are directly impacted and what resources are available.  Joined in 2024

Maisa L. Tisdale

Maisa L. Tisdale has advocated for the preservation of the Mary & Eliza Freeman Houses since 1994 and founded the Mary & Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community in 2009 after coordinating a successful movement to save the homes from demolition. Ms. Tisdale led the Freeman Center as a volunteer until 2019, when she became the Freeman Center’s first professional staff member. Over the past ten years, Ms. Tisdale not only focused on the restoration of the Freeman houses, but also has worked to create a safer and healthier “built” environment in Bridgeport’s South End – focusing on historic preservation, community development, and climate change. Maisa Tisdale was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Her parents, James and Loyse Tisdale, were educators and civil rights activists. Their dedication to civil and human rights – and love of history – remain Ms. Tisdale’s strongest influences. She also studied African and African American arts and culture in Bridgeport at Youthbridge, Inc.: A Theatrical Arts Workshop from the age of 10 through her early college years. Six generations of Maisa Tisdale's family were born or have lived in Bridgeport.

Ms. Tisdale strengthened her background in African American Studies during her undergraduate years at Yale University, where she earned a BA in Asian Studies. She also studied sociology and history as a postgraduate special student at Columbia University. Maisa Tisdale went on to work as a private contractor for the US Department of State’s Bureau of Education & Cultural Affairs (ECA) for many years; and has worked as: Executive Director of The Ocean Classroom (Bridgeport, CT); Assistant Director of Admissions at Fairfield University (Fairfield, CT); and Manager of Sponsorships and Grants, Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center (Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation). Joined in 2022

Terry Adams

Terry is known for his commitment to social issues (affordable housing, homeownership, and historic preservation. Consistent determination to keep open communication between the residents and the city to get a common consensus that will accommodate everyone. Terry’s fair minded leadership and dedication to his constituents has always made sure the developers and the residents work together in the transformation of the District 3 community so there is comparable co-existence. Terry has served on many committees and boards:

• The Democratic City Committee
• Public Safety Committee
• Appointment Committee
• Transportation Committee
• Operation Committee
• State and Commerce Committee
• Banking Committee for State of Connecticut
• Human Service vice Chair for The State of Connecticut
• Public Safety and Security for The State of Connecticut

Terry Adams has lived in the City of Stamford for over 46 years and is a Stamford property owner. He was employed by Pitney Bowes which was once a major South End employer for over 42 years. Terry continues to serve actively on the Stamford Board of Representatives for over fifteen years and has shown to be an experienced community leader with the courage and ability to serve the needs of the District 3 community. Terry graduated from Bowman High School in Bowman South Carolina and later attended Norwalk Technical College. With an interest in small business Terry attended The Small Business Academy. Joined in 2023

Rahiem Eleazer

A proud member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN), Rahiem Eleazer has worked in the environmental sector for five years, and currently serves as the Environmental Liaison for the MPTN. Mr. Eleazer focuses on environmental efforts within Mashantucket and networks with various external organizations, institutions, and local, state, and federal agencies to pursue mutual interests while protecting and promoting the Tribe’s sovereignty. His work in Mashantucket’s Natural Resources Department includes serving as the Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Resilience Program Grant Project Director from 2020 to 2022, for which he constructed a climate change vulnerability assessment on behalf of the MPTN. Mr. Eleazer is primarily focused on ecological conservation and climate change resiliency while incorporating indigenous philosophy to environmental practices. He serves as a member of the MPTN Historical and Cultural Preservation Committee since 2016 and the MPTN Natural Resources Protection Committee since 2018, and is a board member of the Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed. Joined in 2024

Xóchitl García

Xóchitl García is currently a community consultant at Save the Sound. Her work revolves around intersectional environmental justice and bilingual community outreach. Xóchitl believes that cultural and language representation is essential in creating equitable and inclusive environments. Joined in 2023

 

 

Connecticut-based Environmental Advocacy Organizations

 

Yaw Darko, Connecticut Land Conservation Council

Yaw is the Senior Project Specialist for the Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC), the state's umbrella organization for the land conservation community. Yaw administers CLCC's grant programs and leads the organization's Bird & Hike Program, which has the goal of engaging diverse audiences on conserved lands. Yaw earned his B.A. in Psychology and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Connecticut (UConn). With a passion for learning, Yaw has a background in farming, personal training, tutoring/counseling, and facilities maintenance. He enjoys reading and writing poetry, gardening, lifting weights, birding, and playing soccer. Joined in 2023

Alex Rodriguez, Save the Sound

As Climate Advocate for Save the Sound, Alex Rodriguez is responsible for youth mobilization, supporting climate-related communications, coalition building, community engagement, and legislative advocacy. Prior to joining Save the Sound, Alex served as Community Organizer to the CT League of Conservation Voters where he planned and executed campaigns relating to climate action, voting rights, and electric school bus advancement. He has also served in roles such as Chair of the Public Participation subcommittee of the Governor’s Council on Climate Change, and Vice Chair of Hartford’s Advisory Commission on the Environment. Joined in 2022

Tenaya Taylor, Nonprofit Accountability Group

 

Large and Small Business and Industry

 

Theresa Hopkins Staten, Eversource

Theresa oversees Eversource’s foundation and is responsible for community-related employee engagement and development opportunities. She has developed a strategy to invest in initiatives and organizations that provide broad, meaningful, and sustainable impact in communities served by Eversource. She was named Vice President, Corporate Citizenship and Equity in May 2021, and leads Eversource’s new enterprise-wide focus on Pro-Equity, which is defined as engaging all stakeholders, including customers and communities with respect and dignity, while working toward fair and just outcomes, especially for those burdened with economic challenges, racial inequity, negative environmental impacts and justice disparities. Theresa began her career at Eversource in the Legal Department as Senior Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary. She is currently a Co-chair of the University of Connecticut African American Alumni Council, a Board member of the iQuilt Partnership and a Trustee of the Connecticut-Rhode Island National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She previously served on the Saint Francis Foundation Board of Directors; Connecticut State Board of Education; Chair of the United Way of Connecticut Board of Directors; Chair of the Urban League of Greater Hartford Board of Directors; and the National Urban League Board of Trustees. 

Theresa has received numerous recognitions and awards for her unwavering leadership and dedication to community service, including the UConn Law School’s 150th anniversary “Gallery of Pioneers” honoring alumni for their community service and professional achievements and the 2018 Connecticut Bar Association “Citizen of the Law Award”. 

Theresa graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.A. in Sociology, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. In addition, she earned a JD from the University of Connecticut School of Law and received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree (PhD) from Goodwin University. Joined in 2022

Adrienne Farrar Houël, Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprises

Adrienne Farrar Houël is Founder President and CEO of Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprises, Inc., a nonprofit community development corporation that develops nonprofit sustainability enterprises to create jobs for disadvantaged area residents; has trained and placed low and moderate- income residents in green jobs; and advocates for more programs and businesses positively impacting climate change in the Bridgeport area and throughout the State of Connecticut. Ms Farrar Houël has extensive international executive experience in France, Russia and Ireland in real estate development, construction and marketing. In 2002, she returned to the U.S. and initiated a career in community and economic development. In her most recent capacities, she has designed, funded and operated workforce development training programs; worked on curriculum design and delivery of business development courses for Resident Owned Businesses for CT housing authorities; and created GBCE with three nonprofit, sustainability enterprises under its umbrella. 

Ms Farrar Houël contributed to the City of Bridgeport’s BGreen 2020 Initiative from its inception in 2008. She chaired the City of Bridgeport’s Energy Improvement District and, in 2015, served as Chair to the Community Advisory Committee negotiating a community benefits agreement with the owner of the Bridgeport Harbor Coal plant which resulted in the closure of the last coal plan in CT in 2020 and community investments of $2M. Ms Farrar Houël has been active in Preservation from 2003 to 2018 as a trustee and officer of Preservation Connecticut. Also, in the interest of preserving and developing an important African-American historic site in Bridgeport, she joined the founding board of the Mary and Eliza Freeman Foundation for History and Community and still serves to this day. In 2012, GBCE’s Green Team integrated deconstruction classes at the site while performing the initial phases of preserving the houses’ structures for future re-development.

For the State of CT, Ms. Farrar Houël was Co-Chair of the 2013 Governor’s Task Force on Modernizing Recycling in Connecticut and served on the Green Jobs Committee, a joint committee of CT’s Department of Labor and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. More recently in 2016-2019, she served on the state’s Energy Efficiency Board named by Commissioner Dykes of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and chaired the Residential Sub-Committee of the Board. In 2020 she began service on the Governor’s Climate Change Committee contributing to the policy recommendations for Financing and Funding Climate Adaptation and Resilience through the lens of Environmental Justice. The CT Women’s Hall of Fame honored Ms Farrar Houël for her leadership in community and economic development in 2019. She has also been awarded for her environmentally focused economic and community development programs by CT League of Conservation Voters and CT Green Building Council. More recently, in March 2021, Governor Ned Lamont named Ms. Farrar Houël to the board of directors of the Connecticut Green Bank.  Ms. Farrar Houël earned her BA at Antioch College and her MBA at Harvard Business School. She resides in Bridgeport, Connecticut with her husband, Christian. Joined in 2022

 

Municipalities of Regional Councils of Government

 

Anthony Afriyie, Town of Stratford

Anthony is a civic-minded individual hailing from the Bronx, NY and raised in Stratford, CT. His parents migrated to the United States from Ghana, West Africa, instilling in him a strong sense of cultural heritage and community engagement. With a degree in political science from Western Connecticut State University and concluding his master's in public administration with a specialization in urban development and sustainability from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College, Anthony blends his passion for politics with a keen interest in making a positive impact on his surroundings. Currently, Anthony serves as the Press Secretary for the Congresswoman representing Connecticut’s Third Congressional District, as well as serving as a Town Councilor in the Town of Stratford. Passionate, dedicated, and community-oriented, Anthony continues to make meaningful contributions to the world of public service and leaves a lasting impact on the communities he serves. Joined in 2024

Cierra Patrick, City of Groton

Cierra Patrick is an economic and community developer from New London, CT. Cierra orchestrates the strategic planning, implementation, and investment for local improvements, infrastructure, community assets and amenities for the City of Groton, CT. Cierra earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Hampton University and went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Georgetown University. Feeding her curiosity about the tools of entrepreneurs in our economy, bottom-up economic development, community revitalization and wealth creation, Cierra devises creative approaches to community engagement that encourage a variety of local stakeholders to collaborate. Cierra’s gift is her ability to engage diverse members of the City’s citizenry in developing and implementing plans/projects that support economic activity, stimulate local excitement, and enhance local quality of life. Joined in 2022

Maritza Bond, City of New Haven

Maritza Bond, MPH, is a public health leader with over two decades of experience in the public sector serving in both urban and rural settings. Maritza currently serves as the Director of Health for the City of New Haven. In this role, Maritza leads efforts to create a culture of health and wellness with a focus on addressing social determinants of health and health equity. This includes a commitment to strengthening public-private partnerships, increasing the connection between public health and clinical medicine, and implementing an outcome-driven approach to program and policy development. Maritza led the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic where she established the first contract tracing program in the state. For all her efforts, Maritza was named “New Havener of the Year” in 2020 by the New Haven Independent. She currently sits on the Connecticut Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee and the Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council, both appointments from the Governor.

Prior to joining the City of New Haven, Maritza served as the Director of Health and Social Services for the City of Bridgeport. Under her administration, she led 11 diverse regulatory divisions and social services programs yielding proven results, including, but not limited to, increased revenue and efficiency.

Maritza began her career in the Naugatuck Valley Health District, where she coordinated several grant project initiatives at the Naugatuck Valley Health District, including the Immunization Action Program. In 2015, Director Bond was awarded the Health Equity Superstar award from the Connecticut Health Foundation. Maritza also served as the Executive Director of the Eastern Area Health Education Center (EAHEC), Inc. In this role, Maritza brought educators, health care professionals, and community leaders together both regionally and statewide to ensure health care access to the underserved and enhanced the workforce in Connecticut. She was selected as a 2014 Rural Health Leadership Fellow by the National Rural Health Association. Maritza graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Health, and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Connecticut. She is a founder of the University of Bridgeport’s Master's in Public Health program. Joined in 2023

 

Department of Public Health

 

Manisha Juthani, MD, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health

Manisha Juthani, MD, is the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Commissioner Juthani came to DPH from the Yale School of Medicine, where she has served as an associate professor of medicine, and director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program. Additionally, she has served as the associate program director for career development in the Internal Medicine Residency Program there since 2017. Commissioner Juthani attended Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, NY, and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994 and her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1998. She completed her internal medicine residency training at New-York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell where she served as an assistant chief resident. She also was a chief medical resident at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 2001-2002. Commissioner Juthani came to the Yale School of Medicine as a fellow in infectious diseases in 2002. Her research focused on the diagnosis, management, and prevention of infections in older adults, specifically urinary tract infection and pneumonia in nursing home residents. She has more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in this field. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Commissioner Juthani was a leader in the response at Yale. She was a voice to help educate the public and was featured on CNN, WTNH News 8, ABC's 20/20, Connecticut Public Radio/NPR, BBC's News Hour, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Washington Post to name a few. Throughout her career, she has been inspired to protect our most vulnerable citizens and advocate for the ideal of health as a human right. This vision and passion is what she now brings to the role of Commissioner of the Department of Public Health. Joined in 2022

Hannah Beath, Director of Office of Climate and Health

Hannah Beath is the Director of the Department of Public Health's Office of Climate and Health. She has a decade of experience working in the non-profit and public sector along social determinants of health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hannah was closely involved in statewide testing and vaccination efforts through her work in Federally Qualified Health Centers. This experience, coupled with her Peace Corps service prompted her to pursue her MPH at the Yale School of Public Health to study the role of governments in promoting public health and mitigating climate impacts on health. More recently, Hannah has held fellowships with Connecticut’s Department of Public Health, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Office of the Governor as a Governor’s Fellow. Joined in 2024

Devin Brown, Environmental Justice Program Manager

Devin Brown recently joined the CT Department of Public Health as the Environmental Justice Project Manager. Prior to moving to Connecticut in 2022, he split time between Texas and Oklahoma where he earned his BS at the University of Oklahoma studying life sciences, astrophysics, and public health. This past May he finished his MPH at Yale concentrating in social and behavioral sciences and U.S. Health Justice. Before working in state government, Devin’s professional experiences were primarily in research—both in academic and legal settings—concerning racial health equity. More specifically, his work has focused on the role of the environment as a fundamental driver of health inequities and how laws and policies can shape the distribution of environmental, economic, and social resources, particularly at the local level. Imperative to his work is partnering with affected communities as local experts in the translation and application of public health research to advance health and environmental justice. Joined in 2024

 

Department of Economics and Community Development

 

Paul O. Robertson

Paul O. Robertson was named Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) in February of 2022.  In this role, he oversees all government affairs, arts, tourism, marketing, and communications activities of the department. Paul has extensive experience as a business, marketing and media consultant and is a proven leader in building organizations, improving processes, and developing talent.  He has served as chairman of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB) where he was responsible for bringing international, national, and regional conferences, conventions, and sporting events to the state.

Previously, he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Connecticut Public Broadcasting. His extensive background in broadcasting management and sales includes jobs as the Station Manager of Radio Disney Connecticut, Associate General Manager at IMG Learfield representing UCONN Sports, Sales Manager at NBC 30 NBC Connecticut, and as an Sr. Account Executive at CBS Radio (Audacy)in Farmington. Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Hartford. Joined in 2024

 

Department of Housing

 

Brandon L. McGee, Jr.

Brandon L. McGee, Jr. was named Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Housing in March 2002. McGee has been actively involved in the political arena for two decades. Most recently, he served as Political Director for the second-term Governor of Connecticut, Ned Lamont. Previously, he served as a Connecticut State Representative for District 5 from 2013 to 2022. Brandon is no stranger to the advocacy space. In 2021, State Representative McGee led the clarion call of declaring Racism as a public health Crisis, an essential first step to making Connecticut finally question its identity. During that same year, Brandon, alongside his colleagues, gave final passage to declaring racism a public health crisis; that would trigger an exploration of the effects racism has on public health. Understanding the power of relationships, being mentored by Dr. Marichal B. Monts and Dr. June Archer, he continues to pay it forward by offering young men of color opportunities to engage with other professional men of color through his initiative called the 50|50 Club. Brandon has numerous community affiliations, serving in various capacities, including: 

• Ascend Mentoring, Board President
• BSL Education Foundation, President
• Hartford Behavioral Health, Board of Directors
• HARC Inc., Board of Directors
• The Citadel of Love, Board of Directors 

Brandon was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. He holds his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Alabama State University and a Master of Science in Management and Organizational Leadership from Albertus Magnus College. Joined in 2023

 

Department of Transportation

 

Karen Kitsis

Karen Kitsis joins us most recently from Seattle, Washington. There she served as the Deputy Executive Director for the Office of Capital Project Development at Sound Transit. During her eleven years at the agency, her previous positions at Sound Transit included serving as South Corridor Development Director, and as Senior Planning and Project Development Manager. While at Sound Transit, she was responsible for overseeing the preliminary engineering and project development of commuter rail, light rail, bus, and bus rapid transit projects totaling over $10 billion across four of Sound Transit’s subareas. She managed the system-wide planning process known as ST3, which resulted in a successful $54 billion ballot measure. She also led the long-range planning division with staff conducting alternatives development, multi-modal corridor-level planning studies, environmental analysis, capital project development, and ridership forecasting. 

Karen brings almost two decades of transportation planning and management experience to CTDOT. Prior to moving to Washington to work at Sound Transit, Karen worked as Transit Development Officer at Hampton Roads Transit, was a planner at Kimley-Horn in Tallahassee, FL, and started her career as a Project Manager at Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission in Woodbridge, Virginia. Karen has a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from UCLA. Joined in 2023