Lamont Loses Chief Of Staff & General Counsel, Appoints Replacements

CONNECTICUT – Two familiar faces will be missing from the State House in Hartford when Gov. Ned Lamont embarks upon his second term in January.

Paul Mounds, Jr., who has served as the governor’s chief of staff since February 2020, and Nora Dannehy, who has served as his general counsel since March 2021, have each chosen to step down from their respective roles within the office to pursue new professional opportunities. Both Mounds and Dannehy decided that the conclusion of the governor’s first term would be an appropriate time for them to make the change.

Lamont will be appointing Jonathan Dach as chief of staff and Natalie Braswell as general counsel.

Dach currently serves as Governor Lamont’s policy director, a position he has held since the start of the governor’s first term oin January 2019. Prior to joining the Lamont campaign and administration, he clerked for Judge Rowan D. Wilson of the New York Court of Appeals and served as senior policy advisor to the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues at the U.S. Department of State. A Washington, D.C. native and longtime New Haven resident, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale College in 2008 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2013.

Braswell currently serves as state comptroller in a position that she began on Dec. 31, 2021, following the resignation of former Comptroller Kevin Lembo. From March 2021 until her appointment as comptroller, Braswell was the chief of planning, legal, and regulatory affairs at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science a Master of Public Administration from the University of Connecticut, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2007.

“During my first term in office, one thing that immediately became clear is how critical the roles of chief of staff and general counsel are when it comes to providing effective leadership as governor, and I will forever be thankful to Paul Mounds and Nora Dannehy for the time, dedication, guidance, and excellence that they have given to me and to the people of Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “I am fully aware that these roles require a 24/7 commitment, often at the expense of personal lives and relationships, and both Paul and Nora have gone above and beyond what their duties required. I’ve worked alongside Jonny and Natalie for quite some time now, and they both have the experience and proficiency to fill these roles with a seamless transition."

Lamont is set to receive the oath of office and begin his second term on January 4, 2023.