Connecticut's COO To Exit Government, Join Yale In New Haven

NEW HAVEN, CT — One of Gov. Ned Lamont's top lieutenants will be leaving Hartford to join the private sector in New Haven.

State chief operating officer and commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services, Josh Geballe, a former IBM executive, will be leaving Lamont's administration for a newly minted position at Yale. His last day with the state will be Feb. 14.

The governor will be nominating Michelle Gilman of Colchester to succeed Geballe in the position of DAS commissioner. She has served as deputy chief operating officer since March 2020.

As DAS commissioner, Geballe has been pulling most of the levers backstage to execute the governor's initiatives during the coronavirus pandemic. DAS comprises many of the business functions of state government, including information technology, human resources, procurement, facilities and real estate, and construction services, among other areas.

Geballe first joined the Lamont administration in January 2019 as commissioner of DAS. When the previous chief operating officer, Paul Mounds, Jr., was promoted as the governor's chief of staff in February 2020, Geballe assumed the responsibilities of that role while also continuing to serve as commissioner.

In her current state role, Gilman has managed numerous COVID-19 initiatives on behalf of the administration, including overseeing the alternate hospital site initiative to prepare for potential surge capacity, as well as implementation of the state’s nationally recognize free testing program with a strong emphasis on access for vulnerable populations. More recently, she supported the state’s vaccine program roll-out. Throughout the pandemic, she also assisted with PPE, medical equipment, and testing supply management to meet the needs of the state’s residents.

Geballe's new job at Yale will be senior associate provost for entrepreneurship and innovation. He will also serve as managing director of the Office of Cooperative Research and partner closely with the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking to enhance collaboration across the university and with partners in the community and industry to create new startups, jobs, and economic opportunity.

Gilman will begin serving as commissioner-designate immediately following Geballe’s planned departure. Her nomination is being forwarded to the Connecticut General Assembly for its advice and consent. Prior to her current position, she served as assistant state comptroller under former Comptroller Kevin Lembo.