Norwalk Mayor Announces New Interim Chief of Staff

NORWALK, CT — Mayor Harry Rilling announced this week he has selected Common Council member Tom Livingston to serve as his interim chief of staff.

In a news release, Rilling said Livingston will replace Laoise King, who has served as chief of staff since 2016 and is departing from Norwalk at the end of May to become a deputy commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

At Tuesday's Common Council meeting, Livingston announced his resignation and shared that he will begin his new role with the city Wednesday.

A resident of Norwalk for 36 years, Livingston has served as a member of the Common Council since 2015, representing District E residents in Brookside, Harbor View, Rowayton, Village Creek and West Norwalk.

He served as Common Council president from 2018-2019 and 2021-2022, and is currently the chair of the Common Council's Land Use and Building Management Committee. He is also a member of the Economic and Community Development, Public Works, Ordinance, and Ad Hoc Sustainability and Resilience committees.

"Tom is uniquely qualified to help lead the city of Norwalk as my interim chief of staff," Rilling said in a news release. "His institutional knowledge of city operations from his nearly eight years on the Common Council, along with his team-oriented and problem-solving attitude, has earned him a great deal of respect at City Hall. With Laoise King leaving behind big shoes to fill, I'm confident that Tom's impressive background and skillset, combined with his passion for serving the residents of Norwalk, will allow us to continue making great progress on behalf of the community."

Livingston spent his career practicing law, last serving as vice president and secretary of applied biosystems, formerly Perkin-Elmer Corporation, in its Norwalk headquarters. He earned a law degree from Cornell Law School and an undergraduate degree from Hamilton College.

From 2010 to 2022, Livingston served as an adjunct at the University of Connecticut School of Law, teaching contract drafting and helping students develop counseling, negotiation and other legal skills. He also volunteered as a venture mentor, working closely with student and faculty ventures at Yale Entrepreneurial Institute and elsewhere, Rilling said.

"I'm incredibly honored to have the opportunity to serve the residents of Norwalk as interim chief of staff to Mayor Rilling," Livingston said in a news release. "Over the past eight years, I have dedicated my time to public service because I truly believe that Norwalk is a special place filled with wonderful people. Under Mayor Rilling's leadership, he has taken the city's operations to a new level, enhancing city services, investing in our parks and green spaces and proactively addressing the threats of climate change. I'm excited to work with the remarkable team he has assembled to continue delivering results to the residents of Norwalk that enhance their quality of life and contribute to a more sustainable city and livable future for all."