Charter Oak Communities (COC), Stamford’s housing authority, has named former Connecticut budget chief Ben Barnes as its next CEO, effective Oct. 1.
Barnes first joined COC as chief of staff in January. He replaces Vin Tufo, who has served as COC’s CEO since 2011. Tufo will stay on as president of Rippowam Corp., COC’s real estate development subsidiary, and as executive director of Dovetail, a social enterprise tied to COC to help revitalize underserved neighborhoods.
In his new role, Barnes will oversee the organization’s affordable housing operations, property management and development efforts for low- and moderate-income Stamford residents.
Previously, Barnes spent eight years as secretary of the state Office of Policy and Management under former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a role that made him Connecticut’s top budget official. Before joining COC, he was Stamford’s director of administration and chief financial officer under Mayor Caroline Simmons, a post he held from September 2023 to January 2026.
