Tara C. Washington, the former finance chief for a Bloomfield church, is the city of Hartford’s new ethical face for individuals or businesses wanting to sell products and services to the city.
Mayor Pedro E. Segarra said Washington was his choice to manage the city’s procurement division, now part of the city finance department.
Segarra obliquely indicated that her hiring is part of the city’s efforts to distance itself from the embarrassing city contracting fraud episode that ensnared, among others, former Mayor Eddie Perez.
“Tara’s first job is to ensure the integrity of the bidding process and that the purchasing of goods, supplies and services is done in a cost effective manner,” Segarra said.
A Hartford native, Washington most recently was finance director at The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, one the largest African-American churches in Connecticut.
Her other experience includes her tenure at Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., Hartford Investment Management Company, and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.Â
She has a MBA and BS from the University of Hartford.  Â
