Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday he will appoint Natalie A. Braswell, the chief of planning, legal and regulatory affairs at the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, to serve as state comptroller following the expected resignation of Kevin Lembo at the end of the year.
Lembo, who has been in office since 2011, announced last week that he would step down effective Dec. 31 due to a serious heart condition. He said his doctors have recommended that he not continue working.
According to the governor’s office, state law requires that the governor name a replacement for outgoing constitutional officers when the legislature is not in session.
Braswell, a Bloomfield resident, had only just left the comptroller’s office earlier this year. From 2011 to March 2021, she served as general counsel and assistant comptroller under Lembo, roles in which she managed all legal matters for the office, represented the agency in administrative proceedings and negotiated and drafted contracts and personal service agreements.
Braswell is expected to serve the remainder of Lembo’s current term, which ends on Jan. 4, 2023 following elections in November 2022.
State officials said Braswell has expressed to Lamont that she has “no interest” in running for comptroller in 2022, a factor they said is important in maintaining public trust that the appointment “remain clear of politics.”
“The circumstances surrounding the need to make this appointment are incredibly unfortunate and something I wish I didn’t have to do, but I am very pleased that we were able to select someone who has an incredible amount of experience working in the comptroller’s office and can hit the ground running,” Lamont said in a statement. “Natalie spent a decade working as general counsel and assistant comptroller under Kevin Lembo, and I am confident that this will be a smooth transition, not only when it comes to maintaining the exceptional public service that Kevin has provided, but also for the dedicated staff who work in the comptroller’s office and are responsible for carrying out the office’s duties each day.”
“I am honored and humbled to be appointed to finish out the term of a dear friend, mentor and model public servant in Kevin Lembo,” Braswell said. “Though I have always thought of myself as a public servant, not a public figure, I view this as an opportunity to positively impact the people of Connecticut and continue the transformative work done by Kevin during his tenure.”
Prior to joining state service, Braswell worked as an associate attorney with the law office of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy in Hartford from 2007 and 2011.
