Julio Molleda has returned to Hartford to become the chief financial officer of the Hartford Public Library, the largest public library in Connecticut. Molleda, 52, had been the executive director for finance and business services for the Bridgeport public school system. He served in a similar role with the Hartford Public Schools for six years. Molleda will oversee the day-to-day financial and administrative operations of the library.
Financial management and budgeting is a critical role at the library, he said.
“I believe I have the experience of accounts payable, budgeting and fiscal management of grants to assist in achieving the financial objectives of the library,” Molleda said, adding his background in contracts will help during the upcoming negotiations with unions.
Molleda chose the library field because he says he can use his educational background to improve adult literacy.
“I firmly believe in adult literacy and the need for it. Public schools can’t do the whole job. We need to promote adult literacy in the population. I felt that this was an important and worthy cause,” he said.
His career in finance has taken Molleda across the country. He has held financial leadership positions at organizations including New Orleans Public Schools, Stone Forestal S.A. in Costa Rica, Florida’s Ocean Bank of Miami and Republic National Bank of Miami.
Molleda and his wife finally settled in Connecticut in 1999 to pursue education opportunities for their daughter, now a freshman at the University of Connecticut.
“To be in Connecticut was better than some of the major cities that don’t have what Connecticut has,” he said.
Born in Cuba, Molleda’s family moved when he was almost 10 to Costa Rica.
“My parents felt it in terms of the Communist revolution and what was going on,” Molleda said. A graduate of the University of Costa Rica, he received his MBA from the University of Georgia.
Outside the office, Molleda enjoys magazines and technical journals related to his field. He and his family like to travel.
