Patricia Rehmer, acting commissioners of the state’s mental health-addiction services agency, is the governor’s permanent choice for the post.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell also announced today her appointment of Bloomfield Police Chief Betsy J.S. Hard to be the new deputy commissioner for the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS).
Rell said she has nominated Rehmer, 49, of West Hartford, to succeed Thomas A. Kirk, who retired this summer as commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS).
“Pat Rehmer’s quarter-century of service in mental health agencies — including her five years as deputy commissioner at DMHAS — and her commitment to the health and welfare of our residents make her the ideal candidate for this position,” Rell said in a statement.
Rehmer joined DMHAS in 1999. She had led a range of agency initiatives and manages the state’s inpatient and community services and also has responsibility for Young Adult Services and Statewide Services.
A former chief executive officer of the Capitol Region Mental Health Center in Hartford, Rehmer also worked for many years at the Institute of Living in Hartford and Hartford Hospital. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Skidmore College and her master’s from St. Joseph College.’
Hard, who begins her job Nov. 6, succeeds Wayne Sandford, who retired in July.
DEMHS coordinates all resources and directs the statewide response to protect Connecticut citizens during a disaster or crisis. Hard will assist Commissioner Peter Boynton carry out the agency’s mission of prevention, response recovery, and public education.
A graduate of the FBI National Academy, Hard has been the top administrator at the Bloomfield police department the past six years. Prior to that, she served 21 years with the Santa Monica (Calif.) Police Department, retiring as a lieutenant in 2003.
A Massachusetts native, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State College, N.H. and attended California State University at Northridge.
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