Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner (DVA) Sean Connolly is stepping down from his position Wednesday to pursue other professional opportunities, according to state officials.
Connolly has expressed interest in a run for governor, according to the CT Mirror. On Monday he could not be reached immediately for comment.
“As commissioner of Veterans Affairs, Sean Connolly has stuck true to [the] mission, with a tenure marked by significant achievements and improvements in serving our state’s veterans,” said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in a prepared statement.
Connolly said he was honored to serve veterans in the post, which he assumed in March 2015. An East Hartford native, Connolly served more than seven years on active duty. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was a Prosecutor and Brigade Legal Advisor with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ken., as well as in Kuwait and Iraq. He also previously served as assistant legal advisor and executive officer for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Office of the Appointing Authority for Military Commissions.
He remains a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Thomas Saadi, chief of staff and general counsel of the DVA, will serve as acting commissioner until a permanent successor is named, Malloy said.
