Gov. Dannel P. Malloy nominated Terrence Macy of Madison on Thursday as the new commissioner of the state Department of Developmental Services.
Macy will replace Peter O'Meara, one of the longest-serving commissioners in recent state history, in the agency that was previously known as the Department of Mental Retardation. O'Meara served under three governors, starting in 1995 under Republican John G. Rowland and continuing throughout the entire term of Gov. M. Jodi Rell. He then continued at the start of the Malloy administration as a successor was being sought. Some of Rowland's appointees were retained by Rell, but relatively few commissioners have served under three governors.
A registered Democrat who turns 65 next week, Macy will begin his new job on April 25 and will be paid $150,000 per year - the same as the governor.
"This is an agency that many people don't know much about,'' Malloy said. "I'm hoping that will change.''
Since 1990, Macy has served as the executive director of SARAH Tuxis Residential & Community Resources Inc. in Guilford. A former professional in Ohio, Macy holds master's and doctorate degrees from Ohio State University.
Terry Edelstein, president of one of the state's major non-profit organizations, was already publicly congratulating Macy on Thursday morning before Malloy made the official announcement at 11:30 a.m. at the state Capitol complex.
"The Connecticut Community Providers Association appreciates that Governor Malloy has chosen a nonprofit community-based provider to lead the Department of Developmental Services,'' Edelstein said in a statement. "Dr. Macy has a great deal of experience supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and intellectual challenges. We look forward to working with him and his team in the months ahead to expand community-based services for people with disabilities, reduce administrative redundancies and provide cost savings to the state through the utilization of community-based services and supports.''
Edelstein says her organization hopes to work with Macy on five key points that she listed as follows:
• "Converting services provided in an outmoded institution to community-based settings
• "Restructuring rates for day programs and residential services to meet federal requirements under the state's community-based waiver without endangering service provision
• "Integrating the rollout of a major, costly, data system with other electronic data systems in place at other state agencies
• "Addressing the impact on service delivery with the continued freeze in residential "room and board" reimbursement despite rising energy and maintenance costs
• "Assuring the viability of the community provider system when flat funding does not match general inflation.''