Connecticut Department of Administrative Services

👋 Meet Ernestine Weaver❗ Ernestine recently started as Legislative and Administrative Advisor for DAS, working out of the Office of the Commissioner. "Although public service is not depicted as glamorous, it is very rewarding. Public servants are great people who work with intelligence and compassion to improve communities and lives and make a lasting impact. Working at the State provides an opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting difference in people’s day-to-day lives. You’re a part of a huge team that touches everyone in the State and the work of the State is vitally important," Ernestine says. Learn more about Ernestine on the DAS site 👇 https://lnkd.in/espJdQ7D

Did you know that DAS works closely with CT Office of Workforce Strategy to help address the state's long-term workforce challenges? In this op-ed for Route Fifty, DAS's Alice Pritchard and OWS's Kelli-Marie Vallieres outline three innovative and effective strategies we're using: ⭐ Lead With Demand 🏗️ Seek Out Untapped Talent From Within the State 🤝 Don’t Go It Alone Read more⬇️

Wishing you and your family a happy and safe Fourth of July❗🇺🇸🎆

Lauren Thompson and the Commission for Educational Technology team are putting Connecticut in position to make significant progress in our digital equity efforts. "We are a technology-rich state. Internet is 99 percent available, but we do have an adoption issue," Lauren said. "People need more than just getting a connection and device, but this is just the start of the work. Connecticut may have a large digital divide, but I think our plans are really going to get at the heart of what people need." Take a moment to read the article from Government Technology to learn more about Lauren's work 🔽 https://lnkd.in/eKnF-NJq

Our deepest condolences are with Andrew's family, friends, and colleagues at Connecticut Department of Transportation. As Commissioner Eucalitto said, please slow down and pay attention to help make sure everyone who does the dangerous work to keep our roads safe and well-maintained gets home alive.

Thank you to our colleagues, CT Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, for hosting a movie presentation of "Bullied: A Student, a School, and a Case That Made History" and a panel discussion as part of LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The DAS team was happy to participate in this important and informative event.

It may not be a DAS facility, but Dunkin' Park sure is great. Thanks for hosting DAS Night, Hartford Yard Goats Baseball!

Did you know that DAS is in charge of maintaining the Governor's Residence? In recent years, that work has included the addition of many native and pollinator-friendly plants. As we close out Pollinator Week, take a moment to check out some of the efforts that the DAS team has taken to support the bees (300 species of which call Connecticut home!), butterflies, birds, and other pollinators who support our food system, ecosystem, and economy. 👇 🐝 🦋 👇

Yesterday, we were thrilled to join our colleagues, the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz to officially open DEEP's new Western District Headquarters located in beautiful Black Rock State Park. This was no ordinary ribbon cutting, as the new building is the first ever net-zero energy executive branch state building, designed to meet LEED Platinum standards. The new headquarters also consolidates work that is currently spread across 11 buildings in 5 towns. Sustainable design elements of the building include: 🌱 A geothermal system to heat and cool the building. The system features 16 500-feet deep wells with 4 10-ton heat pumps.  🌞 186 photovoltaic solar panels, generating 73kW, estimated to provide 105% of the building’s annual electrical needs.  🧱 A thermal mass “Trombe” wall that absorbs thermal energy for heating and promotes the circulation of air for natural ventilation.  🏗️ Materials selected to reduce embodied carbon in the building’s construction, and its operation. 💧 Water-use reduction strategies to achieve a 50% reduction compared to a baseline building’s use.   🌳 Sustainably harvested wood from State Forests that were cut and finished by the DEEP Sawmill.  ⏲️ Enhanced building controls with alarms and troubleshooting that are tightly monitored to obtain net zero goal.  🌎 Geothermal-fed hot water in-floor radiant heat.  ♨️ Energy recovery “heat wheels” mounted within air handling equipment.  🌧️ Stormwater management and native plantings ensure minimal impact on the environment by cleaning water before it drains to the wetlands and eliminating the need to mow or water groundcover.  Huge thanks to the DAS team who worked on this project, Darren Hobbs, David Barkin FAIA, Peter Simmons, Jennifer Vigneault, Ira Henowitz, RA, and so many others.

It's a great day for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Women in Government Summit! Thanks to Meg Yetishefsky and Shelli Orosz for representing DAS.