Ned Lamont ’80 Takes Office as Governor of Connecticut
Edward M. Lamont Jr., a member of the Yale SOM Class of 1980, was sworn in as the 89th governor of Connecticut at a ceremony at the state armory in Hartford on January 9.
Edward M. Lamont Jr., a member of the Yale SOM Class of 1980, was sworn in as the 89th governor of Connecticut at a ceremony at the state armory in Hartford on January 9.
In his inaugural address, Lamont quoted the musical Hamilton, declaring that his administration would not “throw away its shot” to revitalize the state.
“For generations, Connecticut was the most entrepreneurial, inventive, and fast-growing state loaded with amazing opportunities,” he said, “and we still can be. I will not allow the next four years to be defined by a fiscal crisis. Together we will craft an honestly balanced budget which does not borrow from the future, but invests in the future. We owe all of our kids, our extended family, nothing less.”
Later in the day, Lamont delivered his State of the State address to the Connecticut legislature. Expanding on the themes from his inaugural address, he evoked the history of innovation in the state.
“Connecticut, it’s time to return to our inventive and entrepreneurial roots,” he said. “Our future lies in doubling down on what makes us great and reimagining our unique potential.”
Lamont said he would focus on four areas in rebuilding the state’s economic strength: building an “all-digital government,” investing in the state’s urban centers, updating its transportation system, and training a high-tech workforce.
“As one of the first governors who comes from the business world,” he said, “I will be hyper-focused on job creation. My primary objective is to get this economy growing again.”
Lamont is the founder of Lamont Digital Systems, a telecommunications company. He began his political career as a member of the Greenwich, Connecticut, Board of Selectmen and Board of Estimate and Taxation. He was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 2006, and previously ran for governor in 2010.
Last year, Lamont said in an interview that his Yale SOM education had taught him the value of partnerships between the public and private sector.
“There’s more than one bottom line,” Lamont said. “You can do a lot more if you’re in the arena and not on the sidelines. I want to bring a little entrepreneurial spirit to the state of Connecticut.”