Natalie Braswell of Bloomfield will succeed Kevin Lembo as Connecticut comptroller on Dec. 31, Gov. Ned Lamont announced.
Lembo on Dec. 3 said he would resign due to a heart condition. Braswell will hold the position through Jan. 4, 2023.
Lamont, in appointing Braswell, said state law requires that upon the resignation of a constitutional officer when the legislature is not in session, the governor must appoint a successor to fill the vacancy of that person’s term.
Braswell is the chief of planning, legal and regulatory affairs at the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, a position she has held since March. Previously, she served 10 years as general counsel and assistant comptroller under Lembo.
“I’ve been fortunate to see first-hand the culture of innovation and expertise that he has built at the comptroller’s office,” Braswell said of Lembo. “He will leave behind a legacy of tremendous accomplishment.”
Lamont said it was important to select an appointee who has no interest in declaring a candidacy for the office during the November 2022 election.
“The circumstances surrounding the need to make this appointment are incredibly unfortunate and something I wish I didn’t have to do, but I am very pleased that we were able to select someone who has an incredible amount of experience working in the comptroller’s office and can hit the ground running,” Lamont said.
Before her state service, Braswell was an associate attorney with law firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy in Hartford from 2007 and 2011.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Connecticut, and also earned her master’s and law degrees from UConn.