Danté Bartolomeo joined the Connecticut Department of Labor in January 2019 as a deputy commissioner and became commissioner in 2022.

Previously, she was elected to serve two terms as state senator for the 13th senatorial district of Cheshire, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, and Rockfall, during which she was the co-chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee and co-chair of the Children’s Committee. Priority issues included children’s safety and well-being, access to healthcare, and the continuation of education from primary learning through post-secondary and workforce training. Prior to her tenure at the General Assembly, Bartolomeo was the deputy majority leader on the Meriden City Council, where she served for two terms and focused on education advocacy.

Commissioner Bartolomeo will continue the pandemic recovery programs that are vital to Connecticut residents who are un and underemployed. She will also focus on expanding and modernizing the agency’s approach toward workforce policy and programming to incorporate the Whole Family Approach to Jobs.

“Unemployment insurance is the key to stabilizing the workforce. It is the safety net for workers who find themselves jobless; it is the bridge between employment and the next opportunity; and it can be the difference between keeping food on the table and a roof over a family’s head—or not.”

– Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Labor