In corporate America, chief operating officers are the glue that hold business units together and ensure they are all moving forward on the same page.
But can they work as effectively in the public sector as they do in the private sector? Incoming Governor Ned Lamont, who takes office Wednesday, has faith that they can. He's tasked public policy specialist Paul Mounds Jr. to be state government's first-ever COO.
Mounds has played key roles in the previous administration, and for Congressman John Larson and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal. His new job will include getting state agencies to work better together. He'll also help state commissioners set benchmarks, and then make sure they are being met.
It's all part of the lessons that Lamont learned by running his own business that he hopes to replicate as Connecticut's CEO.
Today we look at how chief operating officers have benefited other states, as well as the challenges awaiting Lamont and the state legislature, which opens back up for business this week.
GUESTS:
- Paul Mounds Jr. - Chief Operating Officer for incoming Gov. Ned Lamont (@PMounds)
- John M. Bernard - Senior Fellow at the Governing Institute, contributor at Governing.com, and author of Government That Works: The Results Revolution in the States (@johnmbernard)
- Daniela Altimari - Statehouse reporter at the Hartford Courant (@capitolwatch)
READING LIST:
Governing.com: The Chief Operating Officer That Every State Needs - As state governments respond to increasing demands for accountability and efficiency, a new job title is popping up in the capitol. More and more, governors are drawing on the experience of the private sector and creating the position of chief operating officer (COO).
Hartford Courant: Ned Lamont says he is "not going to waste my shot" - "... a good governor can make a difference for 30 years. And lousy governance can make a difference for 30 years."
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Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
