NEW HAVEN, CT—Today, Mayor Justin Elicker announced the appointment of two new staff members to serve in key positions in his administration: Tirzah Kemp as Director of the Department of Community Resilience and Michael Simeone as the first Chief Technology Officer for the City of New Haven. Kemp began on Monday, March 11 and Simeone begins Monday, March 18.

“New Haven residents will be well-served by these two experienced and dedicated professionals who are stepping into critical roles in our administration,” said Mayor Elicker. “While very different jobs, each one serves an important role in city government. I’m grateful to Tirzah Kemp and Michael Simeone for stepping into these positions and bringing their knowledge and experience to help support our residents and our city.” 

TIRZAH KEMP -- DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

As Director of the Department of Community Resilience, Director Kemp will be responsible for coordinating, planning, organizing, and directing programs and policies serving many of New Haven’s most vulnerable residents, including individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use, victims and perpetrators of violence, and individuals returning from incarceration.

Kemp brings over 25 years of experience overseeing initiatives that have helped stabilize and support vulnerable individuals, families, and communities. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Community and Family Engagement at Clifford Beers Community Care Center in New Haven. In this role, Kemp led a diverse team of 35 individuals and oversaw all community and school-based care coordination and specialized community-based programming, including STOP School Violence, the Community Healing Support Team, the Victim Services Support Network, care coordination for Project Longevity, fatherhood engagement, and community support for Families. Kemp received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Social Work and a Master of Science in Management and Organizational Leadership from Albertus Magnus College. 

“I am deeply honored to assume the Department of Community Resilience director role. This appointment holds personal significance for me, marking a culmination of my commitment to serving the residents of New Haven across various capacities throughout my career,” said Director Kemp. “Many New Haven residents face a myriad of challenges, from housing and food insecurity to community violence and economic instability, all of which contribute to poor outcomes. Yet, I am emboldened by these challenges, seeing them as opportunities for collective action and collaboration. I am confident that by harnessing the strength of our community and the dedication of service providers and the families we support, we can overcome these obstacles together, ensuring a thriving future for all.”

The role was previously held by Carlos Sosa-Lombardo, who was the inaugural director of the department when it was created in 2022. The Department of Community Resilience oversees over 70 services and includes the Office of Housing and Homelessness Services, the Office of Community Mental Health Initiatives, and the Office of Violence Prevention. It also supports the Elm City COMPASS crisis response team.

The position reports to the Community Services Administrator, Eliza Halsey.

MICHAEL SIMEONE -- CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

As Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Mr. Simeone will oversee all technology and technological resources and decision-making for the City by establishing the technology vision, strategies, and growth plans for the City of New Haven and the Board of Education. This includes collaboratively working with the mayor, superintendent, and their designees to supervise and support IT staff; manage a technology budget; supervise the system and quality assurance processes; and better integrate and align technology objectives, investments, and initiatives across the City of New Haven and the Board of Education and their technological needs. 

Simeone brings over 25 years of IT executive management and leadership experience with Fortune 500 companies in the Financial, Legal Services, IT Services & Consulting, and State Government sectors to this important new position. Most recently, Simeone was Chief Information Officer for one of Connecticut’s largest law firms, Bendett & McHugh, P.C., where he supervised 24 IT professionals to support the firm’s practice representing over 200 of the nation’s largest financial institutions. Mr. Simeone received a Bachelor of Science in Management and Finance from Sacred Heart University and an Associate of Science degree in Computer Science from South Central Community College, which is now Gateway Community College. 

“I am honored to serve as the City’s new Chief Technology Officer and to work alongside Mayor Elicker, Dr. Negrón, other members of the Board of Education, and the City’s dedicated Information Technology employees,” said incoming Chief Technology Officer Simeone. “I look forward to applying my information technology and cyber security expertise to guide the City’s day-to-day technology operations, help support the City’s continued technology and efficiency goals, and most importantly to serve New Haven residents in this critical role.”

The position is housed within the Office of the Mayor and reports to Mayor Elicker, while also working closely with Superintendent Negrón.

###