Both the commissioner and deputy commissioner announced they're leaving their roles at the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP).
Gov. Ned Lamont announced that Commissioner Michelle Seagull is planning to step down early next year "to pursue other professional opportunities."
The governor said Seagull is staying in the position over the coming weeks to oversee the launch of the state's adult-use cannabis retail market. She is expected to leave the DCP during the first quarter of 2023, according to Lamont.
“Michelle has been a strong and thoughtful advocate on behalf of both residents and businesses, and a well-respected leader of an agency that’s nearly doubled in size and scope during her tenure. She strengthened our response to the opioid epidemic, navigated the legalization of both medical and adult-use cannabis, and modernized many agency policies and procedures. Connecticut’s consumers are safer and our economy is stronger because of her and the team she built at DCP," Lamont said.
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During her tenure, Seagull oversaw the launch of the medical marijuana program, the expansion of gaming to include sports wagering and online gaming, the regulation and launch of the adult-use cannabis market, and more.
“It has been a privilege to serve in this role through two administrations,” Seagull said. “Over the past decade at the Department of Consumer Protection, this agency has grown and evolved to meet consumers’ needs, regulate new industries, and protect businesses that play by the rules. I am proud of everything we have accomplished in the past two years alone, launching two newly regulated industries in record time, all while continuing to do the work we’ve always done to protect consumers and promote fair and regulated markets."
Deputy Commissioner Andréa Comer is also leaving the DCP.
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“Deputy Commissioner Comer has been an invaluable member of our team over the past 16 months, helping to launch a newly regulated cannabis market through both her role as DCP Deputy Commissioner and her position on the Social Equity Council, where she led with grace. Her insight and thoughtfulness have been critical to this process, and her positive impact at both DCP and the State of Connecticut will be lasting. We wish her well in her future endeavors," Seagull said in a statement.
Comer will transition to her new role at the end of the month.
