Governor Lamont Announces Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye Retiring From State Service, Elena Trueworthy Nominated as Successor

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Ned Lamont today announced that Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) Commissioner Beth Bye will be retiring from state service effective October 1, 2025, to pursue an MSW for a new career working with children and families in health care settings.

The governor is selecting OEC Deputy Commissioner Elena Trueworthy to succeed Commissioner Bye. Deputy Commissioner Trueworthy will begin serving as head of the agency in an interim capacity immediately upon Commissioner Bye's departure, and then Governor Lamont will submit her nomination to the General Assembly at the start of the 2026 regular session in February so that he can permanently fill the position.

"Beth Bye is one of the most caring, compassionate, and energetic people that I know, and her passion for the development and wellness of the youngest members of our communities knows no bounds," Governor Lamont said. "Because of Beth's advocacy and work in our administration, Connecticut is in the process of adding thousands of new early childhood education slots that will improve lives forever. I am so grateful that she has led this agency for these last several years, and I am confident that our early childhood system has made significant improvements because of her work. I am also thankful that Elena Trueworthy has agreed to serve as this agency's next commissioner. Elena has worked to support early childhood education programs for more than 20 years, and her intimate knowledge and familiarity with Connecticut's early childhood system will enable her to hit the job running."

Commissioner Bye has led OEC since the start of Governor Lamont's first term in January 2019. Earlier in her career, she was the director of both the Trinity College Community Child Center and the University of St. Joseph School for Young Children. She has also served as early childhood director at the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC).

During her tenure leading OEC, Commissioner Bye helped develop what is on track to become the largest expansion of early childhood accessin Connecticut history, enabling thousands of additional children to enroll in these services that would have otherwise been unattainable for their families. She also worked with the human service commissioners and Governor Lamont to launch Universal Nurse Home Visiting in Connecticut.

"Working with Governor Lamont and the team at OEC to make Connecticut the most family friendly state with the expansion of early education and the launch of universal home visiting has been the honor of my career," Commissioner Bye said. "The achievements Connecticut has made to improve the wages of early educators and make child care more affordable for families happened only because of decades of work by advocates, legislators, philanthropy, and families. This collaborative work is a model for other states and the nation. I am grateful for the trust that Governor Lamont and the early childhood community placed in OEC and in me. Elena Trueworthy has been a key leader at OEC throughout my tenure. She has the vision, leadership, experience and passion to lead OEC into the future. There is nobody better to continue this critical work. I look forward to retirement and getting back to working directly with children and families in the near future."

Trueworthy has been with OEC since 2019, first as the director of the agency's Head Start State Collaboration Office, and then in 2023 she was appointed deputy commissioner. Immediately prior to that, she was associate director of early childhood investments with the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, where she co-managed a portfolio of grants that support child health, parent education and leadership, community engagement, family child care, bilingual career pathways, and program capacity building. She also worked from 2011 to 2016 as the director of the organization's Hartford Area Child Care Collaborative, in which she led a 350-member collaborative to improve child care quality and access. From 2001 to 2011, she worked in two Head Start positions with the Human Resources Agency in New Britain, including as the special services senior manager and as family and community development manager.

"I am truly honored for this opportunity to lead the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood and continue the positive momentum and critical work of the agency," Deputy Commissioner Trueworthy said. "I look forward to continuing to work closely with partners, providers, and families to build upon and implement the collective vision of an early childhood system that supports children and families to thrive."

An active member of her community, Deputy Commissioner Trueworthy has volunteered with several organizations, including the Connecticut Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission and various local community-led groups to promote and advance the strengths of diversity. She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Connecticut and a master's degree in human services from Springfield College.