CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546
FOR RELEASE: July 21, 2008	FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:    OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS    TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062    Fax: (860) 594-3066    Web site:www.ct.gov/dot

Commissioner Joseph F. Marie today announced the appointment of Jeffrey A. Parker as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Transportation and Charlene Anne-Marie Casamento as Chief of the Bureau of Finance and Administration.

            Mr. Parker is a native of Connecticut and most recently served as Senior Director of Transportation Operations at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). His appointment is effective Thursday, July 17. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston and is a graduate of Newington High School.

            “Jeff Parker has a clear record of leadership and accomplishment and I am confident that he is the right person to shepherd through some of our most significant projects, most immediately the New Haven Rail Maintenance Facility. I had the opportunity to work with Jeff years ago in Boston and know he possesses the right skills and transportation acumen to see us through our current challenges and those that will confront us as we move forward,” Commissioner Marie said.

            Prior to MARTA, Mr. Parker worked for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as Director of Subway Operations and Rail Vehicle Engineering. He also served in other capacities at the MBTA, including Project Management, Safety Oversight, Operations Control and Training. He also spent two years with Parsons Corporation as a System Engineer and Project Manager.

            Ms. Casamento currently serves as Chief of Fiscal/Administrative Services for the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF). She has also worked as a principal cost analyst in the Department of Social Services and in the private sector for Oxford Health Plans, CIGNA Health Care and Aetna Life & Casualty. Her appointment is effective August 15.

            She has been with DCF since 2002. She is a Certified Public Accountant and has a degree in accounting from Bentley College and an MBA from the University of Hartford.

            “Charlene Casamento is a smart, talented fiscal and administrative professional who will keep the Bureau moving in the right direction, taking advantage of the strong foundation and recent reorganization put in place by Gale Mattison. Her enthusiasm and expertise will go a long way toward continuing the positive momentum that has been established in this key bureau,” Commissioner Marie said.