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(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he is selecting Morna Murray of Glastonbury to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS).

Morna currently serves as the President and CEO of the Connecticut Community Providers Association (CCPA), a premiere trade association for community-based health and human service providers. In this role, she has been a leading advocate for children, adults, and families in the areas of developmental disabilities, health care, behavioral health, early childhood, and child and family well-being.

"For many years now, I've strongly advocated for state government to become a better partner with community providers in order to more effectively connect the clients they serve with the resources they need. That is why I am particularly excited to name Morna Murray as the Commissioner of DDS," Governor Malloy said. "Morna has extensive experience advocating on behalf of community providers and those they serve, and as the current President of CCPA she is intimately familiar with the needs of this community in our state. I look forward to having her continue her advocacy with DDS in order to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities receive the support and tools they need to help make Connecticut a great place to work and live."

"I am very honored and grateful to be appointed by Governor Malloy to lead the Department of Developmental Services," Murray said. "This is a critical position at a critical time, and I hold this trust with the utmost humility and determination to find effective solutions to the complex challenges we face. I look forward to working and collaborating with all staff and stakeholders - particularly individuals with disabilities, their loved ones, and all those who serve them - in doing the hard and painstaking work that leads to progress. Together, we can make Connecticut a state in which individuals with disabilities enjoy lives of productivity, inclusion and dignity."

Murray is an attorney and public policy specialist, with extensive background in state and federal public policy. She previously served as Senior Counsel to Pennsylvania Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.; as Vice President of First Focus, a national children's policy organization in Washington, DC; and as Director of Youth Development for the Children's Defense Fund in Washington, DC.

DDS serves over 19,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities, including over 4,000 infants and toddlers.

Murray will begin her position as Commissioner of DDS on February 9. She succeeds Terrence Macy, who left from the position in January.

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For Immediate Release: February 2, 2015

Facebook: Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy