July 25 Agenda — Connecticut Citizens' Assembly

Henry R. Luce Hall

34 Hillhouse Avenue
New Haven, CT · Yale University

Parking

Prospect Sachem Garage
200 Prospect Street (behind Ingalls Ice Rink)
Free parking on weekends; EV charging available

Day 1

Saturday, July 25, 2026

7:30 AM	Parking at the Prospect Sachem Garage on the Yale Campus Entrance at 200 Prospect Street (behind the Ingalls Ice Rink). Free parking with open gate on weekends; EV charging available
8:00 AM	Arrival, Check-in, and Breakfast Luce Hall Common Room, 2nd Floor
9:00 AM	Session 1: Welcome & Governance Update Luce Auditorium, Room 101 Kenya Rutland, Lead Facilitator, KJR Consulting Hélène Landemore (Remote), Yale Professor of Political Science Gryffin Wilkens-Plumley & Citizens' Governance Committee (CGC)
10:00 AM	Break Luce Hall Common Room, 2nd Floor
10:25 AM	Group 1 · Local Revenue & K-12 Education Sessions 2-3: Subgroup Presentations & Panel Discussions Luce Auditorium 101 Overview: Understanding the K-12 Education Finance System (10:25-11:25 AM) Erika Haynes & Melanie Strout, School + State Finance Project Panel Discussion: Perspectives on School Funding (11:25 AM-12:30 PM) Dr. Bryan Luizzi (Moderator), Superintendent of Schools, New Canaan, CT Lunda Asmani (Remote), CFO, Norwalk Public Schools, CT Leslie Blatteau, President, New Haven Federation of Teachers, Local 933 Michael Strambler, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Child Wellbeing and Education Research, Yale University; Member, Woodbridge Board of Education Group 2 · Non-Educational Services & Mandates Luce 203 Presentation: Mandates 101 (10:25-10:55 AM) M. Randall Collins Jr., Associate Director of Public Policy & Advocacy, CCM Panel Discussion: Mandates & Municipal Budgets (10:55 AM-12:00 PM) Matt Hart (Moderator), Executive Director, Capitol Region Council of Governments Mary Calorio, Town Administrator, Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (NECCOG) Lucas D. Strunk, Workers' Compensation Executive Committee, Connecticut Bar Association Presentation: Mandates & Municipal Budgets Continued (12:00-12:30 PM) Adam Chapdelaine (Remote), Executive Director & CEO, Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA)
12:30 PM	Lunch Luce Hall Common Room & Classrooms, 2nd Floor
1:30 PM	Group 1 · Local Revenue & K-12 Education Session 4: Subgroup Presentations Luce 203 Presentation: Education Service Delivery & Structural Tradeoffs Jeanette Luna & Amber Martin, School + State Finance Project Group 2 · Non-Educational Services & Mandates Luce Auditorium 101 Panel Discussion: Collective Bargaining and Service Sharing Joe Aresimowicz (Moderator), Former Speaker, CT House of Representatives Jonathan Luiz, Town Manager, Glastonbury, CT Adam Marchand, Chief Steward at Local 34, Yale University and New Haven Alderman, Ward 25 Michael J. Rose, Managing Partner & Employment Litigator, Rose Kallor, LLP
2:30 PM	Session 5: Subgroup Dialogue with Experts Group 1: Luce 203 · Group 2: Luce 202
3:15 PM	Break Luce Hall Common Room, 2nd Floor
3:40 PM	Session 6: Subgroup Report Outs Luce Auditorium, Room 101 (Plenary)
4:20 PM	Session 7: CGC Update and Selection for Weekend 3 Luce Auditorium (Plenary)
4:40 PM	Wrap-Up & Participant Feedback Luce Auditorium (Plenary)
5:00 PM	Adjourn

Speakers & Presenters

Joe Aresimowicz

Government Relations Specialist

Former two-term House Speaker and eight-term state House member Joe Aresimowicz joined Gaffney, Bennett Associates in January 2021, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge of the process and players at the state Capitol.

Joe was first elected to the Connecticut General Assembly in 2004, representing the 30th House District, which encompasses Berlin and Southington. Joe served as House Majority Leader from 2012 to 2016, and as Speaker from 2016 to 2020.

Community and public service are very important to Joe. Prior to being elected to the legislature, Joe served three terms on the Berlin Town Council. He currently serves as the head coach of the Berlin High School Football Team. Honorably discharged from the United States Army Reserve, where he served as a combat medic for almost a decade, veterans' issues remain of central importance to Joe as well.

A lifelong Berlin resident, Joe attended public schools in Berlin through high school. He and his family reside in Berlin, where his two youngest children, Ryan and Katie, attend Berlin public schools and his oldest son Michael coaches football in Berlin. In his new role at Gaffney, Bennett, Joe will focus initially on business development, along with federal and municipal issues.

Lunda Asmani

Chief Financial Officer, Norwalk Public Schools

Lunda Asmani is the Chief Financial Officer for Norwalk Public Schools in Connecticut, where he oversees the district's financial and business operations, including long-range planning, budgeting, fund accounting, and audit functions for a $400 million operating, grant, and capital budget. With nearly 20 years of local government finance experience, he is recognized as a national and state leader in public finance. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer for the Town of New Canaan and Director of Management and Budget for the City of Norwalk. Lunda is the Past President of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States & Canada and a Past President of the Connecticut GFOA and Kansas GFOA. He is a GFOA Certified Public Finance Officer and holds a Master of Public Administration and a bachelor's degree in Urban Planning and Economics.

Leslie Blatteau

Teacher

Leslie Blatteau has been a proud NHPS social studies teacher and union member since 2007. She began her second term as President of New Haven Federation of Teachers in 2025. NHFT recently negotiated a three-year contract that raised wages, improved medical benefits, and positively impacted teaching and learning conditions in our schools. Guided by Leslie's leadership, NHFT also partners with our labor-community coalition across the city and state to fight for the world class schools our students deserve. Leslie also serves as the AFT-CT Divisional VP for PreK12 and the Steering Committee Chair for Connecticut for All. Leslie lives in the Hill neighborhood with her family and is a proud public school mom.

Mary Calorio

Regional Town Administrator

Mary Calorio serves as a Regional Town Administrator, where she directly works with the Towns of Canterbury, Chaplin and Pomfret. In her current role, she provides strategic direction and operational oversight for the communities, helping municipalities work collaboratively to deliver high-quality services, strengthen fiscal stability, and address complex regional challenges.

Mary has an extensive background in municipal administration, having previously served as Town Manager for the Town of Killingly and the Town Administrator for the Town of Putnam, where she was responsible for the overall administration of town government. In those roles, she worked closely with elected officials, department heads, and residents to manage municipal operations, oversee budgets and capital planning, negotiate contracts, and advance community priorities.

She also serves as the President of Council of Small Towns and on the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission focused on educational funding.

Adam Chapdelaine

MMA Executive Director and CEO

Adam Chapdelaine became the MMA's executive director and CEO in September 2023. Chapdelaine had been engaged with the MMA's work for more than a decade, having served on the MMA Fiscal Policy Committee and the MMA Board of Directors, as president of the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association in 2018, and as MMA president in 2021.

Chapdelaine worked as Fall River's elections director, community services director, and finally city administrator. Starting in 2010, he served two years as Arlington's deputy town manager before becoming town manager.

Chapdelaine has served as president of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and on the Metro Mayors' Coalition, the Commonwealth's Group Insurance Commission, and the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

M. Randall Collins Jr.

Associate Director of Public Policy and Advocacy

M. Randall Collins Jr. is the Associate Director of Public Policy and Advocacy with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. CCM is the state's largest, nonpartisan organization of municipal leaders, representing towns and cities of all sizes from all corners of the state.

Randy has more than 28 years of experience working at the State Capitol representing a wide range of clients before the General Assembly, Executive Branch and State Agencies and has worked with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities for 14 years.

Randy currently oversees the Committees on Appropriations, Finance Revenue & Bonding, Commerce, Government Administration & Elections, Transportation, and Veterans' Affairs. In addition to these current Committee assignments, he has also focused on Taxation, Land Use, and Environmental policy issues and was the CCM lead in negotiating the current MS4 permit.

Outside of the Capitol, Randy served 6 years in the United States Marine Corps and deployed twice in support of Operation Enduring and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He currently lives in West Hartford with his wife Valerie and two young sons Jackson and Reagan.

Matt Hart

Executive Director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG)

Matt Hart is the Executive Director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), which serves 38 municipalities and a population of 976,248 in greater Hartford, CT. CRCOG works in the areas of transportation planning, regional planning & economic development, municipal services, and public safety & homeland security.

Previously, Matt served as the Town Manager in West Hartford and Mansfield, Connecticut. He is a veteran of the US Army and teaches Local Government Leadership & Management at UConn's School of Public Policy. Matt also served as a vice-president on the Board of Directors for the International City & County Management Association (ICMA) and is a past president of the Connecticut Town & City Management Association (CTCMA).

Matt was inducted into the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) in 2025 and appointed chair of Connecticut's Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations in 2026. He proudly serves as a member of the West Hartford Commission on Veterans Affairs.

Matt earned his JD and MPA from the University of Connecticut, and his BA from the State University of New York at Potsdam. He lives in West Hartford with his family and can often be found in his spare time cycling or hiking the state's scenic trails.

Erika Haynes

Chief of Engagement & Development, School + State Finance Project

With decades of experience in nonprofit management, community leadership and engagement, and navigating Connecticut's public school systems, Erika Haynes brings an important perspective to the work of the School and State Finance Project. As Chief of Engagement & Development, Erika leads the organization's statewide engagement strategy, building meaningful relationships with communities, key stakeholders, and partners across Connecticut. She works with elected officials and community members to deepen understanding of the state's school finance system and its impact on local communities by offering presentations, workshops, and opportunities for civic learning and participation.

Erika's passion for advocating for students started long before her role at the School and State Finance Project. As a parent, Erika experienced the full array of Connecticut's public education system. Her children attended local public schools and magnet schools, and she also homeschooled for a period of time. She also served on her community's School Readiness Council and town council, and previously was an adjunct professor at The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, where she led the nonprofit component for Performance Arts Management and Music Management majors.

Jonathan Luiz

Town Manager

A lifelong resident of Connecticut, Jonathan was hired as Glastonbury Town Manager in 2023. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Town and serves at the pleasure of a nine-member elected body - The Town Council. The Town Council hires the Town Manager not based on political affiliation, but exclusively on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications, character, education, training and experience. Jonathan has 20 years of municipal management work experience in Connecticut communities ranging in population from 5,000 to 35,000. He graduated from Emory University, the University of Connecticut School of Law, and has served on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Council of Small Towns and also participated in various capacities with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. Outside of work, Jonathan adores spending time with his wife and four young children.

Dr. Bryan Luizzi

Superintendent

Dr. Bryan Luizzi has spent over 28 years as an educator, beginning his career at Newtown High School as an English Teacher. He has served as a Manager of Technology Operations for the Newtown Public Schools, Dean of Students in Litchfield, Assistant Principal at the Middle School and High School in Brookfield, and as Brookfield High School's Principal starting in 2006.

In 2011, Dr. Luizzi joined the New Canaan Public Schools as Principal of New Canaan High School, where he served for three years before being appointed as the District's Superintendent in 2014.

Dr. Luizzi earned his bachelor's degree in English Education from Clemson University, his master's degree in Educational Technology from Western Connecticut State, his advanced degree in Educational Administration from Sacred Heart University, and his Doctor of Education degree from the Teachers College at Columbia University. He lives with his wife and two daughters, where he enjoys reading and spending time with his family.

Dr. Luizzi frequently shares his belief that our work in schools is the most important work on the planet; and, together, all of us in the NCPS strive every day to prove him right.

Jeanette Luna

Senior Research & Policy Analyst, School + State Finance Project

A former teacher with a dedication to creating an equitable education system for all students, Jeanette Luna is an experienced Senior Research & Policy Analyst with expertise in quantitative and qualitative education research. As part of the organization's Data and Policy team, Jeanette uses her research and analytical skills to help craft and advance policy proposals for more equitable, transparent, and student-centered education funding. Her work includes reviewing academic and policy research, writing reports and policy briefings, and executing and communicating independent, nonpartisan analyses.

Prior to joining the School and State Finance Project, Jeanette served as a Research and Operations Associate for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a nonprofit education policy think tank. Before entering the education policy and research world, Jeanette spent six years in public schools in Connecticut, including five years as a physics and math teacher at Achievement First Hartford Academy and one year in Branford Public Schools.

Adam Marchand

New Haven Alder for Ward 25

Adam Marchand serves on the New Haven Board of Alders and represents Ward 25, a high-voting district centered in lower Westville. He is the Aldermanic representative on the City Plan Commission, and he chairs the Finance Committee. His work focuses on crucial city concerns around land use, development, and municipal budgeting.

Adam came to New Haven in 1995 to study history at Yale University. After achieving his MA, he took a position in the Yale Beinecke Library and soon became involved in Local 34, the union of Clerical & Technical workers at Yale. In June 2000 he took a leave from his library job to organize full-time for the union, which he continues to do today.

Amber Martin

Director of Research & Policy, School + State Finance Project

Specializing in qualitative and quantitative research, Amber Martin co-leads the School and State Finance Project's policy development and data analysis work. As Director of Research & Policy, Amber oversees the organization's research on education finance issues and manages the drafting of reports, policy briefings, and other informational materials for a range of audiences. Using her research work and expertise in data analysis, Amber helps craft policy recommendations to address educational inequities, funding disparities, and other issues impacting Connecticut's public school students.

In collaboration with the Director of Data & Analysis, Amber also guides the creation of custom data and policy analyses for policymakers and other stakeholders, and leads the organization's consulting work to provide partners with the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to reach their goals. Before joining the School and State Finance Project, Amber served as a policy analyst for the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC), where she led a variety of functions including conducting data collection and maintaining state and municipal finance databases, designing and preparing revenue and expenditure reports and budget impact analyses and researching and producing policy reports.

Michael J. Rose

Managing Partner

As a Managing Partner of Rose Kallor, LLP, Mr. Rose is widely recognized as one of Connecticut's leading employment litigators in his representation of governments, government officials, and private businesses of varied sizes. He has tried over twenty cases to verdict in the areas of employment law and civil rights. In 2007, at the age of 41, he was named to a list of preeminent attorneys within the state of Connecticut. Later in 2007, he was listed among the top lawyers in New England.

In addition to representing employers in federal and state courts, Mr. Rose provides representation before numerous government agencies, including the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, state and federal Departments of Labor and the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission.

Mr. Rose is regarded as a creative litigator with a sound knowledge of the statutory and the public policy goals behind today's employment laws. He has crafted unique approaches and defense strategies, such as interlocutory appeals, federal removal, affirmative use of res judicata and constitutional pre-emption, and constitutional and jurisdictional challenges to court proceedings.

Michael Strambler, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Child Wellbeing and Education Research, Yale; Member of Woodbridge Board of Education

Michael Strambler, PhD, directs Child Wellbeing and Education Research at The Consultation Center at Yale, where he also serves as a Senior Evaluation Consultant for YaleEval. His work encompasses three main themes.

Much of his work occurs in the context of partnerships between researchers and practitioners. One such project he directs is the Partnership for Early Education Research (PEER; http://peer.yale.edu), a research-practice partnership between three Connecticut communities.

He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of California at Berkeley and conducted his predoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Juvenile Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Upon completing this fellowship, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Rush Neurobehavioral Center with funding from the William T. Grant Foundation. He completed his postdoctoral training at The Consultation Center at Yale within the Division of Prevention and Community Research at Yale School of Medicine with support from the Ford Foundation.

Melanie Strout

Engagement Manager, School + State Finance Project

With over a decade of experience in civic engagement, program management, and community development, Melanie Strout uses her knowledge and expertise to empower parents, build community knowledge, and help individuals make their voices heard on issues impacting students and schools. As Engagement Manager, Melanie works in cities and towns across the state helping community members and organizations better understand Connecticut's school finance system, and equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and resources to take action. Along with building and maintaining relationships with parents, community leaders, and other education stakeholders, Melanie helps craft and execute the organization's community engagement strategies and works to develop partnerships across sectors aimed at eliminating education funding inequities.

Prior to joining the School and State Finance Project, Melanie held a number of leadership positions focused on education and engaging communities, including serving as the Director of Civic Engagement for the University of Bridgeport, where she managed the university's community partnerships, oversaw its community work study program, established a campus food pantry, and implemented initiatives to increase student engagement in civic education programs.

Lucas D. Strunk

Attorney

Lucas D. Strunk, a 1979 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, is a partner in the firm Strunk Dodge Aiken Zovas, LLC of Rocky Hill, Connecticut. Attorney Strunk focuses on the defense of workers' compensation matters. A graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law, he was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1982.

Attorney Strunk is a member of the Mashantucket Pequot Bar Association. He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and serves on the executive committee of the Workers' Compensation Section. He is currently the Committee's Legislative Liaison. He has argued successfully on numerous occasions before the State's Supreme and Appellate Courts.

Attorney Strunk also practices under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act and is admitted to practice in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He is further authorized to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

Attorney Strunk has contributed articles to the Workers' Compensation Quarterly and has spoken on issues associated with workers' compensation at various seminars, including those sponsored by the Connecticut Bar Association. He regularly presents to clients on topical issues associated with the substance and procedures of the workers' compensation system.