What is the governor's fellowship program?
The governor’s fellowship program is an opportunity for early career professionals to gain skills and experience in state government. The program is a partnership with the Connecticut Office of the Governor, Connecticut Department of Administrative Services, Yale University Tobin Center for Economic Policy, and Social Impact Partners.
Each fellow is placed at an executive branch agency within Connecticut state government and will work on policy and strategic initiatives. Fellows have the opportunity to participate in professional development opportunities, including a weekly speaker series, fellows' day at the State Capitol, and opportunities to present to leadership within state government.
Program background
The governor’s fellowship program started in 2020 to support Connecticut with its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The program has since developed into a program to support the governor’s office and executive branch agencies with strategic projects and initiatives. Here are examples of a few projects that previous fellows have accomplished:
- Drafted and led the passage of legislation including Public Act 22-49, An Act Reducing Lead Poisoning, which brings Connecticut in-line with CDC guidance on allowable lead levels in CT’s children and makes a $30 million investment in removing lead from homes in CT’s most vulnerable communities.
- Developed plans for the strategic allocation of over $3.9 billion in Federal COVID recovery dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act with a focus on: defeating COVID-19, investing in CT’s future, creating a more affordable Connecticut, inclusive economic growth, and modernizing state government.
- Led the design and stand-up of an Evaluation and Evidence-Building unit to facilitate the development of program evaluation plans and coordinate access to state data resources while focusing on providing ‘hands-on’ assistance to agencies as well as collecting and synthesizing evidence relating to program effectiveness.
- Founded and chaired the Governor’s Afghan Evacuee Taskforce, an interagency-public-private-nonprofit working group focused on bringing a coordinated approach to providing a safe haven and hope for all who are resettled in Connecticut.
- Developed and managed Connecticut Communities Challenge, a competitive grant program to spur investment in CT's main streets and vibrant neighborhoods through high- quality, transit-oriented development.
- Designed, developed, and launched the Connecticut Campus Mental Health Program, which allocated $2.7 million in federal funding to support Connecticut’s colleges and universities implement mental health programs and supports for students.
For questions about the program, please contact Melissa.Conway@ct.gov
How to apply
We will accept applications again in late 2025.
How it works
Fellows are contracted with the state for yearlong fellowships and are assigned to specific state agencies based on fellow skills and related experience. The state recruits for fellows approximately two times per year, usually in the spring and fall.How to sign up
Sign up for the governor’s fellowship program email list to hear the latest updates on recruitment and events.
2024/25 governor's fellow biographies
Emily Davis
Office of Health Strategy
Emily is a Governor’s Fellow in the Office of Health Strategy. Prior to joining the fellowship, Emily practiced as a physician assistant for ten years, in primary care and then endocrinology.
Emily holds a Masters of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts. She has a passion for treating chronic conditions with lifestyle changes and focusing on the social determinants of health to provide optimal care. Emily enjoys running, cooking and spending time with her family.
Lily Engbith
Office of the Governor
Lily Engbith is a Governor's Fellow in the Office of the Governor. Prior to joining the state, she spent three years researching, writing, and publishing case studies on government interventions implemented in response to financial crises. From 2018-2020, Lily taught literary analysis and composition to undergraduate English majors at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. A lifelong New Haven resident, Lily earned her MBA from the Yale School of Management and her BA in political science from Yale College. She enjoys hiking, journaling, and horseback riding.
Eniola Fasola
Department of Economic and Community
Eniola was a lecturer at Eastern Connecticut State University and a Fellow at the World Bank Group and supported the Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice in implementing activities and conducting impact evaluations for a program in Liberia designed to increase income-earning opportunities for vulnerable populations and expand livelihood support to poor and food-insecure households.Eniola holds a Doctorate in Agricultural and Resource Economics and a Master’s in Economics from the University of Connecticut, along with a First Class Honors Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Kevin Fitzgerald
Department of Economic and Community Development
Kevin Fitzgerald is a Governor's Fellow supporting the Department of Economic & Community Development, where he supports the agency’s Institute of Data & Economic Analysis (IDEA) economic strategy and policy research team. Prior to joining the State, Kevin was the American Rescue Plan Coordinator for the Town of Groton. In his role executing the town’s ARPA Allocation Strategy, he was charged with managing federal stimulus funds and leveraging strategic allocations to attract public & private community investment and deliver an equitable and transformative pandemic recovery. He has previously served in municipal roles for the towns of Stonington, Berlin and Bolton.
In previous roles, Kevin contributed to the City of Hartford’s Hartford400 City Plan and the inaugural year of the Connecticut Economic Development Association’s Best Practices in Land Use & Economic Development certification. He is a member of the American Planning Association, Government Finance Officers Association, a board member of the Connecticut Economic Development Association, and a participant in the National Academy of Public Administration’s Grand Challenges in Public Administration initiative.
Kevin graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Connecticut. He holds a Master of Public Administration from UConn’s School of Public Policy with a certificate in Public Financial Management. Kevin lives in Mystic, Connecticut and is a UConn Huskies and Connecticut Sun superfan.
Sudiksha Mallick
Office of the Governor
Sudiksha served as a Racial Justice Data Analyst Intern at the State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families, where she worked on analyzing disparity and disproportionality pathway data. She has also spent time working with different educational non-profits, as well as the Rhode Island Department of Education. She recently graduated from the UConn School of Public Policy MPP program and has a BA in political science and human rights.
Katarina Rodriguez
Department of Aging and Disability Services
Katarina's previous roles include working for non-profit organizations, universities, and the State. Most recently, she served as the Program Manager of Performance & Quality Improvement at Child & Family Agency of SECT, Inc., where she deployed and maintained surveys; updated policies related to the security of protected health information; revitalized documentation to reflect the diverse client community and employee workforce; and oversaw the quality assurance department.The highlight of her career was helping develop the Department of Children & Family's ChildStat. This data management process system measures success and disparities in care, during her final year at UConn's School of Public Policy.
Laurence Spekterman
Department of Administrative Services
Laurence Spekterman is a Governor's Fellow supporting the Department of Administrative Services, where he works on policy improvement and data management initiatives supporting statewide priorities. Before joining the State, Laurence worked for the City of New Haven’s Economic Development Administration designing a local and diverse procurement pilot for large anchor institutions to promote inclusive growth. Laurence has also worked in nonprofit finance & accounting at KIPP DC and began his career as a middle school science teacher in Bridgeport, CT.
Laurence graduated with a BA from the University of Maryland and holds a Masters in Education from Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. Laurence enjoys long‐distance running, camping, and reality TV.
