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COO Lee Erdmann Retires; Panagore To Replace Him

By Hartford Courant

June 12, 2009

From a press release from the mayor's office:

Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez announced today that he has named Development Services Director David Panagore as acting chief operating officer.

He replaces Chief Operating Officer Lee Erdmann, who announced today he will retire July 31 after 20 years of city service. Panagore, who will continue to oversee the development services department, will take over as COO on June 30 to facilitate the transition of duties.

According to the city charter, the chief operating officer serves as the mayor's chief administrative aide and coordinates operational activities of city departments at the mayor's direction.

"I want to thank Lee for his years of service to my administration and to the city of Hartford," Perez said. "Lee is an experienced town manager who returned to city government in 2002 as Hartford's last city manager and has served for the past five years as the first chief operating officer of the city, which is a key member of my leadership team. Lee has led a number of important process improvement efforts in city government, has proudly represented the city on a number of boards, and has helped us navigate through some difficult economic times with limited resources."

"Lee is a committed professional and I know all of us wish him the best as he enters the next phase of his career," Perez said.

"I also want to thank David Panagore, who has agreed to step up to the challenge of serving as chief operating officer. David has a wealth of municipal management experience and a genuine enthusiasm for making government responsive and accountable," Perez said. "I know David will be a leader in our continuing efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of city government."