Kevin Lembo was elected Connecticut's State Comptroller in 2010
following 20 years of public service and advocacy.
A native of Paterson, NJ, Lembo first came to public service as
an independent advocate. Working with the private, public and non-profit
sectors, Lembo helped design and implement an innovative long-term home care
program in New York that successfully prevented premature and permanent
admissions to nursing facilities. He was also program director for an AIDS
education, prevention and primary care program before serving as Assistant
Comptroller in Connecticut.
Lembo was then appointed Connecticut's first state Healthcare
Advocate where he spent years helping thousands of residents navigate the
complexities of the health care system; advocated for patients denied coverage
or treatment; and returned millions of dollars to consumers.
As State Comptroller, Lembo continues to lead the charge for
more affordable and quality health care. While employers throughout the country
have faced significant increases in per-person health-care expenses, Lembo has
worked to unite stakeholders in both state government and in the corporate
community to implement programs that emphasize preventative care - ultimately
improving wellness and reducing immediate and long-term costs to the state.
Comptroller Lembo also serves as the chief fiscal guardian --
monitoring and reporting on the state's financial status, coordinating health
care and payroll for hundreds of thousands of public employees and retirees, and
administering the statewide electronic accounting system. He has been hailed by
advocacy groups and the media as a "champion of transparency" for his efforts to
promote public access to vital state financial information.
Transparency initiatives include "Open Connecticut" - an online
hub of state financial data that simplifies access to important information
about the state's budget and financial future. Lembo is also pursuing greater
transparency surrounding hundreds of millions of dollars invested each year in
economic development programs. These and other initiatives are pursued with a
vital emphasis on collaboration between the business community - both large and
small -- and government so that all stakeholders' interests are considered
during policy development.
As a longtime advocate of Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles (GAAP), Lembo's office plays a critical role in transitioning the
state to a new era of financial transparency and accountability and, on a
monthly basis, he reports on the state's financial status to ensure that
Connecticut proceeds on a secure financial track.
Comptroller Lembo has advocated for financial and operational
efficiencies across state and local government, expanding use of online
technologies for employee and retiree payroll, and payments to vendors and
municipalities.
Extending state savings to municipalities, Comptroller Lembo
launched the Connecticut Partnership Plan, which offers an affordable health
plan option to public employers.
Most recently, Comptroller Lembo launched "Man Up" - a
statewide initiative to encourage more men to seek preventive health care so
that they can live longer, healthier lives.
In addition to serving as Comptroller, Lembo has been
reappointed by Yale School of Nursing as a Clinical Instructor in the Nurse
Management Policy & Leadership Specialty in Nursing.
Comptroller Lembo holds a Master of Public Administration
degree from California State University and is a member of the Pi Alpha Honor
Society. He was named a Toll Fellow of the Council of State Governments in 2004,
and has served as a panelist and moderator throughout the state and country as
an expert in health care and retirement administration.
In 2004, Comptroller Lembo was commissioned a "Kentucky
Colonel," the highest honor awarded by the Governor of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky, in recognition of his advocacy on behalf of children in foster care.
Lembo resides in Guilford, CT with his spouse, Charles Frey;
they have three children.
This page was last updated on:
September 19, 2019
