Ulysses Hammond has been named the new interim executive director of the Connecticut Port Authority. The port authority’s board unanimously approved Hammond to start immediately on Tuesday.
Hammond is expected to lead the port authority’s redevelopment of the State Pier in New London to be a hub for the offshore wind industry.
“I’m looking to the future and I’m looking from today forward,” Hammond said. “And I will, I will do all I can to keep the focus on the promise, to keep the focus on the mission. To keep the focus really on what it is that is ahead of us and make sure that we do our work going forward in a way that sustains and increases the public trust”.
Hammond is a retired former vice president for Administration at Connecticut College. Before that, he served for a decade as the CEO of the District of Columbia Courts. He resigned in 2000 along with the financial officer after criticism from Congress over fiscal mismanagement and an investigation by the General Accounting Office.
Hammond starts immediately to replace the current executive director, John Henshaw, who will leave on May 5 to allow for transition between leadership, said David Kooris, the chairman of the port authority.
“His experience in particular at Conn College suits him very well having overseen the resources and finances and capital projects,” Kooris told the port authority board. “That is a macrocosm of everything that the authority deals with on a smaller scale.”
The port authority will begin a search for a new permanent executive director while their work continues to redevelop the State Pier.
