Amalia Vazquez Bzdyra - Commissioner

Amalia Vazquez Bzdyra was appointed Commissioner of the Connecticut Public Utility Control Authority by Governor Rell on December 16, 2008 and confirmed by both houses of the General Assembly in February 2009.  She assumes the term of Commissioner Anne C. George which expires June 30, 2011.  As commissioner, she will focus on natural gas and electric issues, taking the lead on natural gas issues for the Department.  Commissioner Vazquez Bzdyra will serve on the National Association Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committees on Gas, Energy Resources and the Environment, and International Relations.

Vazquez Bzdyra has extensive public and private sector experience and has served in all three branches of Connecticut government.  From February of 2007 to January 2009, she served as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Social Services.  In 2005, Vazquez Bzdyra, an attorney with over 20 years of experience, was appointed by Governor Rell as Chairperson of the new Contracting Standards Board.  The Board was created by Executive Order to craft standards for awarding state contracts and removing political connections and considerations from the process.  In 2004, she was appointed by Governor Rell to the Governor’s Task Force on Contracting Reform, which was charged with reviewing and recommending improvements in the procedures used by the state of Connecticut to purchase goods and services.

From 1998 to 2004, Vazquez Bzdyra served as Chairperson of the state’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO).  From 2000 to 2004, she was Vice President of Government Relations for the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA).  As Vice President at CHA, she developed health care policy initiatives to improve Connecticut’s system of health care and collaborated with state agencies to develop and implement legislative and executive branch policies, procedures and legislative enactments affecting all 31 hospitals statewide.

From 1993 to 2000, Vazquez Bzdyra was Director of Legal, Legislative and Policy Affairs for the state’s Office of Policy and Management (OPM).  In that post, she advised the Secretary of OPM and the Office of the Governor on state policy, legal and budgetary matters.  Vazquez Bzdyra also served as Chief Legal Counsel to the state agency and supervised OPM’s legal staff.  She was also Legislative Counsel to the Chief Court Administrator from 1990 to 1993.

Commissioner Vazquez Bzdyra was born in Havana, Cuba and possesses native fluency in Spanish.  She received a Juris Doctor degree from Western New England College School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Southern Connecticut State University.  She resides in Wallingford with her family.

Kevin M. DelGobbo | John W. "Jack" Betkoski III | Anthony M. Palermino