Governor Rell Names Jennifer Smith Turner

Deputy Commissioner of DECD

           Governor M. Jodi Rell today appointed Jennifer Smith Turner as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).

Smith Turner, 51, joins state government after a distinguished career in small-business development, the insurance industry, and Hartford city hall.

“Job creation is one of the top priorities of my administration,” Governor Rell said in announcing the appointment.  “Our economy is growing but it is still not strong.  Too many people are still looking for work and too many companies are struggling.  Jennifer Smith Turner brings entrepreneurial experience and business know-how to the critical area of economic and job development.”

  “I have asked Jennifer to focus on the growth and nurturing of Connecticut’s small-business community, including minority and women-owned businesses,” Governor Rell said.  “Her skills will also be valuable in DECD’s dealings with the critically important areas of housing and community development.  She is a bright, articulate woman who will bring leadership and a new level of energy to our job creation efforts.”

About 35 percent of self-employed workers in Connecticut are women, and the approximately 72,000 women-owned businesses in Connecticut generate more than $9 billion in annual revenues.  The more than 20,000 minority-owned businesses in Connecticut generate more than $4 billion in annual revenues.  (Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Census Bureau, Connecticut Small Business Administration.)

Smith Turner, a resident of Farmington, most recently served as president and chief executive officer of her own business, Smith & Associates LLC, specializing in assisting organizations in strategic planning and operational support.  In addition to many other professional accomplishments during a career spanning over 28 years, she served as president and chief executive officer of several midsized managed care businesses.   

At Aetna Life & Casualty, Smith Turner served as vice president, occupational managed care, a joint venture between Aetna’s managed health care and workers compensation businesses. As chief operating officer of HealthWays/Aetna Professional Management Corporation, and vice president of Aetna Health Plans, she was responsible for start-up and operational activities of this primary care and health care subsidiary.   

Smith Turner also worked in management for Travelers Insurance for ten years, and served the City of Hartford as director of personnel and assistant city manager during the mid-1980s.  

A graduate of Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., Smith Turner received her master’s degree from Fairfield University. She is very involved in community and civic organizations.  She presently serves as President of the Board for the Hartford Stage Company. She is a Trustee of Union College, and a Regent at the University of Hartford. She is a member of the University of Connecticut’s African National Congress Partnership Advisory Board with South Africa and is an ex-officio member of the Greater Hartford Arts Council Board. Smith Turner formerly served on the Board for Connecticut Public Television and Radio, the Porrath Foundation for Cancer Advocacy, the University of Connecticut Foundation, St Joseph’s College, Hartford College for Women, the United Way, and the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Hartford.

Smith Turner served for six years as a trustee of the University of Connecticut, playing a role in the UConn 2000 capital improvement strategy.  She established two endowments in her name at the university, one for scholarships for African-American students at the medical and dental school, and the other for women’s athletics.

The Department of Economic and Community Development is the state’s lead agency for the development and implementation of policies, strategies and programs to stimulate economic growth and job creation and to improve Connecticut’s housing opportunities.

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