Biography

Betsy has served as the representative for the 38th Assembly District since November 2004. Her areas of interests are public health, health-care access and energy issues.

In her duties as a lawmaker, Betsy’s primary role is deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. As deputy to Speaker Brendan Sharkey, Betsy presides over the House of Representatives when Rep. Sharkey is not in the chamber. In her leadership role, Betsy recognizes all members wishing to speak to the chamber, puts all questions to vote and directs legislation to the proper committees when the House is in session.

Betsy was named House chairman of the Committee on Public Health in 2009 and served in that role until January 2013 when she was appointed deputy speaker. She is also a member of the legislature's Appropriations, Human Services and Energy and Technology committees. In addition, she is a founding member of the Appropriations Sub-committee on Results Based Accountability.

Betsy has been recognized by numerous state-wide professional organizations and advocacy groups for her legislative efforts, many of which have focused on healthcare access and reform. In 2009 she led legislative efforts to bring affordable care to the uninsured and underinsured through delivery system reform and collaboration with the state health insurance pool, which resulted in the creation of the Office of Health Reform and Innovation and the SustiNet Health Care Cabinet in 2011.

In 2007, Betsy was nominated to the Council of State Governments/Eastern Region healthcare committee. She achieved recognition as a Thompson Fellow that same year, and she was appointed to the healthcare committee of the National Council of State Legislators in 2011.

Betsy was first elected to public office in Waterford in 1990 as Registrar of Voters and served three and a half years before becoming Town Treasurer for the next five years. In 1998, she became Waterford’s Tax Collector, a position to which she was elected twice. During this time, she brought new technology and efficient procedures to the office, provided greater services to the public using fewer resources and staff, minimized departmental expense, increased Town tax relief to elderly and disabled homeowners, worked for and implemented a tax benefit for volunteer firefighters and EMT’s, and maintained the collection rate at one of the highest in the state. Prior to her municipal work, she spent ten years working in hospital accounting and financial management.

Betsy volunteers for numerous Town and community agencies and organizations including Waterford emergency management, PTAs and school board action planning, school sports, YMCA of Southeastern CT, low-income housing advocacy, and arts in education. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Natchaug Hospital and United Cerebral Palsy of Eastern CT. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, gardening, music and the performing arts, and beekeeping.

Betsy lives in the Quaker Hill section of Waterford with her husband Grant. She can be reached at home at (860) 444-1700.