Peg Fitzgerald

Floor Speech

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Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to provide my warmest congratulations and thanks to Peg Fitzgerald, a long-time resident and public servant in the State of Connecticut, who is retiring on October 1st after more than 42 years of service to our state. Like so many other citizens of our great state, I had the privilege to interact with Peg in government and had a front-row seat to watch her skillful use of shrewd intelligence, empathy and humor to advance the public interest in whatever role she took on. I first met Peg when I was an intern at the State Capitol for then-State Representative Sam Gejdenson in 1978 when Peg first went to work at the State Budget Office under Governors Ella Grasso and William O'Neill. Despite being a young woman given the weighty task of securing legislative support for the Governor's budget, she did not back down and could go toe-to-toe with the crustiest older male legislators and yet still make them laugh at her sharp Irish wit. When she would walk into Sam's committee room, he would yell, ``Hey Irish, what's going on?'' and the two of them would start busting each other, leaving all of us in stitches. It was like watching a sitcom.

Seriously though, during her twelve years at the State Capitol, Peg worked with legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle, crafting compromises and ultimately promoting bills that would advance the health and welfare of citizens of the State of Connecticut. She provided training, guidance, and supervision to dozens of state agencies and their staff at the state Capitol in their own advocacy efforts for the Executive Branch.

In 1990, Peg joined the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, bringing with her outstanding expertise in the legislative process and a passion for affordable housing. In her thirty years at CHFA, Peg has continuously fought for the underserved, and taught dozens of employees what it means to be a true public servant.

For Peg, service to others never stopped at the office. When Peg wasn't at the Capitol, she often dedicated her time to organizing food drives or donations for local hunger relief organizations or finding homes for animals in need of adoption, including her own, many times over.

Peg Fitzgerald--through four decades--has been the embodiment of public service, showing a uncompromising commitment to the public good, a passion for the democratic process and a dogged determination to help those most in need.

I thank Peg for her service to the State of Connecticut and offer best wishes to her on her well-deserved retirement.

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