Press Releases
04/20/2017
Gov. Malloy Appoints Jordan Scheff to Serve as Commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services
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(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he is appointing Jordan A. Scheff of Vernon to serve as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services (DDS).
Scheff has more than 25 years of experience as a professional in the field of disability services. He has worked at DDS since 2012, beginning in the role of Regional Director, and most recently has been serving as the agency’s Deputy Commissioner. For the last four months, he has been filling the role of Acting Commissioner, following the departure of Morna Murray from the position.
“Our state, through many of the services that the Department of Developmental Services provides, strives to partner with individuals and their families in order to create and promote meaningful opportunities for all of our residents to fully participate as valued members of our communities,” Governor Malloy said. “Jordan has dedicated his career to the field of intellectual and developmental disability services, focusing many of his efforts on ensuring that the highest quality of supports are available to as many individuals as possible. I appreciate his leadership at the agency over the last several months, and thank him for accepting the opportunity to continue in this capacity on a permanent basis.”
“I wish to thank the Governor for placing his confidence in me as a leader for the Department of Developmental Services,” Scheff said. “I am both humbled and honored that I have been asked to take on this important role. DDS is at a critical juncture. In the current fiscal climate, the agency is faced with a need to innovate and reform our service system, while continuing to ensure quality supports for as many individuals as possible. There is a tremendous need for stability, both within DDS and among our families and providers, even as we continuously adapt and refine services. I look forward to taking on this challenge and am excited to work with our many partners toward these critical goals.”
Prior to joining DDS, Scheff served from 2003 to 2012 as the Executive Director of MARCH, Inc., a private, nonprofit agency based out of Manchester that provides support services to citizens with developmental disabilities and their families. He also previously served as the Director of Day Services and Residential Services at Trudeau Memorial Center in Warwick, Rhode Island, and for several years worked for Public Consulting Group, Inc. in Boston, working directly with the Massachusetts Department of Social Services. He began his career in the field serving as a member of direct care teams in both residential and vocational programs.
He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Rhode Island College, and a Master of Science degree from Springfield College.
Nearly 17,000 Connecticut residents with intellectual disability have been determined eligible for DDS services. The agency provides a range of day/vocational and residential supports for these individuals.
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