NASCA Press Release: Eleanor Michael Announced as 2026 Distinguished Deputy Award Recipient
For Immediate Release
October 9, 2026
Contact: Elizabeth Whitehouse, Executive Director, executivedirector@nasca.org
NASCA Press Release: Eleanor Michael Announced as 2026 Distinguished Deputy Award Recipient
Hartford, CT – The National Association of State Chief Administrators is proud to announce Eleanor Michael, Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services, as the 2026 NASCA Distinguished Deputy Award recipient.
The Distinguished Deputy Award was established to recognize a deputy of a State Chief Administrator (CAO) for outstanding contributions to the work of state government operations.
“Deputy leaders play an essential role in making state government work, often by solving complex problems, supporting agency teams, and keeping critical operations moving behind the scenes,” said Darin Seeley, NASCA President. “Eleanor Michael exemplifies the purpose of this award. Her leadership, judgment, and commitment to public service have strengthened the State of Connecticut and reflect the very best of state government administration.”
Deputy Commissioner Michael has spent more than a decade serving the State of Connecticut in senior roles across state government. Her career reflects a steady commitment to public service, sound judgment, and the hard work of making government function well.
At the Department of Administrative Services, Deputy Commissioner Michael helps lead one of Connecticut’s central administrative agencies. Her portfolio includes policy and legislative affairs, legal, agency personnel, fiscal and business services, sustainability, and fiscal operations. She also plays a central leadership role within the agency, helping teams navigate complicated, sensitive, and urgent issues while keeping the focus on service to the public and support for state agencies.
One of Deputy Commissioner Michael’s most significant contributions has been her leadership of the DAS Business Office and the core services that support state operations. Working closely with the agency’s Chief Fiscal Officer, she has helped update policies and procedures to provide greater clarity and consistency for both DAS and customer agencies. Under her leadership, the Business Office oversees a broad range of critical functions, including budget, small agency support, inventory management, receivables, payables, internal control, payroll, print, mail and courier services, purchasing, asset management, and school construction grants. While these functions often operate behind the scenes, they are essential to ensuring agencies can deliver services, public funds are managed responsibly, and state government operates efficiently.
In nominating Deputy Commissioner Michael, her colleagues emphasized the ways in which she supports those around her: colleagues who rely on her judgment, learn from her experience, and see firsthand how much she does to keep the agency moving forward.
“DAS simply could not do what it does without Eleanor Michael,” said Connecticut DAS Commissioner Michelle Gilman. “She is the person we turn to when the work is complicated, sensitive, or urgent, and she brings a rare combination of judgment, experience, humility, and follow-through to every issue. Eleanor makes everyone around her better, and her leadership has strengthened DAS and the State of Connecticut in ways that are felt every day.”
NASCA celebrates their selection, and we look forward to their continued work advancing excellence in state government operations.
Founded in 1976, NASCA is the nation’s only nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving chief administrative officers or CAOs. NASCA provides a forum for state chief administrative officers to exchange information and learn new ideas from each other and private sector partners. NASCA engages states in transforming government operations through shared knowledge, operational excellence, and thought leadership.
For more information on NASCA, please visit NASCA.org.
