Help wanted: Lamont turns to outside experts to fight virus
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a businessman-turned-politician, mid-way into his first term, did what felt natural when he faced the prospect of large numbers of coronavirus infections spreading from neighboring New York into his state.
The wealthy cable company founder leveraged his connections.
Lamont tapped people from the business world, his alma mater Yale University and personal relationships, including his successful venture capitalist wife Annie, to find some star power advice on how to respond to a global pandemic.
Ultimately, the list included former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who Lamont met through mutual friends, and renowned Yale epidemiologist and researcher Dr. Albert Ko, who investigated the outbreak of the Zika virus infection in Brazil. Ko went on to help lead the 66-year-old Democratic governor’s reopening task force, along with Indra Nooyi, Lamont’s former Yale School of Management classmate and former PepsiCo CEO.
“I am so much better as a governor for all the help that they provide and their constructive help,” Lamont said during a recent interview with The Associated Press. “Most people criticize from the sidelines and say, ‘No. These guys say here’s the best way to do it today. And tomorrow they may change their mind.’ I know that’s a high crime and misdemeanor in the public sector, but this is a fast-changing train.”
Lamont’s decision to look beyond state government for help with the pandemic has been praised by those who point to Connecticut’s current, and enviable, infection rate of less than 1%. But his out-of-the-box approach, a hallmark of his leadership style, has also drawn push-back from critics who’ve accused him of not being inclusive or transparent enough.
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