The top child welfare spot in Connecticut has become a springboard of sorts to the world of philanthropy.
Jodi Hill-Lilly, commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, will retire from the agency she has worked at for nearly 40 years. She will join the staff of the Doris Duke Foundation as the director of its Child Well-Being Program, which launched the OPT-In for Families initiative last year.
“Jodi is one of the hardest working and most compassionate people I know, and her service to our state has absolutely made a positive impact on the lives of our youngest and most vulnerable residents,” said Gov. Ned Lamont, in a statement announcing her departure. “It has been an honor to serve with Jodi – we will miss her, and I thank her for all she’s done to uplift and protect our children.”
Hill-Lilly succeeded Vanessa Dorantes as commissioner at the end of 2023. Dorantes, who also spent decades with the department she would eventually lead, is now managing director for systems for the Seattle-based Casey Family Programs.