Local leaders remember Rell’s courage and grace

November 21, 2024 7:47 pm • Last updated November 21, 2024 8:16 pm

FILE – Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell pauses during an interview in her Capitol office in Hartford, Conn., Aug. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

Local political and civic leaders on Thursday remembered former Republican Gov. Jodi Rell for her compassion, grace, fairness and courage to take the state’s top position at a time of crisis and distrust in government.

Rell, 78, died Thursday after a short illness at a Florida hospital.

Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom recalled Thursday that he and Rell were elected as state representatives in their first year together in 1984 and learned the ropes of government together.

Nystrom recalled that 10 years later, when he began working as a delivery driver for UPS at night and early in the morning, he often had to drive to Hartford for the General Assembly session without sleep. Rell “ordered” Nystrom to skip long and tedious public debates on topics and go somewhere to take a nap.

“Jodie cared about everyone, cared about everyone, even in the little things,” Nystrom said.

Nystrom left the Legislature after the 2002 election, when he ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate. He said he spoke with Rell occasionally during her transition to governor. He recalled one unfortunate incident when the state was celebrating Electric Boat’s expansion into a large complex in New London. Nystrom said he had to remind the Rell administration that the move meant EB would move about 300 engineering jobs from Norwich to the new complex.

“It wasn’t a reflection of Jody,” Nystrom said. “Such were the circumstances at the time.”

Tony Sheridan, president and CEO of the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said Thursday that Rell was instrumental in southeastern Connecticut’s fight to keep the U.S. Navy submarine base open.

Sheridan recalled taking local leaders to a meeting with Rell to explain to them his plan to fight the closure. Rell quickly contributed $100,000 to help the committee gain support. Among other things, the funds paid for a bus full of local leaders to attend public hearings in Boston on base closures.

“She was quiet but efficient,” Sheridan said. “She didn’t seek the limelight.”

Asked to recall the tumultuous time when Rell succeeded former Gov. John Rowland, who resigned amid a corruption scandal in 2004, several local leaders used the same term to describe Rell: grace.

“She did it with great grace and great sadness,” Sheridan said. “It was something she wasn’t looking for. My respect for her grew because she wasn’t trying to demonize anyone.”

Former longtime Preston First Selectman Robert Congdon served as a state representative when Rell was lieutenant governor in the Rowland administration. He interacted with Rell as the first deputy. He said she was always “approachable and hardworking” and admired the way she came to the office.

“She was in an incredibly difficult situation,” Congdon said. “I think she handled it with grace, took responsibility and did what she had to do to lead the state of Connecticut.”

State Sen. Heather Somers, a Republican from Groton, recalled “lady lunches” at the Chenecossette Beach Club with Rell and then-state Rep. Lenny Winkler of Groton. Somers said Rell’s “passion for Connecticut and its people” shone through during these informal discussions.

“I am heartbroken by the passing of Governor Jodi Rell, a truly remarkable leader whose courage and grace left an indelible mark on our state,” Somers said in a statement Thursday. “She navigated a difficult political situation with strength and conviction, inspiring so many along the way.”

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, who also served in the state General Assembly with Rell. Courtney said in a press release that serving on legislative committees with Rell gave him the opportunity to see “her principled, civic-minded approach” to public service. He said her bipartisan approach and civility are “much needed” today.

“During her tenure as governor, she was able to use the same approach to address complex issues in a bipartisan manner,” Courtney said in a press release, “which explained her enormous popularity both before and after her tenure in office.” governor.”

[email protected]