Beth Bye served as a member of the Connecticut State Senate from 2011 to 2019, representing the 5th district, which includes part of Bloomfield, most of Farmington, all of Burlington and all of West Hartford.
21 Facts About Beth Bye
1.
2.
Beth Bye graduated from St Mary's High School in Greenwich in 1980 and from the University of New Hampshire with a Master of Arts degree in child development in 1989.
3.
In 2013, Bye completed Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a David Bohnett Foundation LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership Fellow.
4.
Beth Bye was appointed as Commissioner for the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood by Governor Ned Lamont in January 2019.
5.
Beth Bye, who served in the Senate from 2011 to the present and in the House from 2007 through 2010, will lead an office created in 2013 to coordinate and enhance various early childhood development programs and create a cohesive early care system.
6.
In 2013, Beth Bye led the effort to create The Office of Early Childhood, one of the first such offices in the country.
7.
Beth Bye was the director at both the Trinity College Community Child Center and the University of St Joseph School for Young Children, which was named the State of Connecticut model pre-school.
8.
Commissioner Beth Bye received her BA and MA in Child Development from the University of New Hampshire.
9.
Jonathan Harris announced that he would not run for another term in the senate in order to seek the Democratic nomination for secretary of the state, Beth Bye declared her candidacy for his senate seat.
10.
Beth Bye won the Democratic nomination unopposed and easily prevailed against a Republican opponent.
11.
Beth Bye took office as a state senator on January 5,2011.
12.
Beth Bye worked with Students 4 a Dream and legislators from both sides of the aisle to pass both in state tuition and financial aid for undocumented immigrants.
13.
Beth Bye was Chair of the Legislature's Appropriation Committee where she and her Co-Chair, Rep.
14.
Beth Bye brought out the bill for transgender rights in the Senate, as well as the bill that allowed for Family Child Care workers in CT to Unionize - in collaboration with Sen.
15.
Beth Bye led the effort to allow communities to establish broadband and established the Office of State Broadband, working closely with Elin Katz, the Consumer Advocate, and Kevin Lembo, State Comptroller.
16.
Beth Bye led an effort to establish Smart Start, a state and local program to add 600 preschool spaces in towns with Title 1 Schools.
17.
Beth Bye was able to add funding for more state funded preschool in West Hartford through School Readiness and Smart Start.
18.
Beth Bye funded the initial study to support a vision for a walkable, bike-able North Main Street in Town.
19.
Beth Bye secured bond funding to support the Noah Webster House and University of Saint Joseph.
20.
Beth Bye is the first member of the legislature to enter into a civil union.
21.
Beth Bye ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections in 2012.