COMPTROLLER
Kevin Lembo was elected State Comptroller in 2010 following decades of experience in government, finance, and health care. As the state's fiscal guardian, he is committed to eliminating wasteful spending, strengthening budget transparency, delivering government services more efficiently and addressing the state's growing health care challenges.
Immediately upon taking office, Comptroller Lembo implemented several financial and operational efficiencies within the Office of the State Comptroller and throughout state government. Those ongoing efforts include transitioning thousands of employees and retirees to new technologies for payroll to significantly reduce state costs; improving the state's purchasing policies to achieve millions more in rebates from its purchasing card vendor; overseeing a municipal prescription drug partnership that will save the state and participating towns and cities money on health care; and expanding efforts to provide payments electronically to towns, cities and vendors to reduce costs for each.
As a longtime advocate of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Lembo's office plays a critical role in transitioning the state to a new era of financial transparency and accountability. On a monthly basis, he reports on the state's financial status to ensure that Connecticut proceeds on a secure financial track.
Comptroller Lembo's office oversees the procurement of and administers health care for hundreds of thousands of lives, and has led implementation of the Health Enhancement Program (HEP) that will provide significant long-term financial savings by reducing costs associated with untreated chronic conditions.
As the administrator of state accounts, Comptroller Lembo successfully advocated repeal of a federal law that would have forced the state and municipalities to reduce payments to thousands of vendors that do business with government. This legislative victory protects the state and businesses from being deprived full payments in exchange for the services they provide the state and municipalities.
Before serving as State Comptroller, Lembo served two terms as Connecticut's first Healthcare Advocate where he helped thousands of Connecticut residents navigate the complexities of the health care system; advocated for patients denied coverage or treatment; and returned more than $25 million to consumers. As Co-Chair of the state's health care reform effort, Lembo led the charge for more affordable and higher quality helth Care in Connecticut.
Lembo previously served as Assistant Comptroller, where he helped manage state finances and health care for state employees, retirees, municipalities, nonprofits, and small businesses.
Before coming to Connecticut, Comptroller Lembo helped design and inplement a successful and innovate long-term home health care program in northeastern New York that helped prevent premature and permanent admissions to nursing facilities and enhanced the quality of life for participants.Lembo was also Program Director of an AIDS education, prevention, and primary care program.
Comptroller Lembo holds a Master of Public Administration from CaliforniaStateUniversity; is a member of the Pi Alpha Honor Society; and was named a Toll Fell of the Council of State Governments in 2004. He has also served as a clinical instructor at the Yale School of Nursing.
A native of Paterson, New Jersey, Lembo resides in Guilford, Connecticut, with his spouse; they have three children.