Denise Nappier
82nd Treasurer of Connecticut
In office
January 3, 1999 – January 9, 2019
GovernorJohn Rowland
Jodi Rell
Dan Malloy
Preceded byPaul J. Silvester
Succeeded byShawn Wooden
Personal details
Born
Denise Lynn Nappier

(1951-06-16) June 16, 1951
Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationVirginia State University (BA)
University of Cincinnati (MA)

Denise Lynn Nappier (born June 16, 1951) is an American who served as Connecticut State Treasurer, from 1999 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she was first elected in 1998 and was re-elected in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. She is the first African-American woman elected to statewide office in the history of Connecticut, the first woman elected State Treasurer in Connecticut history, and the first African-American woman elected to serve as state treasurer in the United States.[1] In 2011, she was named to the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame.

In January 2018, Nappier announced she would not seek re-election to a sixth term in November 2018.[1]

Early life and education

Born to parents Connie and Barbara Nappier in Hartford, Connecticut, she and her two sisters; Diane and Donna, were the first set of triplets born at the Mount Sinai Hospital.[2] Nappier and her sisters excelled in gymnastics, track, golf, and cheerleading; she organized "Culottes Day" at her high school in the 1960s to protest the school's dress code banning the then-popular skirt-pant combination.[3] Nappier graduated from Hartford Public High School in 1969.[4]

Nappier graduated from Virginia State University, receiving her B.A. in 1973. She also graduated from University of Cincinnati, receiving her M.A. in City Planning in 1975.[5] Nappier holds honorary degrees from Teikyo Post University, Trinity College, Briarwood College, University of Hartford and Saint Joseph College.[6]

Early career

After graduating, Nappier returned to Hartford, working as an analyst in the city manager's office, and as a consultant for the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management.[7]

From 1981 to 1984, she was hired by the University of Connecticut, working as the Director of Institutional Relations for the University of Connecticut Health Center. During that time, Nappier also served as the chair of the Hartford Redevelopment Authority.[8] In 1984 she was named the executive director of the Hartford Riverfront Recapture, where she was in charge of renovating riverfront's surrounding transportation infrastructure, connecting Hartford and East Hartford with a pedestrian walkway, and expanding the park system for both cities riverbanks.[9]

In 1989, Nappier was elected to the first of five terms as Hartford City Treasurer, a position she held until 1998.[10]

State Treasurer of Connecticut

Elections

In December 1997, Nappier announced she would run for the Democratic nomination for State Treasurer of Connecticut, she defeated Frank A. Lecce, founder of a municipal-bond firm, at the state's Democratic convention with just 51% of the delegates cast.[11] Frustrated with his defeat, Lecce challenged Nappier for the nomination in a further primary challenge; where Nappier won with 59% of the vote.[12] In the general election, Napier faced Republican incumbent Paul J. Silvester, Libertarian Louis A. Garofalo and Concerned Citizens Party candidate Joseph J. Ciccomascolo.[13] On November 3, 1998, the race was too close to call and it wasn't until November 6 when the results were announced; with Napier defeating Silvester by only 2,600 votes, it was one of the closest races for State Treasurer in Connecticut state history.[14] Nappier was the first African-American to be elected to statewide office in Connecticut.[15]

She ran for reelection in 2002, against Hartford attorney Ross Garber. She defeated Garber in the general election with 55%, winning the majority of the vote in every county in Connecticut.[16]

In 2006, Nappier defeated East Windsor First Selectman Linda Roberts with 63% of the vote, the highest percentage of the vote she's received while running as State Treasurer.[17]

In 2010, after Newington Mayor Jeff Wright suspended his campaign for Governor of Connecticut, he decided to run for State Treasurer.[18] Nappier defeated Wright in the general election, with 54% of the vote.[19]

Tenure

As Connecticut's chief elected financial officer, Nappier oversees $64 billion in state funds, including the state's retirement plans and trust funds.[20]

After the 2001 Enron scandal, Nappier sought to recover the $15 million lost from Connecticut's pension fund, as a result of the company's hiding of billions of dollars in debt from failed deals and projects.[21] Since the bankruptcy of Enron, Nappier has been an advocate for tighter regulation of financial institutions, and for separation between auditing and consulting firms.[22]

In 2004, Nappier and then Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal filed suit against the private equity firm Forstmann Little & Company[23] for the $120 million lost in Forstmann Little's failed investments in XO Communications Inc. and McLeodUSA Inc., two telecommunications firms that ended up filing for bankruptcy.[24] Nappier and Bluementhal argued that the firm breached contractual obligations and fiduciary responsibilities, and violated securities law.[25] Opponents of the suit argued that it could make funds less eager to work with states, while the financial industry feared that if Forstmann Little were found guilty, a stream of new suits would follow.[26] On July 24, a six-person jury in Rockville, Connecticut, found that the firm breached its contract, but did not award financial compensations because they found that the state of Connecticut consented to the deal, and that the firm relied on information from its lawyers.[27]

In April 2009, Nappier called on Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis to resign.[28] She also called on other senior officials to resign including Bank of America's lead director, Temple Sloan, and Thomas Ryan, chairman of the bank's governance committee, due to the bank's acquisition of Merrill Lynch and $20 billion in losses in the fourth quarter of 2008.[29] As Treasurer, Nappier represented the Connecticut pension fund system and the Connecticut's Department of Treasury on Bank of America's board of shareholders, due to the state's owning of 3.2 million shares ($34.7 million in market value) of the bank.[30] At the annual shareholders meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nappier voted against keeping the established leadership, saying that "In the interest of Bank of America's future growth and success, it's time to clean house and set the financial health of the company on a sustainable path."[31] She also called on the board members of American International Group to resign, citing executive bonuses after the insurance firm received $182 billion from the federal government Troubled Asset Relief Program.[32]

Nappier is a member of the boards of both the National Association of Corporate Directors and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.[33] Nappier also served as the treasurer for the National Association of State Treasurers, and as a fellow for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.[33]

Electoral history

Connecticut State Treasurer Democratic Primary Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Denise Nappier 58,315 59.25
Democratic Frank Lecce 40,114 40.75
Connecticut State Treasurer Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Denise Nappier 436,573 49.00
Republican Paul Silvester 433,889 48.70
Libertarian Louis Garofalo 11,375 1.28
Concerned Citizens Joseph Ciccomascolo 9,051 1.02
Connecticut State Treasurer Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Denise Nappier (inc.) 527,216 55.95
Republican Ross Garber 389,304 41.31
Concerned Citizens Timothy Knibbs 13,394 1.42
Libertarian Ken Mosher 12,449 1.32
Connecticut State Treasurer Election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Denise Nappier (inc.) 653,690 64.44
Republican Linda Roberts 323,454 31.88
Libertarian Steven Edelman 15,354 1.51
Green David Bue 13,487 1.33
Concerned Citizens Mimi Knibbs 8,482 0.84
Connecticut State Treasurer Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic* Denise Nappier (inc.) 600,270 54.27
Republican Jeff Wright 480,623 43.45
Independent Andrew Grant White 15,611 1.41
Green David Bue 9,600 0.87

*Nappier was also listed on the Working Families Party line.

Connecticut State Treasurer Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic* Denise Nappier (inc.) 533,182 50.89
Republican* Timothy Herbst 514,402 49.10
Write-in Rolf Maurer 119 0.01

*Nappier was also listed on the Working Families Party line; Herbst was also listed on the Independent Party line.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Comtois, James (3 January 2018). "Connecticut Treasurer Denise Nappier will not seek re-election". Pensions & Investments. Crain Communications, Inc. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "Nappier, Diane Lynn". Hartford Courant. September 8, 2002. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  3. ↑ Lori Riey (September 28, 2008). "Nappier Sisters Blazed Trail Pioneers In City's Girls Sports Scene". Hartford Courant. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  4. ↑ Carmel M. Owens (July 1, 1999). "A Public High Class Of '99: Has Reason To Be Proud Commencement Address Credits Students' For Their Achievements, Remembers Those Lost Along Way". Hartford Courant. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ Christopher Keating (October 29, 1998). "Who's More Qualified To Serve As Treasurer?". Hartford Courant. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  6. ↑ "TREASURER NAPPIER TO BE HONORED BY CONNECTICUT WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME" (PDF). state.ct.us. October 24, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Denise Nappier Democrat candidate for". ctmirror.org. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Denise L. Nappier Democratic Party". Hartford Courant. October 17, 2002. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  9. ↑ Wilson H. Faude (2000). Images of America Lost Harford. ISBN 9780738504636. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Hospital Leaders Meet with Gubernatorial Candidate Dan Malloy" (PDF). cthosp.org. Connecticut Hospital Association. October 14, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  11. ↑ Mike Allen (July 19, 1998). "Party Is Torn On Race Issue In Connecticut". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  12. ↑ "RESULTS OF PRIMARIES STATE OFFICES & THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 15, 1998". sots.ct.gov. Office of the Secretary of the State of Connecticut. September 18, 1998. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  13. ↑ "CT Treasurer". ourcampaigns.com. February 3, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Voting Summary 1998 - for Treasurer SUMMARIZED BY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT". sots.ct.gov. Office of the Secretary of the State of Connecticut. November 3, 1998. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  15. ↑ Julia E. Barnes (November 6, 1998). "THE 1998 ELECTION: CONNECTICUT; Democrat's Climb to Treasurer Ends With 2,000 Votes to Spare". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Vote for Treasurer 2002". sots.ct.gov. Office of the Secretary of the State of Connecticut. November 5, 2002. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Vote for Treasurer 2006 VOTE FOR TREASURER SUMMARIZED BY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT NOVEMBER 7, 2006". sots.ct.gov. Office of the Secretary of the State of Connecticut. November 7, 2006. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  18. ↑ Christopher Keating (March 30, 2010). "Newington Mayor Jeff Wright Quits Governor's Race; Running For Treasurer Against Denise Nappier". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  19. ↑ "CT Treasurer RACE DETAILS". ourcampaigns.com. January 11, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Hon. Denise L. Nappier (D) (CT)". tobaccoissues.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  21. ↑ Virginia Groark (December 16, 2001). "State Helping Pension Regain Enron Losses". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Denise Nappier For Treasurer". Hartford Courant. October 10, 2002. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Pension Case Goes to Jury". The New York Times. June 30, 2004. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  24. ↑ Noreen Gillespie (May 31, 2004). "Connecticut takes on Wall Street in pension fund case". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Associated Press. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  25. ↑ "How Much Risk Is Too Much?". Hartford Courant. June 15, 2004. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  26. ↑ Bill Barnhart (June 13, 2004). "Connecticut vs. Forstmann a trial to watch". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  27. ↑ Randy Whitestone, Sophia Pearson (July 2, 2004). "Forstmann Little Loses but Avoids Damages". washingtonpost.com. Bloomberg News. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Connecticut treasurer: BofA CEO should be kicked off board". reuters.com. April 21, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  29. ↑ Andrew Ross Sorkin (April 21, 2009). "Connecticut Treasurer Opposes Lewis at BofA". dealbook.nytimes.com. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  30. ↑ Dale Levick (April 22, 2009). "Denise Nappier Calls For Bank Of America CEO Kenneth Lewis To Step Down". Hartford Courant. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  31. ↑ Hartford Courant (April 22, 2009). "Denise Nappier Calls For Bank Of America CEO Kenneth Lewis To Step Down". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  32. ↑ Linda Shen, David Mildenberg (April 21, 2009). "Bank of America's CEO Loses Connecticut's Support (Update4)". bloomberg.com. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  33. 1 2 "Board". IFES. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved Oct 16, 2009.
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