Sharon Palmer, the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor, will retire at the end of this year, news that was first reported by the CT Mirror website.

According to CT Mirror:

In an interview, she described her decision to retire as driven by age and circumstance, not politics or a consequence of overseeing the Department of Labor at a difficult juncture. She laughed and added, however, “It’s tired me out, that’s for sure.”

Governor Dannel Malloy issued a press release announcing the retirement and commending the service of Commissioner Palmer:

Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that Connecticut Department of Labor Commissioner Sharon M. Palmer has opted to retire from the agency at the end of this year.  Commissioner Palmer began her position as the head of the department in August 2012 and was reappointed earlier this year when the Governor began his second term in office.

“I have always known Sharon to be an advocate for helping others, and have been impressed with her focus on workforce and education issues in our state, because both create good jobs and deliver a strong economy for Connecticut,” Governor Malloy said.  “Under Sharon’s tenure, many successful employment programs and services were developed and launched. I thank her for her unwavering dedication and her service.”

While Palmer’s background was as a teachers’ union president and AFL-CIO offer, her tenure at the CTDOL was marked by the lack of any major new department worker initiatives similar to those announced on a federal level. Instead, the Department has continued to focus on grants and training programs.

Indeed, while the press release says that the department “ramped up efforts to fight misclassification” of workers as independent contractors, we haven’t seen nearly the same publicity or efforts that have been attached to the United States Department of Labor activities.

Malloy said that a search for her successor begins now and presumably one will be named before Palmer’s departure.