Thomas MacMillan/Melissa Bailey Photos
Finalists Graves, Paca and Robinson-Thorpe.
Less than seven years after he showed up at City Hall as a freshman in “Democracy School,” Marcus Paca has emerged as the most likely candidate to fill a top City Hall position.
Paca, a former alder, is one of three finalists for the job of labor relations director, according to Mayor Toni Harp. The others are former mayoral candidate Clifton Graves and Alder Claudette Robinson-Thorpe.
Paca is believed to be the frontrunner of the three.
Harp said she plans to make her final choice next week next week. The job, budgeted at $98,000, was briefly held by Mendi Blue before she moved on to a new city job overseeing grant-writing and policy development. Before that, the labor relations post had been vacant since March 2013, when Marjan Mashhadi stepped down. In absence of a permanent director, the city has paid private attorney Floyd Dugas to negotiate union contracts.
The job was not publicly advertised; Harp said it does not need to be because it is a mayoral appointment.
Thomas MacMillan File Photo
Paca.
Paca, who’s 37, made his political ambitions known when he showed up in City Hall in 2007 as the “best-dressed” member of the city’s Democracy School, a free program that aims to get citizens involved in government. He served one two-year term as Edgewood alderman before losing reelection in 2011 to Evette Hamilton, one of a slate of union-backed candidates who toppled incumbents.
Unlike recent city labor relations directors — Mashhadi, Dugas, Emmet Hibson, Will Clark, John Romanow — Paca does not have a law degree. He said he holds a bachelor’s in political science from Hampton University in Virginia and a master’s in business administration and management from Southern Connecticut State University.
Paca currently works at Workplace Inc. in Bridgeport under Joe Carbone (who had served as chief of staff to former mayor Biagio DiLieto). Paca said he is working under a federal grant to help unemployed people get back in the workforce. He said he has been working there for almost three years.
Paca declined to detail his other work experience: “I’d rather not go into my background or experience for this position right now.” He said he would grant a more extensive interview if he is offered the job. He said he lives in New Haven; he declined to say where.
Paca, who worked on Harp’s election campaign, said the Harp administration invited him to interview for the job.
He said said he was drawn to the position by “the opportunity to serve my city in a meaningful way.”
“Anything I can do to help our city progress, and have a higher quality of living, I’m going to do,” he said.
He said his experience in Democracy School was “very foretelling” of his future.
Thomas MacMillan File Photo
Graves.
Graves (pictured), who’s 61, ran for mayor three years ago with Harp’s support. Then he supported Harp’s 2013 mayoral run. Graves holds a law degree from Georgetown University and has an active license to practice law. Asked what qualifies him to be labor relations chief, he said he previously worked at Southern Connecticut State University as the director of affirmative action and diversity. In that job, he worked with unions to “address labor-related issues that had to do with diversity concerns.”
Graves said he is now doing some part-time work with Project Fresh Start, the city’s prison reentry program. He also co-founded a program called Obama Scholars, which aims to help at-risk boys make good choices.
Graves said he put his nae in the mix because he knew Harp would be hiring a labor relations chief.
“I made a commitment to Mayor Harp even before she was elected, that I wanted to be an asset and help to her administration in terms of furthering her agenda and her mission in whatever capacity she felt I could best serve her, her administration and the city,” he said.
Paul Bass File Photo
Robinson-Thorpe during her 2009 campaign.
Robinson-Thorpe has represented Beaver Hills’ Ward 28 since 2010. A social worker, she made her foray into elected office by unseating incumbent Moti Sandman. After breaking ranks with the union-backed supermajority on the board, she lost her position as chair of the Black and Hispanic Caucus in January.
Robinson-Thorpe could not be reached for comment for this story; click here to read more about her background.
Paca, who worked on Harp's election campaign, said the Harp administration invited him to interview for the job.
He said said he was drawn to the position by "the opportunity to serve my city in a meaningful way."
Give me a break.I smell the old Spoils system.
In the politics of the United States, a spoils system (also known as a patronage system) is a practice where a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends and relatives as a reward for working toward victory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoils_system