2022 Alumni Impact Awards: Recognizes School of Public Policy (SPP) alumni (MPA, MPA Fellows, MPP and MASR) at any stage in their career who have made a significant recent contribution to their field. Nominees may work in any sector; public, private, or nonprofit. Examples may include but are not limited to driving a meaningful program outcome, contributing to new legislation, innovating a process or program, achieving a fundraising goal, brokering a partnership, etc.
Tara Downes, MPA Fellow ‘20, Assistant State Comptroller
Tara Downes, Assistant State Comptroller, is a University of Connecticut 2020 MPA Fellow graduate. She has a 24-year career in state policy and communications. This New York native began her career in Connecticut as a print news reporter, covering local government and breaking news throughout the state. Tara made the shift to state government as Policy and Communications Advisor to the State Attorney General. Tara now serves as Assistant State Comptroller in the CT Office of the State Comptroller where she oversees operations and strategic planning. As the state comptroller’s appointee to the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls, she co-authored two research reports in collaboration with the director of the UConn School of Public Policy, Dr. Mohamad Alkadry. These reports, combining Tara’s passions for journalism and public policy, investigated gender and racial equity across Connecticut’s executive branch. Tara was nominated for the Alumni Impact Award as her work in this area has made representation a front-burner issue in state discussions about hiring during forthcoming retirement waves.