Glendowlyn Thames joined the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) in June of 2019. As deputy commissioner, chief operating officer and chief financial officer, she has a wide range of oversight responsibilities and provides strategic direction for business development and workforce initiatives.
Previously, Mrs. Thames served as Founding executive director of CTNext, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Connecticut Innovations. There she managed an array of strategic economic development programs focused on fostering entrepreneurship, startup and growth-stage businesses while cultivating a robust innovation ecosystem on behalf of the State of Connecticut.
Her multi-faceted experience with executive management of organizations includes over 15 years as a Business, government, and non-profit leader managing high-priority projects and major initiatives.