QUESTIONS FOR OFFICE OF MILITARY AFFAIRS (OMA) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

OMA is within the Department of Economic and Community Development for administrative purposes only. OMA's executive director is a department head with the same duties and authority as other department heads. Within available appropriations, he must:

1. coordinate state and local efforts to prevent the closure or reduction in size of Connecticut military facilities, particularly the Groton submarine base;

2. maximize the state's role in the federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, including acting as liaison to (a) the state's congressional delegation on defense, military, and BRAC issues and (b) consultant lobbyists the state hires to help monitor BRAC activities;

4. coordinate state and local efforts to enhance the quality of life of military personnel and their families living or working in Connecticut;

5. review and make recommendations for state policies that affect Connecticut military facilities and the defense and homeland security industries;

6. coordinate state, regional, and local efforts to encourage the growth of Connecticut's defense and homeland security industry;

8. establish and coordinate a Connecticut Military and Defense Advisory Council to provide technical advice and assistance;

9. oversee the implementation of recommendations of the Governor's Commission for the Economic Diversification of Southeastern Connecticut; and

10. prepare and submit a report of activities, findings, and recommendations annually to the governor and Commerce and Public Safety and Security committees (PA 07-205).

1. What do you hope the office will achieve in the next few years?

2. What are the most valuable tools the legislature can give you to help achieve your goals?

3. What, if any, overriding issues do you believe the office must deal with immediately?

4. What ideas would you propose to relocate military missions to Connecticut?

5. What significant challenges do you anticipate the agency will face in the next few years? What do you expect to be your biggest challenge?

6. Given the impact of the sub base on Rhode Island, how would you work with officials and other stakeholders to coordinate the two states' efforts?

7. To what extent should your office encourage firms located in Southeastern Connecticut to diversify into non-defense work?

8. Given the new focus of defense efforts on terrorism, how can one continue to justify continued spending on nuclear submarines?

9. How do you expect the outcome of the presidential election to change the issues with which your office must deal?

10. If the committee were to evaluate your efforts four years from now, what yardstick should it use to determine that the office made a difference?


February 20, 2008		2008-R-0160
QUESTIONS FOR OFFICE OF MILITARY AFFAIRS (OMA) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

By: Veronica Rose, Principal Analyst