Ex-Stamford CFO Michael Handler joins BLT’s exec committee

Michael Handler, who exited his post as Stamford”™s director of administration after eight years on Feb. 28, has joined Building and Land Technology”™s (BLT) executive committee.

In a statement, the Stamford company said: “An experienced and devoted public servant, who has also had a successful private sector career, Mike joins co-Presidents Ted Ferrarone and Kevin Neuner on a team committed to exploring the benefits public/private partnerships can yield for Connecticut and on a national level as we continue on our mission to create and enhance vibrant ecosystems where individuals can live, work, play and stay.”

Handler was appointed Stamford”™s director of administration ”“ the equivalent of a chief financial officer ”“ by then-Mayor Michael Pavia in 2012. He was reappointed by current Mayor David Martin the following year. Martin has since named Sandy Dennies as interim director of administration, a post she also held under then-Mayor Dannel Malloy for two years. Dennies has also served in similar capacities in Wilton and New Canaan.

In exiting the post last month, Handler said he planned to spend more time with his family and that he had no other job lined up.

“Having spent the past eight years working to improve Connecticut in civil service, I have gained an appreciation for the government”™s strengths and identifying opportunities for improvement,” Handler said. “Building and Land Technology is in a premier position to partner with municipalities, and I am thrilled to be a part of this dynamic team.”

The New Canaan resident has also held several other key positions in Stamford, including Chairman of the Board of the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority; Board Member of the Smith House Skilled Nursing Facility; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the OPEB Trust; Chairman of the Tax Abatement Committee; and Head of the Mold Task Force/Stamford Asset Management Group.

Since 2011 he has been New Canaan”™s Emergency Management Director, responsible for coordinating all town-wide public safety agencies.

Handler transitioned to public service in 2007 after a career in finance, which included working as a senior portfolio manager at SAC Capital Management and as executive vice president at Jefferies Asset Management.

He also entered the last gubernatorial race as a Republican in 2017, suspending his campaign several months later. Businessman Bob Stefanowski ultimately won the Republican nomination, losing the 2018 election to Ned Lamont.