Michelle Seagull, Commissioner, Department of Consumer Protection.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy appointed Michelle Seagull to serve as the Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection on May 1, 2017. Seagull, a resident of Glastonbury, has served as the Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Consumer Protection since 2011. Jonathan Harris left the post in April to pursue a 2018 gubernatorial run.

Prior to her work at the Department of Consumer Protection, Seagull was a partner at Axinn, Veltrop and Harkrider LLP, a firm that specializes in unfair-trade and antitrust litigation. Seagull received her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

In a press release issued by Gov. Malloy’s office on May 1, Seagull stated, “I want to thank the Governor for appointing me as commissioner, and for his confidence that I can continue to serve consumers and businesses in our state,” Seagull said. “I’m proud of what we have accomplished in my time here. We’ve streamlined our licensing and complaint processes, made great strides to improve public health and safety, and educated Connecticut residents about the best ways to be safe in today’s marketplace. I look forward to building upon these accomplishments with our team of dedicated public servants.”

The Department of Consumer Protection regulates all persons and firms involved in distributing, selling and dispensing alcoholic liquor in order to prevent sales to minors and intoxicated persons, maintain product integrity, and ensure that licensed premises are safe and sanitary. Through the Liquor Control Division, the Department enforces the Connecticut Liquor Control Act and its corresponding regulations. The Division is the primary investigative arm of the Connecticut Liquor Control Commission. The DCP also licenses and registers over 280,000 individuals and businesses in over 200 different categories.