Sen. Somers Reacts to Anthony Anthony Departure from State Marketing Office

Sen. Heather Somers, who represents Mystic and co-leads the General Assembly’s bipartisan Arts, Culture and Tourism Caucus, issued the following statement regarding the announcement that Connecticut’s Chief Marketing Officer Anthony Anthony is departing state service effective Feb. 6, 2026, to pursue a new professional opportunity.

“In addition to the energy and creativity he has brought to the job, Anthony understands that boosting growing tourism-related jobs in Connecticut is a bipartisan goal. It’s about creating a positive buzz. He also understands that for every dollar the state spends on tourism marketing, it gets back over $8 in tax revenue, and we need to maximize that to compete with surrounding states. He has been a consistent friend to the Tourism Caucus, and helped us advocate for more state funding, market our state to a maximum, and grow tourism as an industry in Connecticut, and I thank him for that.

As the search for a successor begins, I urge the governor to carefully select someone who shares Anthony’s vision and commitment to unleashing this industry’s huge untapped potential.”