Gov. Ned Lamont named a new chair Wednesday to lead the Connecticut Board of Regents, the governing body for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system. Martin Guay, who has served on the board since September 2023, will assume the chair.

Guay succeeds JoAnn Ryan, who will not seek reappointment to the board. Her term as a member expires on June 30.

The board’s 15 voting members, all of whom are volunteers, are appointed: nine by Lamont, four by legislative leaders and two are student members appointed by their peers. The governor selects one member as chair and the board elects a vice chair and officers from among the members.

Guay, who was appointed by Lamont to a term ending in 2029, is vice president of business development at Stanley Black & Decker in New Britain. In this role, he “creates business value opportunities by working with startups, academia, venture capital, philanthropy, and global corporations,” according to the release. “He has worked with innovation communities, universities, incubators, and accelerators across the world. Concurrently, he is working on workforce development, economic development, and advanced manufacturing and growing the trades strategies in Connecticut and in the United States.”

Guay holds a bachelor’s degree and M.B.A. from the George Washington University, and has completed the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

Lamont said Guay’s experience in business enables him to lead CSCU to prepare its students for careers.

“Marty has spent his career in the manufacturing sector and understands the needs of businesses to have access to a workforce that is already trained with the skills needed for in-demand, good-paying jobs that are driving innovation and building economic opportunities,” Lamont said. “This aligns with CSCU’s overarching goals and efforts to partner with the business community so that when students graduate they can get started on the right track for successful, long-lasing careers. His leadership is a good fit at CSCU and I am excited that he has agreed to take on this position. I also want to thank JoAnn Ryan for her many years of dedicated and generous service to Connecticut’s higher education system. I am particularly appreciative of her work to strengthen these schools during a period of transition, and I applaud her commitment to our students, their success, and the success of our state.”

Guay affirmed the role of CSCU as a driver of Connecticut’s economy.

“It is a tremendous honor to be appointed to serve as the next chair of the Connecticut Board of Regents,” Guay said. “Our colleges and universities are an integral part of Connecticut’s growth strategy, making an $11 billion annual impact on the state’s economy. I am excited to partner further with Governor Lamont, Chancellor Cheng, the Board of Regents, institution leaders, and community partners on spearheading and implementing initiatives that enable CSCU to continue to offer new innovative courses and programs that meet both students’ aspirations and the needs of our workforce. Together, we can ensure that our institutions continue to be key economic drivers for our communities and state.”

CSCU consists of four state universities, Connecticut State Community College, and Charter Oak State College.

For more information about the Board of Regents, visit ct.edu/regents.