Dr. Maria Cruz Appointed Town Clerk
Published on August 03, 2023
During Tuesday night’s Board of Directors’ meeting, Dr. Maria Cruz was officially appointed to the position of Town Clerk for the remainder of the 2021-2025 term, following the untimely passing of Darryl E. Thames, Sr.
Dr. Cruz has worked closely with the Manchester community for many years in various capacities. She served on the Board of Education in 2009 and was re-elected twice, serving through 2015.
Dr. Cruz’s professional career includes nearly thirty years working for the State of Connecticut in various human services roles; most recently, Dr. Cruz worked as Assistant Child Advocate for the State of Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate. Previously, she worked at the State Department of Children and Families where she served as a Social Work Supervisor of ongoing services for 28 years, advocating for the preservation of children with their families as well as the safety, well-being and permanency for children served by the Department.
She serves on the Town’s Redevelopment Agency and Advisory Board of Health and has volunteered on various other local commissions, including the Manchester Arts Commission; the Manchester Commission on Human Relations, Elderly Service and People with Disabilities; the Charter Revision Commission; and the Ethics Commission. Dr. Cruz founded the Manchester Latino Affairs Council in January 2007 and, in 2019, she created an event that has become a tradition in Manchester — Hispanic Heritage Day.
“I am thrilled to support the appointment of Dr. Cruz to this important role,” said Mayor Jay Moran. “Maria’s skills and experience, in particular her administrative talents and ability to work effectively with all types of people, will make her an excellent Clerk for our community. Under her leadership, the Office of the Town Clerk will be well positioned to provide high quality, equitable, and efficient service to our residents.”
As Town Clerk, Dr. Cruz will be responsible for the recording, maintaining, and preservation of town records. As Registrar of Vital Statistics, the Town Clerk's office issues marriage licenses, burial permits, cremation permits and has custody of birth, marriage, and death records. The office issues absentee ballots and performs election related duties pursuant to the Connecticut General Statutes
Ms. Cruz will be Manchester’s first female, first woman of color, and first Latina to serve in the role of Town Clerk.
Upon assuming her new role, Dr. Cruz shared, “I am honored to be appointed and I’m incredibly excited to begin work serving our great community. As Town Clerk, I am committed to fostering an environment of open communication, ensuring that every voice in the community is heard, and providing outstanding professional service to Manchester’s residents, businesses, and customers.”
Dr. Cruz holds degrees from Springfield College (B.S.), Springfield College School of Social Work (M.S.W.) and Capella University (Ed.D).
Having been appointed to the position effective August 1, she will be officially sworn in on Monday, August 7th at 8:30am in the Lincoln Center Hearing Room.