State Senator Gary LeBeau

Legislative Experience

Gary LeBeau was first elected to the Connecticut General Assembly in 1990 as a state representative from the town of East Hartford. While in the state House, he served on the Finance Committee and as vice-chairman of the Commerce Committee. Senator LeBeau was elected to the state Senate in 1996, where he represents the 3rd Senatorial District towns of East Hartford, South Windsor, East Windsor and Ellington. In his time in the Senate, Senator LeBeau has exhibited an unflagging devotion to the growth of Connecticut businesses and industries, advocating for a state commitment to the Groton-area submarine base which helped save it from the federal budget axe; tax credits for job creation; major investments in biotechnology, stem cell research and alternative energies such as fuel cells; linking the research departments of various state institutions of higher learning with start-up, high-technology firms; contracting reform; Goodwin College; and the Rentschler Field complex. Senator LeBeau has also championed a transportation study of the Buckland shopping mall area and a legislative Task Force on Fatherhood.

Other Public Service

Senator LeBeau has been a member of the East Hartford Lions Club for 25 years and has held all major offices in the club. He served on the East Hartford Town Council and is currently a member of the Blessed Sacrament/Our Lady of Peace linked parishes, the East Hartford Historical Society, and the League of Women Voters. His professional experience includes founding the Synergy School for at-risk students and working as the coordinator for Drop Out Prevention and Drug-Free Schools Program for the East Hartford schools and serving on the ERASE Board of Directors, The Capital Region Growth Council Board of Directors, the Liquor Control Task Force Against Underage Drinking, the CT Economic Conference Board, the International Trade Council, the Cultural Heritage Committee, and the East Hartford Child Plan.

Personal

Born and raised in Easthampton, Mass., Senator LeBeau was educated in public schools and graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Masters Degree in Education, a Sixth-Year Degree from the University of Connecticut, and Elementary Education Certification from Central Connecticut State University. A former public school teacher for 36 years, Senator LeBeau is now retired. He lives in East Hartford with his wife Joanne, their three children Kara, Matthew and Christopher, and their chocolate Labrador Retriever “Hershey.”