Erick Russell was sworn in as Connecticut’s 84th State Treasurer in January 2023. As Treasurer, he administers Connecticut’s pension funds, oversees the state’s unclaimed property, debt and cash management, and manages the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) 529 plan. In his first term, he successfully secured funding to launch CT Baby Bonds, a first-in-the-nation program to combat generational poverty, established the Safe Harbor Fund to support those in need of reproductive rights and gender-affirming care, and championed funding for the State’s Early Childhood Education Endowment to expand access and affordability to quality childcare.

Born and raised in New Haven, CT, Erick adopted the work ethic and financial responsibility of his parents by working in the family’s convenience store. He would become the first in his family to graduate college, earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Haven and law degree at the University of Connecticut School of Law. As a law student, he volunteered to help low-income taxpayers navigate tax law complexities and interned with the Connecticut Legal Rights Project.