Alumna Stephanie Cummings Makes a Difference in Waterbury

Former state representative credits Professor Gary Rose for inspiring her interest in politics

Sacred Heart University set alumna Stephanie Cummings ’09 on a career path to state government, representing Waterbury’s 74th district. Today she is practicing law full time and seeking the next opportunity to use the knowledge she gained at SHU to continue serving the public.

Cummings graduated from SHU with a political science major and a double minor in global studies and history. Eight years later, she was elected to represent Waterbury in the Connecticut General Assembly’s House of Representatives.

Cummings credits Gary Rose, chair of SHU’s government department, with her entry into politics. “Dr. Rose had a huge hand in that. I never really had an interest in politics until I started taking his classes,” she said. “He recommended that I participate in an internship program at the Capitol—a program that is still running today—and I interned for the seat that I eventually held 10 years later.”

After graduating from SHU, she continued volunteering for campaigns while earning her J.D. at Quinnipiac University School of Law. She was encouraged to run for Waterbury’s Board of Aldermen, where she served for four years.

When the 74th district’s previous representative announced, he was going to retire, “I jumped in,” she said. “I can tie it all back to Dr. Rose’s class. In fact, there were a couple of us in Hartford at the time who had experienced Dr. Rose’s class. Mike Johnson ’06 is a lobbyist, and Gary Turco ’03 was a representative on the other side of the aisle. We all connected over our shared experience at Sacred Heart,” Cummings said.

“Dr. Rose taught us how to debate without taking things personally. He set up these interesting debates, and he never took a side. It allowed us to be free thinkers and taught us to be respectful of the other side,” Cummings said.

“It was clear to me during the first-class Stephanie attended that she was not only a dedicated and talented student but also an individual who would someday be a key actor within the political arena,” said Rose. “I was not surprised when she earned a law degree, served as an alderman in Waterbury and then was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly. Public service is her calling. She exemplifies the mission of our University’s political science program.”

During Cummings’ time in the General Assembly, she got things done. Discovering that the Youth Violence Initiative only included Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven, she wrote a bill to include Waterbury in fund allocation for anti-gang measures. The city now receives $375,000 each year. Cummings also acquired a parcel of state-owned land in Waterbury to turn into a community garden. “So, we’re taking this vacant piece of land and turning into something for the community to share in,” she said.

Cummings also helped revamp the Transfer Act, which had made ownership transfers of commercial properties very costly. “We were able to change the fundamental way that we transfer property in Connecticut while also protecting the environment,” she said. “This is going to help move parcels that have sat vacant because people didn’t want to engage in the environmental process, since you were essentially looking for a problem. Now, you don’t have to do that. You only need to report if there was a problem. This is going to boost the economy while protecting the environment.”

“It was a wonderful four years,” Cummings said of her time in the state house. “If you do it the right way, you can really accomplish a lot. I worked on great community drives, food drives, coat drives, mask drives—it was fantastic.”

Cummings plans to continue on her political path. “I don’t know what the next position that I run for will be. I’m not ruling anything out, but it has to be the right fit. I don’t run for the sake of running. I run because I really want the position and I think that I would be really good at it. I’m waiting for the next opportunity to present itself.”

While campaigning and fundraising are not favorite parts of her political career, Cummings said she loves the community interaction that campaigning presents. Her passion project, Waterbury Reads, grew out of her canvassing when she was running for Waterbury alderwoman. She had a conversation with a gentleman who was heavily involved with New Haven Reads and that inspired her to start a similar program for her own community. She also sits on the Silas Bronson Library board and the board of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury, which focuses on teaching adults how to read. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Waterbury Bar Association, the Elisha Leavenworth Foundation and the Saint Mary’s Hospital Foundation.

Cummings currently works at the law practice of Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP, based in Waterbury with offices in New Haven and Stamford. She practices labor and employment law, corporate law, personal injury, real estate, trusts and civil litigation.

While at Sacred Heart, Cummings reveled in her choices. “I took a class on the Quran. For a Catholic university to offer a class like that, it was just something you wouldn’t expect,” she said. “I miss the time when just opening your mind was all you had to do that day,” she said of her SHU experience. She also took advantage of the University’s study-abroad program, spending a semester in Australia.

“I developed such a good foundation and willingness to listen to the other side at Sacred Heart, and a willingness to try new things,” she said. “I feel like that’s how college is supposed to be. You experience new things and open your mind to something you initially weren’t considering. My political interests were fostered at Sacred Heart. I was pushed outside of my comfort zone, and it makes me so proud to say that someone cared enough to help me navigate my new interests and the opportunities they offered.”

Photo caption: Former CT State Representative Stephanie Cummings with colleagues at the State Capitol. Photo by Jamison Bazinet.