Mayor Arunan Arulampalam ‘03 is a father, husband, attorney, and former nonprofit executive, and is committed to strengthening neighborhoods and building a Hartford that works for everyone. The son of Sri Lankan refugees, Mayor Arulampalam was born in Zimbabwe. He made a home and eventually a family in Hartford soon after graduate school. Before being elected mayor, Mayor Arulampalam served as the CEO of the Hartford Land Bank, where he developed a first-in-the-nation program to train Hartford residents to become local developers and tackle blight in Hartford.
Mayor Arulampalam also served in the Lamont Administration as Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, where he went after a notorious Connecticut slumlord and fought for consumer rights and small businesses. Before then, he was a lawyer downtown at the firm of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. Mayor Arulampalam also served on the Board of the Hartford Public Library, the House of Bread, and on the Hartford Redevelopment Authority. He earned his B.A. in International Studies from Emory University and his J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law. Mayor Arulampalam lives in the Frog Hollow neighborhood in a formerly vacant and blighted house with his wife and five small kids. Mayor Arulampalam’s wife, Liza, is the Senior Minister of the First Church of Christ (Center Church) in Hartford.
How did your time at Oakwood help shape who you are today, both personally and professionally?
Oakwood helped shape me as a person at a pivotal time in my life. I still think of many of the teachers I had at Oakwood who impacted my trajectory in fundamental ways. They gave me the confidence to think for myself and to critically question the structures around me. On a personal note, I also gained a group of lifelong friends (Lou Wasson ‘03, Adam Zelin ‘03, and Alan Cooper ‘03). Our journeys started at Oakwood, but we have watched each other grow up, get married, and start families, and I appreciate the role they have had in my life. Our group text now is 90% sports, 9% politics, and 1% personal life, but they have each been there for me when I have needed them most.
When you graduated from Oakwood, did you have a clear sense of what you wanted to pursue academically or professionally?
I didn’t have a very clear sense of what I would pursue or where my life was going. For anyone who is getting to the end of high school and doesn’t know what the future has in store, I would say that is completely okay. Life is an incredible journey, and you have so much unexpected beauty ahead of you.
Was there a class, activity, or teacher at Oakwood that had a lasting impact on you?
Several teachers had lasting impacts on me. I found multiple teachers who saw something special in me before I saw it in myself, and who invested in that potential. I deeply appreciate all of the teachers I had at Oakwood, and when I graduated, I wrote a note to each one of the dozens of teachers who had impacted my life. I genuinely hope they each know how much they meant to me.
Have you had mentors, at Oakwood or beyond, who played a significant role in your journey?
I have had several mentors along the way, including teachers from Oakwood and my college and law school journeys, various professionals, and several community leaders here in Hartford who have taught me the kinds of lessons that can’t be taught in a classroom. I value each of them greatly.
Can you share a brief overview of your career path and how it led you to your current role as the Mayor of Hartford?
I have had a fairly nonlinear career trajectory, which has allowed me to experience a real variety of roles. After college, I served on a couple of political campaigns, worked as a staffer in the Connecticut legislature, then went to law school, and after graduation, worked as a corporate lawyer at a firm in Hartford. When Governor Ned Lamont was elected Governor of Connecticut, he appointed me Deputy Commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, which oversees enforcement of consumer protection violations, regulation of food and standards, liquor, gaming, cannabis, and various occupational licenses, among other things. I left that role to help start the Hartford Land Bank, a non-profit created to take vacant and blighted properties in the City of Hartford and convert them into housing for Hartford residents. After a couple of years at the Hartford Land Bank, I ran for Mayor of Hartford against a field of opponents, including two State Senators who had been in elected office for as long as I had been alive. In November of 2023, I was elected the 68th Mayor of the City of Hartford.
What do you enjoy most about serving the Hartford community in your current role?
Hartford is a beautifully diverse and culturally and historically rich community. We have had a significant role in the history of the nation, and we also have incredible arts and cultural institutions. Hartford is made up of a mix of cultures from various nations that have brought both great cultural traditions and foods to this city. But my favorite thing about this city is our people.
What advice would you give to Oakwood students who are interested in leadership, public service, or making a difference in their communities?
It is difficult to plot out a pathway into a career in public service. When I was a student at Oakwood, my political involvement came in the form of anti-war protests over the Iraq War and making phone calls for candidates that I supported. I developed a passion for getting involved, making my voice heard, and standing up for the things I believed in. Good public servants are people who believe that everyone has an important voice in the future of our communities, that it is important to stay grounded in the things they believe in, and who put work into creating the world that they would like to see. That might look different during different periods in your life, but the values stay the same.
