Mayor Bronin Nominates Fire Chief, Appoints Human Resources Director

Published on August 04, 2021

HARTFORD, CONN (August 4, 2021) – Today Mayor Luke Bronin announced that he is nominating Interim Fire Chief Rodney Barco to serve as the permanent Chief of the Hartford Fire Department, and that he has appointed Marlene Fleeting as Director of Human Resources following a civil service appointment process.  Chief Barco’s nomination is subject to confirmation by the City Council. 

“Chief Barco and Marlene are lifelong Hartford residents and longtime City employees, and I’m very proud to nominate both of them to these important positions,” said Mayor Luke Bronin.  “Chief Barco has been a Hartford firefighter for twenty-five years and he’s earned the trust and respect of the department as Assistant Chief over the last three years.  I am confident that under his leadership, the Hartford Fire Department will continue to be one of the very best in the nation.”

“I’ve spent my entire career at the Hartford Fire Department, and the prospect of servant leadership to its members, our community, and visitors alike of a city I grew up in is an enormous privilege,” said Interim Fire Chief Rodney Barco.  “We serve to save, protect life and property, educate our community on fire safety, and go above and beyond for our residents each and every day when we are called into service.  I want to thank Mayor Bronin for his confidence in me and in our department.”

“Marlene began her career with the City of Hartford nearly twenty years ago, serving in a variety of roles in the Finance Department and also serving as a past Vice President of the Hartford Municipal Employees Association,” continued Mayor Bronin.  “She has a deep knowledge of city government and she cares deeply about our employees, and I look forward to continuing to work with her as we build and retain a first rate workforce.”

“I’ve devoted my professional career to the city I was born and raised in, and it is an honor to lead the Human Resources team, which plays a key role in the success of our departments across the board,” said Marlene Fleeting.  “It will be my goal to continue doing everything we can to recruit talented people to join our team and give our employees the tools they need to succeed.  I am grateful to Mayor Bronin for entrusting me with this important position.”

Marlene Fleeting is a lifelong Hartford resident who joined the City of Hartford’s Finance Department in 2001, becoming a supervisor and then a Principal Administrative Analyst.  She became Assistant Director of Human Resources in 2020 before becoming the Interim Director of Human Resources in February of this year.  She graduated from Hartford Public High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Springfield College in Human Services. 

Chief Barco is a lifelong Hartford resident who joined the Hartford Fire Department in 1995 before being promoted to Lieutenant in 2010 and Captain in 2016.  He was appointed Assistant Chief in 2018 and has been serving as Interim Chief since April of this year.  He graduated from A.I. Prince Technical High School before serving in the United States Marine Corps.

Tagged as: