Senior Vice President, Government Affairs
Post University
Waterbury, CT
Chief Deputy Senate Republican Leader Eric Berthel was elected to represent the 32nd State Senatorial District in a special election on Feb. 28, 2017. The district now includes the towns of Bethel, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Middlebury, Oxford, Roxbury, Seymour, Southbury, Washington, Watertown and Woodbury. He was elected by the people of the 32nd District to serve a fourth term in 2022. Prior to his election to the Senate, he represented the 68th House District serving Watertown, Oakville and Woodbury from 2014 – 2017. Senator Berthel was reappointed to serve as the Republican ranking member on the legislature’s Banking and Education Committees. In addition, he serves as ranking member on the legislature’s Appropriations Committee. He is co-chair of the College Internship Committee.
Eric is employed full-time as the Senior Vice President, Government Affairs for Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut. He first joined the university in July, 2018 as the Associate Director of Corporate Partnerships. In this role he was responsible for seeking out and soliciting new Corporate Partnership Relationships (clients) to build the partnership portfolio, including new tuition discount partners and learning and development partners. He transitioned into his current role in August, 2021 where he oversees all Government Affairs activities for the Office of the President/CEO, including managing all advocacy activities, policy issues, relationships with trade associations, elected officials and lobbyists.
Eric was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in Connecticut since 1976. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY and a Master’s degree from the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT. He and his wife Krista have lived in Watertown, Connecticut since 1998 with their two boys Matthew and Paul.
He was elected to the Watertown, Connecticut Public Schools Board of Education in 2011 and served until his election to the State House in 2014. In addition to the regular work of
the Board, he participated in all the Board subcommittees, served as a chair of four of those subcommittees, served as Board Secretary, Vice Chairman and interim Chairman. He was also the Board liaison for three of five schools.
In 2013, he was appointed to the special subcommittee for the evaluation of the Superintendent and in 2014 to the special subcommittee for the search for the new Superintendent. Eric’s entire working career has been focused on healthcare communications, public relations, government affairs, marketing and business development. He and his wife also owned a small retail business in Watertown.
He is an active member of the Watertown Republican Town Committee. In 2013, he was elected by the delegates of the 10 towns in the 32nd Senatorial District to represent the district as a member of the Republican State Central Committee (SCC). In 2013, State Senator Rob Kane (R-32) appointed Eric to the Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight, Connecticut General Assembly.
Eric served for two terms on the Board of Directors of the Hartford Healthcare Federal Credit Union, Hartford, Connecticut and as the Board Treasurer. He previously served for two terms on the Supervisory Committee of the Board of Directors for FD Community Federal Credit Union in Waterbury, Connecticut.
From 2016 to 2018, he served as the Unit Commander for the Brass City Unit of the Young Marines Youth Organization. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Water-Oak Crimestoppers since 2018. In 2018, the Waterbury Regional Chamber presented Eric with its Legislator of the Year award in honor of his pro-business advocacy at the State Capitol. In 2022, the Credit Union League of Connecticut presented him with its Legislator of the Year award in recognition of his many years of support of Connecticut credit unions.
Eric’s advocacy for Connecticut business was also recognized by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association in 2022 when it recognized him for a 100 percent pro-business voting record in its 2022 Legislative Session Report. In 2022 Eric was selected to the distinguished Council of State Governments Henry Toll Fellowship Program as a Henry Toll Fellow. He was one of only 48 state government officials across the U.S. selected to participate in the program, which is the premier leadership development program for state leaders.
In 2022, Eric was named as the state legislative chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).