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The state should add a cabinet-level “secretary of commerce” to attract companies, coordinate agencies around growing the Connecticut economy and cheer-lead for the state, a transition group for Gov.-elect Ned Lamont recommended Wednesday.

Lamont embraced the idea while attending an event at a New Haven co-working space, along with his push toward creating an upbeat attitude about Connecticut.

On one level, the job would advance the goal that just about every government in history has proffered, to make the state more friendly to business. That, of course, is constantly said and rarely achieved.

Achieving that goal takes a high level of smart coordination between agencies, which the transition’s working group on the economy addressed at length, along with controlled costs and more value for the tax dollar, which so far remain elusive.

The commerce secretary job would be separate from the commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development in the vision of the group that presented its report to Lamont. It’s unclear how exactly the two jobs would function in the same administration as the DECD commissioner does much of that already.

“You need to have a high level person looking at that overarching strategy,” said Gwendowlyn Thames, executive director of CTNext, the state’s initiative to boost entrepreneurship.

“In addition we need a brand ambassador,” said Thames, who’s also chair of the city council in Hartford. “We need a champion that is dedicated to growing our economy. They are opening doors … and the governor comes in and closes the deal.”