L-R: Kevin Gardiner, Florence Johnson, Ruth DeLuca, Rem Bigosinski, Savet Constantine, Sunila Kapur, Peter Squitieri, Ceci Maher, Ross Tartell, Deb McFadden, Michael Kaelin, Jung Soo Kim, Bob Zsunkan
Learn more aobut the candidates at Campaign Central >>
Wilton, Conn. — July 16, 2019 — At its caucus on Tuesday evening, Wilton’s Democrats endorsed 18 candidates to run for office in this fall’s much anticipated November elections. Approximately 50 people participated in the caucus, which was held in Wilton’s Comstock Community Center.
“We are excited by the truly high caliber of our 2019 slate, and we thank the candidates for their willingness to serve our town,” said Tom Dubin, Chair of Wilton’s Democratic Town Committee (DTC). “Each one of the Democratic candidates is fully engaged in the life of Wilton. They understand our town, our schools, and our neighbors, and they will make real differences in the tone and responsiveness of our town’s government.”
The slate of candidates is as follows:
For First Selectwoman, the Democrats have endorsed Deb McFadden. McFadden currently serves on Wilton’s Board of Selectmen and was the highest vote getter for that office in the 2017 municipal election. She has been active in public service for more than 40 years, and she and her husband Jack have lived in Wilton for more than 20 years. All of their children attended Wilton High School. McFadden is a graduate of Utah State University with a double major in Journalism and Political Science.
For Board of Selectmen, the Democrats have endorsed Ceci Maher and Ross Tartell. Maher currently sits on the Board of Finance. She recently retired as CEO of Person-to-Person after 14 years, having grown the social services agency to include 29 employees and 4,000 volunteers serving 25,000 people annually in lower Fairfield County. She is a licensed social worker with degrees from the University of Massachusetts and Columbia University. Tartell is a human resource professional who has spent his career at Pfizer and GE Capital, and also teaching at Columbia University. He is a Wilton Fire Commissioner, and for 22 years chaired long range planning teams for Wilton’s schools. He holds an MBA and PhD from Columbia University.
For Board of Finance, the Democrats have endorsed Kevin Gardiner, Mike Kaelin, Jung Soo Kim, and Chris Stroup. Gardiner is currently the Senior Vice President of Operations at a Wilton-based holding company focused on talent acquisition and development. He received an MBA from UConn and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bryant University. Kaelin has served in leadership positions in Wilton’s town government and community organizations for more than twenty years, including as a member of the Board of Selectmen and Charter Commission. He is a principal in a Stamford law firm and holds undergraduate and law degrees from Duke University. Kim is a product specialist at a global data and software company serving the financial industry. She is a sixteen-year Wilton resident, who received her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and recently earned a Master of Software Engineering from Fairfield University. Stroup is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a reinsurance company and previously served as a member of Wilton’s Board of Education. He holds an MBA from Columbia University and BA in economics from the Wharton School.
For Board of Education, the Democrats have endorsed Savet Constantine and Ruth DeLuca. Constantine has held numerous leadership positions in support of Wilton’s public schools, most recently as WHS PTSA president for the past three years. Her professional experience is in international marketing, with a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and BA from Carleton College. She has one child who is a graduate of Wilton High School, and another who is a rising senior. DeLuca is an attorney who has worked in the biotechnology industry and currently focuses her career on healthcare advocacy and immigration. She has degrees from Northeastern University, George Washington University, and Brooklyn Law School. DeLuca has two children currently enrolled in Wilton’s school system and one in preschool.
For Planning and Zoning the Democrats have endorsed Jeremi (Rem) Bigosinski, Florence Johnson, and Peter Squitieri.
For Zoning Board of Appeals, the Democrats have endorsed John Gardiner and Sunila Kapur.
For Board of Assessment Appeals, the Democrats have endorsed Bob Zsunkan.
For Constable, the Democrats have endorsed Bo Mitchell, Ernie Ricco, and Paul Soley.
“The Democrats have assembled an incredibly talented group of candidates, who were chosen because of their remarkable competence, strong work ethic, and their proven ability to work well with others,” said Ross Tartell, Chair of the DTC’s Nominations Committee. “They are an extraordinary group whose common goal is to keep Wilton a great place to live.”
Contact:
Michele Bennett
mjbenn@optonline.net
Read more on the Wilton Bulletin: Democrats throw their hats in the election ring.
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