What in your background serves you best in the office you’re running to hold?
My involvement in Newtown’s local government began back in 2009, and over the years I’ve had the privilege of serving in a variety of appointed and elected roles. Most notably, I served ten years on the Legislative Council, including four as Council Chairman. I’ve led the Council in passing municipal and education budgets, capital improvement plans, town ordinances, Charter revisions, and over the years have been involved with most aspects of town administration. I also served on a Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee and took part in multiple iterations of municipal and education facilities planning and review committees.
As a member of the Board of Selectmen I look forward to helping drive many of these ongoing efforts from the place where they begin – with the First Selectman and the Board of Selectmen.
What do you think are the most important traits necessary for anyone running for office to do a good job in the role of public servant?
The role of a public servant, above all, is to put the public first. To me, this means inviting the public into the process and being a gracious host to ensure all opinions can be expressed and heard. This also means proactively sharing and informing the public on specific town procedures and processes. Irrespective of differences in perspective or opinion, broader participation and a more transparent process makes the result easier to accept among residents and taxpayers.
How do you work with those who don’t share your views to find common ground?
A foundational perspective, to me, is recognizing that every elected official, regardless of party, shares the same core goal for Newtown: keeping our town the great place we all chose to raise our kids, enjoy our families and friends, and live a wonderful life. That’s a highly unifying baseline, and that’s the lens I choose to look through when considering points of view that differ from my own. We’re all on the same team and share the same goals, but there are a range of paths that can get us there.
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Experience:
- Proud resident of Newtown for 26 years
- Family: wife, Elaine; two children, Eddie and Matt; a dog (Skye); and a cat (Pinecone)
- Managing Partner, YouGov/Harrison Group. A strategic marketing consulting and research services firm — started in Newtown in 1996, acquired by YouGov in 2010. I serve as a senior advisor to clients in a range of industries spanning high tech, interactive entertainment, media, finance and consumer packaged goods.
- BS in Business Administration and Marketing Science, University of Connecticut
Town Government:
- Legislative Council (2011-2021); Chairman (2017-2021)
- Municipal Building Strategic Plan Committee, representing the Legislative Council (2015-2016)
- Fairfield Hills Master Plan Amendment Work Group (2012-2013)
- Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee (2010-2011)
- Legislative Council (appointed to fill vacancy, July ’09). Co-Chairman of the Board of Education and Municipal Facilities Management subcommittee
- Board of Education liaison for Hawley School PTA Executive Board (2008-2009)
- Survey of Newtown Residents, “The Way Things Are in Newtown” (2007/2008). Volunteered my time and my firm’s resources to survey a statistically representative sample of Newtown households on a range of topics affecting the town and residents, and provided insights and guidance to town leadership.
And also …
Fairfield Hills Music Festival, head of volunteer engagement (2025)
Flagpole Radio Café, stage band drummer and percussionist (2024-present)
Newtown Earth Day Committee, leadership team (2020-present)
Sandy Hook Promise, co-founder and former board member (2012-2015)