The New London municipal election is in the past. As I reflect over the past four months, I can say it sure is nice to see some faces from the past back involved.

Elaine Adams leads the pack. She knows what it takes to bring the New London schools back on track. As for Rob Pero, no one cares about New London’s success more.

However, the voters missed a great opportunity to re-elect Susan Tierney. Susan sat next to me for the past two years. She’s a parent of children in our district and most importantly she cares for our city youth. During my last two years on the school board, she kept me in check when things got unsettled. She did her homework and was a strong voice for our schools.

I don’t know if I’ll ever run again, but I hope Tierney does. She has what it takes to lead our district forward. She and her family have contributed to the city for many years. We need to recognize people who do this, who put their hearts and souls on the line.

I can honestly say I learned a lot from school board secretary Tierney. More than any of us, she came to board meetings prepared to defend our kids.

Jason Catala

New London