East Lyme — The Democratic Town Committee selected a new candidate to run against Republican First Selectman Mark Nickerson in this year’s election after the party’s endorsed candidate dropped out of the race last month due to health reasons.

Because the Democratic party had nominated a candidate — Debbie Jett-Harris — during its July caucus, the party was allowed, by state statutes, to replace her with Board of Finance member Camille Alberti during a special meeting last Thursday.

“There’s a lot of new energy with the DTC and a lot of new enthusiasm. I’m excited to be part of it,” Alberti, 57, said by phone interview Sunday. “I want the people of East Lyme to know that I’m a citizen first, and I represent the interests of everyone in town. I work for the people who elected me to represent them."

Alberti, a former Republican, has been a member on the Board of Finance since 2013, and has participated in seven budget cycles. She served as board chair for one year from December 2016 to December 2017.

At the time Alberti switched parties in 2017, she had said to The Day, "My views on individual issues aren't neatly aligned with any one party. I'm an independent thinker, and will consider all sides of an issue before I make a decision."

"I'm extremely proud of working on a nonpartisan Board of Finance whose primary concern is serving all our constituents," she had said.

Prior to moving to East Lyme in 2005 from Kent, N.Y., with her husband and son, Alberti pursued a career in management consulting, working for Deloitte Consulting, “leading projects for many Fortune 500 companies all over the country,” Alberti wrote in an announcement letter to the Democratic Town Committee. Alberti also formed an independent management consulting firm, where she said her two biggest clients were Mercedes Benz and Volvo.

After moving to East Lyme, Alberti began a small home staging and interior design business, known as The Suite Stage, and  served as finance director for Groton City’s River Front Children’s Center, a nonprofit, for nearly two years.

She resigned from the children's center position in January and currently sits on the board of trustees for the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center.

Alberti said she would like to “encourage sound, tasteful and reasonable economic development that contributes to the tax base and the quality of life in our town, while preserving its unique charm and character."

She added that she would also engage experts to develop strategies to address environmental and sustainability concerns, support quality educational opportunities for all and create a charter revision commission, tasked with making recommendations to improve government operations.

While speaking by phone Sunday and expanding further on her platform, Alberti said she feels the policies and procedures presently guiding town officials need to be overhauled to allow for greater efficiency, as well as an ease to doing business with potential developers and builders.

“We’ve been written up by our auditors for the last seven years that we need to get more policies and procedures on the books,” she said. “And that’s really a selectman’s responsibility. No one’s really tackled it in that time. But I know that I can tackle it thoroughly.”

She also added that, “While I’ve seen a lot of great development in East Lyme and would like to keep that momentum going, there isn’t much space for new development. So, I would put the emphasis on the redevelopment of existing spaces.”

Democratic Town Committee Chair Sharon Hansen said by phone Monday that while working with Alberti on the Board of Finance over a two-year period, Alberti made great contributions to the board, "always keeping her eye out for the average person" by doing her homework and asking important questions to include in the record.

"When you're elected, you serve the people whether you are a D or a R, and that is how I feel she served the people while on the Board of Finance. I have a lot of confidence she would do the same on the Board of Selectmen," Hansen said. "She always did her homework and she definitely isn't the type of person who will make a decision off the cuff."

Responding to Alberti's candidacy last week, Nickerson wrote in a news release, “I welcome the new candidate to the race for the top position in our town. The campaign process is always better when there is a full slate of candidates from all parties. Debating issues and choosing candidates based on experience, style, and platform for the future is the American Way.”

“I am pleased to have an opponent during this election cycle,” he continued. “The head-to-head race for the Chief Elected Official will give voters in East Lyme a chance to review the accomplishments my team and I have achieved over the past five years.”

m.biekert@theday.com