Old Lyme Democrats tap school board member for first selectman candidate
Old Lyme — The Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee on Wednesday announced a slate of candidates running on a platform of transparency and accountability led by current regional school board member Martha H. Shoemaker.
Shoemaker, 62, on Thursday said she is running with Jim Lampos, the Democratic selectman candidate, to bring "a breath of fresh air" to local government.
"I think the most important thing is that government in Town Hall is for every single resident of the town of Old Lyme, so all voices need to be heard," Shoemaker said.
She retired as a teacher in Waterford in 2017 and is employed as a purchasing agent at the local engineering firm FiberQA. She has served as president of the Waterford Federation of Classroom Teachers, executive vice president for American Federation of Teachers - Connecticut, and on the Connecticut Advisory Council for Teacher Professional Standards.
Shoemaker is the current chairman of the Friends of the Library for the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library and is involved with the Lyme-Old Lyme Prevention Coalition. She is also a past president of Lyme-Old Lyme school system's Friends of Music program.
She is running for both first selectman and the Region 18 Board of Education.
Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Christine Gianquinto said Lampos, 59, served on the Sound View Improvements Committee that coordinated the construction of new sidewalks and other amenities on lower Hartford Avenue, and is serving on the committee overseeing the extension of those sidewalks to Shore Road. He is an alternate on the Planning Commission.
Lampos, with his wife, Michaelle Pearson, has written several books on local history.
Democratic Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal, 64, will not be running for the seat she's held since 2011. Instead, she'll seek a spot on the Zoning Commission.
"I chose not to run for the Board of Selectmen because I believe it's time for new ideas and qualified individuals to serve. I think I've had a great run in ten years and it's time for new, enthusiastic, exceptionally qualified people who the Old Lyme DTC endorsed and I fully support," she said.
Gianquinto said the candidates, who were endorsed by DTC members at a nominating meeting last Wednesday, are qualified to lead the town as it looks toward the future.
"They all believe in transparency and accountability in government and they will listen, communicate and advocate for good, equitable and fiscally responsible policy," she said.
The full Democratic slate includes Shoemaker for first selectman; Lampos for selectman; Anna S. Reiter, Bradley Mock and Kim Russell Thompson for Board of Finance; Sarah E. Michaelson and Katherine Thuma for Board of Finance alternate; Shoemaker, Alexander Lowry, Jason L. Kemp and Marisa Calvi-Rogers for the regional Board of Education; Nosal and Maria Martinez for Zoning Commission; Lampos and Rob McCarthy for Planning Commission; Kip Kotzan and Russell Fogg for Zoning Board of Appeals; Kathleen Tracy for Zoning Board of Appeals alternate and George C. Finley for Board of Assessment Appeals.
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