Groton ― Dr. William Horgan, an emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine doctor at Backus Hospital in Norwich, has joined the Board of Education.

Horgan also is the regional medical director of quality and safety for Hartford HealthCare for the eastern region of the state, overseeing Windham and Backus hospitals.

The school board unanimously appointed Horgan, a Democrat, at its Sept. 12 meeting to fill the remainder of the term vacated after Katrina Fitzgerald, a Democrat, resigned in May. The term ends in Dec. 2023.

Horgan, 52, was the medical director of the school system’s COVID-19 vaccine clinics. He is also on the Board of Directors for Safe Futures, which provides care and resources for victims of domestic violence.

Horgan said he’s always looking for opportunities to make sure he’s doing the most he can for the community and when the school board opportunity came up, he thought it was perfect timing.

He said both of his children will soon graduate from Fitch High School, one is in 12th grade and the other is in 11th grade, so he will be unbiased and curious about what the board is doing and what the community needs, rather than having personal goals about what his children need.

“My perspective is what does the community need and how do we bring it to them?” Horgan said. “How do we make sure their voices are heard and what they need is understood by the board?”

In his job, Horgan said he always stresses with doctors the importance of listening. Similarly, he said his goal as a Board of Education member is to work on how the board communicates with the community, teachers, staff, and administration.

“My goal is to make sure that we are very transparent,” he said. “We’re authentic. We’re great listeners.”

Horgan added that he and his family love living in the diverse community where students from military families come from all over.

“We really like the diversity of the town,” he said. “It’s been a great place to live for us.”

Board Chair Kim Shepardson Watson said the board wanted to make sure it was pushing the net further out to get other people in the community involved.

The board published notifications to ask interested candidates to email a letter of interest to Shepardson Watson. Per the town’s charter, a vacancy on the Board of Education must by filled by a member of the same political party. The board interviewed four applicants, and all had interesting characteristics and could bring something to the board, but Horgan came out ahead, Shepardson Watson said.

“I think it’s a new voice,” Shepardson Watson said. “He does a lot in communications at his current job and quality assurance and to have that lens for the district is cool.”

k.drelich@theday.com