10 races to be decided by the Nov. 2 municipal election
Voters will have the opportunity to vote for 22 open seats. In the past, the Board of Selectmen race has caused some confusion. All five seats are open every two years but voters can only choose one candidate for First Selectman and two candidates from those running for the board. This year there are two candidates running for First Selectman and four candidates for Selectman. By state statute, the losing First Selectman candidate is added to the pool of candidates running for Selectman.
All candidates were invited to submit a brief bio and answer the question. What in your past experience makes you a good candidate for the office you seek?
Twenty of the 26 candidates responded.
No information was received from Erik T. Lohr, Margaret Q. Chapple, Eric Lukingbeal, Matt Peters, Thomas J. Caputi and Wayne E.Chapple.
First Selectman
One Opening 2-year term
(vote for one)
Val Eastwood – DEM
My husband and I have lived in Granby for five years and are delighted to be part of this terrific community. We have two adult sons who live in the Washington, DC area, and one dog, Murphy (who, as many of you know, was recently attacked by a bear here in Granby—and lived to tell the tale). I am a lawyer, mediator and businesswoman, and have practiced law more than 25 years. My husband is a minister at a church in West Springfield and I enjoy church activities, including serving on the Music Team. I am a member of Granby Lions Club and also serve as Treasurer of the recently formed Friends of Granby Wildflower Meadow.
Our Board of Selectmen and our town are changing—it’s up to us to make these changes meaningful. As an experienced attorney and businesswoman, I have spent my career tackling difficult business and regulatory problems and finding solutions. We need a BOS that is outward-facing and transparent, and that works together for the good of the town and its people. Our BOS must promptly take action when needed. As First Selectwoman, I will guide the BOS to be more responsive, agile and representative of our community and its goals. And I promise to work hard to listen to BOS members, our professional Town staff and YOU, the residents of Granby.
Mark Fiorentino – REP
My family and I moved to Granby from Las Vegas in 2009. My wife Kristal is a small business owner, yoga therapist and wellness coach. Our son Gage is pursuing a Master’s Degree at the University of Louisville. Our daughter, Ellie, is a sophomore at UConn. Both are proud graduates of Granby Memorial High School.
I am completing my eighth year on the Granby Board of Education. I have served as the board’s vice chairman the last four years. I am proud of the work we have done on the BOE, including keeping our schools open during the pandemic. My other public service includes Vice President, Friends of Holcomb Farm; Capital Program Priorities Advisory Committee; Kelly Lane School Building Committee; Granby Conservation Commission; Granby Plan of Conservation and Development Advisory Committee; Granby Representative to the Capital Area Education Council; Granby Travel Basketball Coach (Boys and Girls); Granby Recreational Basketball Coach (Boys and Girls); Granby Little League Coach; Granby Bears Football Volunteer and Granby Drummer monthly columnist.
Granby is a great place to live and we have a lot going for us. We need to work together to develop and implement a plan that both sustains our successes in a way that taxpayers will support; and capitalizes on them. I think my combination of work experience and record of service to Granby makes me best suited to lead our efforts.
I am a government affairs and land use lawyer, with 30 years of experience working with, and for, businesses and government entities at the local, regional, state and federal levels. My work has provided me with an extensive amount of experience building consensus among various diverse stakeholder groups. Building consensus is literally what I do for a living.
My initial priorities will include improving communications with town residents; and working collaboratively to establish a set of town-wide goals that recognize both the great things we have in Granby and those other things that we can improve upon.
Board of Selectmen
Four Openings 2-year term
(vote for any two)
Sally King – DEM
Sally is a New England native and a resident of Granby since 1984, having settled in the area in 1979 to start her career as a lawyer with the Hartford firm of Robinson and Cole, where she practiced as an associate and partner until 1993. She has served on the Granby Board of Selectmen since 1993.
As a member of the Board of Selectmen, Sally has worked to protect open space in Granby and has been a supporter of Holcomb Farm. Sally believes that, in a town of Granby’s size, it is important for our various boards and commissions to work together to preserve Granby’s rural character while maintaining excellence in education and providing necessary services for its citizens.
Sally and her Australian Shepherd therapy dogs are frequent visitors to the Granby schools and Bradley Airport.
I have served on the Granby Board of Selectmen since 1993. I am familiar with the issues that have faced our town and can draw on that long background to help Granby face similar issues in the future. I have recently been involved in the process of interviewing candidates and selecting our new Town Manager. This year’s election will be an important one, as three members of the Board of Selectmen are not running for re-election, and we will have a new Town Manager. I believe that my background and experience will be of great help in guiding our new Board and insuring continued good governance for our Town.
Fred Moffa – DEM
Fred is a native son who graduated from Granby High School in 1988. He went on to the University of Hartford and then the New England College of Optometry. Fred and his wife, Jennifer, a pharmacist and also lifelong Granby resident, raised their three children in Granby. All three attended the Granby schools where they received an excellent education that prepared them for higher education and rewarding careers.
In August 2000 Fred founded Granby Family Eye Care, where he provides comprehensive eye care to Granby and the surrounding communities. As a small business owner providing health care, Fred hears from Granby residents every day about their concerns, joys, and appreciation for life in a small town. He is a frequent “pick up” basketball player in town, and enjoys hikes with his dog Sharlet, on Granby’s open space trails.
Fred brings a unique perspective and qualifications to his run for the Board of Selectmen. Fred, who lives in and owns a small business in Granby, feels the daily impact of the decisions the town makes on the mill rate, replacing bridges, clearing snow, and keeping the schools strong and safe. He served on the Board of Finance for more than 15 years, helping to craft the flat mill rate budgets during the economic downturn in 2007 and most recently, during the uncertain economic times due to the Covid pandemic. Fred understands the competing interests of providing needed services and responding to tax payers. He has worked to successfully pass bond measures to improve the schools’ capital needs, purchase open space, and improve pedestrian access to the center with more sidewalks.
On the Board of Selectmen, Fred will provide vision and knowledge of Granby to help impact the Town’s direction and future. As a town we will have to choose how to upgrade our communication infrastructure, rethink our waste and recycling choices, and lessen our impact on our environment. As a science minded, small business owner who served on the Board of Finance, Fred will lead Granby through these choices.
Mark Neumann – REP
Mark is a native son of Granby and is grateful to find a home here with his wife Karen.
He is committed to giving back to the community and has dedicated time and resources to a number of organizations, including the Granby Land Trust and Granby Cemetery Inc.
Mark is an Engineer at Collins Aerospace with 25 years of experience in support projects for the International Space Station program.
Mark is completing his ninth term on the Granby Board of Selectman. His other public service includes the Granby Board of Selectman, Granby Board of Assessment Appeals, Town Constable, Town Owned Land Use Committee, Capital Program Priorities Advisory Committee, and the Kearns School Study Committee.
I was born and raised in Granby. My family, neighbors, and friends looked out for me as I grew up. The Granby school system educated me from 1st through 12th grade and prepared me for a fine college education and my first job, but when an opportunity to work locally arrived, I happily moved back to Granby.
The people, and more generally the town, supported me when I was young. When I came home it was my time to give back to the town. Granby is blessed with many citizens who give back to the community through school, civic and church organizations. I choose to give back to Granby by serving on its boards, commissions, and committees. Most of my time has been on the Board of Selectmen where I have followed a fiscally conservative approach to meeting Granby’s needs while planning for the future growth of the town. I am asking for your vote this election so I can continue making Granby a better place for everyone to live and prosper.
Kelly O’Meara Rome – REP
I grew up in Granby and returned with my husband Randy, to raise our two sons. Tyler is pursuing his Ph.D. at Georgia Tech, and Bryan, is a senior at Westfield State University. I hold a BA in Economics from UConn and an MBA in Organizational Development from the University of Hartford. I am currently the Head of Product and Portfolio Management for Prudential Retirement, where I lead a multi-faceted team charged with setting product strategy and driving execution.
I believe strongly in giving back to the community where I work and live. I currently serve on the board of Junior Achievement in Hartford, where I chair its Investment and Pension Committees. In Granby, I have served eight years on the Board of Finance and currently serve as Vice-Chair. Before joining the Board of Finance, I served eight years on Granby’s Zoning Board of Appeals. I held several other not-for-profit board and volunteer positions for the PTO, Granby Rovers, Simsbury Youth Hockey, and Labrador Retriever Club of the Pioneer Valley.
I believe my past corporate, not-for-profit, and municipal roles have prepared me well to serve as a Selectman. In addition, growing up, I was active in sports and learned the importance of teamwork, communication, and finding common ground. These skills have served me well in public and private sectors in leading large teams and projects. While on the Board of Finance, I gained deep insight into the town’s finances and helped drive flat mill rates for the past two years.
My top three priorities are: modernizing how the town communicates to residents; keeping the quaint small town rural feel of Granby that attracts so many people to our great town; and finding innovative ways to increase revenue to lessen the tax burden on residents. I am excited to serve in a new capacity and look forward to connecting with town residents, hearing their thoughts on how to continue making our town the best town in the valley!
BOARD OF FINANCE
Three Openings 4-year Term
(vote for any three)
Jenny Emery – DEM
A native of Wisconsin with strong mid-western values, Jenny met her future husband, Dave, in college, and followed him back to the Farmington Valley. In 1981 they discovered Granby and rented part of an old farmhouse across from Holcomb Farm, where she now volunteers as Executive Director. Since 1992 she has resided in North Granby—the “old Kellogg Place” now known as Emery Farm. This is where they raised and launched their three kids—all proud graduates of Granby Public Schools, where the five (so far) grandkids love to visit, and where she and Dave plan to stay to the bitter end.
After retiring from a career in local government risk management, Jenny agreed to serve on the Granby BOE, and is now in her tenth year, including the past six as its Finance Committee chairperson. She also serves as its liaison to the Granby Education Foundation.
Jenny believes the Board of Finance can and should be a stronger force for collaboration among Granby’s town boards and throughout the region, and a more engaged communicator with the public. That is why she is asking for your vote.
Jenny’s entire 40-year professional career involved local government risk management and finance. As Risk and Benefits Manager in West Hartford in the early 80’s, she helped launch CIRMA, an insurance pool that Granby benefits from to this day. In ensuing years, through various corporate leadership positions, her passion was her pioneering work with thousands of towns, schools, counties, and states across the U.S., as they collaborated in “risk pools” estimated to have collectively saved billions of taxpayer dollars.
Since retiring, this experience and expertise has been re-focused on Granby, notably through her 10 years on the BOE. Her deep understanding of Granby’s finances, coupled with her love of the place and its people, is best channeled, now, through the Board of Finance. She promises to give to the BOF what she has given to all she has done: clear communication, expert-informed analysis, pragmatic and strategic vision, transparent actions, and passion for the people served.
Jim Lofink – DEM
Jim and his family chose Granby in 2005 because of its great schools, farms, open spaces and mix of rural and residential character. With community and public service as central themes in his life. Jim has kept those core values foremost in his mind as he has served Granby in many capacities, including five years on the Board of Selectmen. Jim has also served on the Town Charter Revision Commission, the Plan of Conservation and Development Committee, two building committees, the Senior Center accreditation team and on several community organizations and clubs.
Jim is a US Army veteran, UConn graduate, former vice president of a Connecticut manufacturing company and currently teaches at the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business. Jim’s Hidden Acre Vineyard grows grapes for making white wine, and he enjoys the out-of-doors and working on anything mechanical—including his MGB and VW bus.
After 15 years in Granby public service, I have learned a lot about Granby values. And I believe I have shown, through my actions, that I believe in listening, teaming, and moving forward to community consensus and action. I also gained a deep understanding of how Granby functions, and how to influence the decisions of a public board. Most importantly, perhaps, I have gained immeasurable knowledge about the views of our residents and business owners through many public hearings and neighbor-to-neighbor discussions throughout the six-month-long Charter Revision Commission, the two-and-half year process of building a Plan of Conservation and Development and five years serving on the Board of Selectman. Our residents want us to be very planful about our financial future and avoid the wild up/down swings of many other Connecticut towns. On the Board of Finance, I plan to maintain Granby’s strong fiscal position and invest in the values we all hold dear in Granby—our education, our safety, and our roads and bridges. Quality of life is important to us, as are town services such as libraries, parks, and senior/youth centers. I believe we can do that, while stabilizing our financial future.
Dave Roberts – DEM
Connecticut native Dave Roberts is a retired businessman now dedicating his time to his family, church and serving the Granby community. His love of history led him to join the Salmon Brook Historical Society where he serves as secretary of its board of directors. His commitment to preserving our quality of life led to his appointment to the Granby Conservation Commission where he was recently elected chairman and his service as a Granby Justice of the Peace. Dave is active in his local church as a Sunday school coordinator. In 2020, Dave was appointed to represent Lions Clubs International’s 1.4 million members on the United Nations’ Council of Organizations. He has volunteered at many of his six children’s Granby schools and he is on the leadership team of the Granby Men’s Breakfast Group. Dave and his family reside in West Granby and are certified service dog home handlers.
Experience matters! As a former appointed advisor to both a Republican and Democratic U.S. President, Dave knows how to work collaboratively with those holding differing viewpoints. As a former financial analyst for the U.S. Air Force at the Pentagon and overseas, and a former professional aide on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee, Dave understands the impacts of state and federal budgets and how local communities can leverage outside funds.
As a former corporate executive and a small business owner, Dave has the right public and private sector budget experience to successfully serve as a member on the Board of Finance. With a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in public financial management and as a former elected official for over 12 years in another community, Dave has over four decades of directly relevant experience analyzing and overseeing financial matters to make critical recommendations. He understands how to balance competing community priorities to preserve Granby’s quality of life under tight fiscal constraints. His outgoing personality and strong work ethic have made him a key leader in a number of local organizations and his strengths make him an ideal candidate to serve on our Board of Finance. Experience matters!
James Tsaptsinos – REP
James and his family moved to Granby from Long Island, N.Y. in 2012. James is a vice president of Global Sales in the musical instrument industry with a strong background in planning and finance. James is a volunteer who has served on the Granby Recreational Services Board and was elected to the Board of Finance two years ago. In addition, he volunteers as a Youth Sports Coach for lacrosse, baseball, basketball and soccer. He is a proud Freemason who enjoys the philanthropic activities as well as the history of the organization.
James’ wife Jessica, is a paralegal and executive administrator. Jessica volunteers her time as president of the Granby PTO and serves as head of the fundraising committee. Their son Demetrios is in 4th grade at Wells Road School and participates in Granby Rec Basketball, Granby Little League and Granby Rovers.
The Tsaptsinos family has actively served the community for over five years. It is their belief that it takes the whole community to participate in the Granby experience and they look forward to many more years of volunteering and creating a better life for all our residents.
My priorities at the macro level are driven by our residents. I believe that as an elected board member my support for processes and initiatives needs to be primarily reflective of our neighbors wants and needs over my personal opinions.
As a Recreational Services Board member, I helped drive community gatherings, striving to bring all residents together inclusively. As a Board of Finance member, I am proud that through the budgeting process we have ensured the town’s and school board’s needs were provided for, while delivering a zero percent tax increase for our residents for the past two years. I will continue to be accessible to communicate information regarding current projects and listen to all resident’s feedback on any subjects pertinent to the town.
Al Wilke – REP
After an extensive search, my wife Helen and I made Granby our home and we have been proud residents for over three decades. Helen has dedicated many years to the care of horses and my daughter Michelle attended college and pursued equestrian activities. My professional career with General Electric included a variety of businesses and locations. I also held senior management positions at the Travelers in Hartford. My career has provided me with a broad overview of how successful organizations plan, budget, raise revenue and control expenses—all of which has been invaluable in my service to the citizens of Granby.
My work on behalf of Granby includes over 18 years on the Granby Board of Finance, President of Holcomb Farm Learning Center and the co-chair of a successful capital campaign to support the farm’s infrastructure, being instrumental in bringing the YMCA to Granby and serving as its president, member of the GMHS Building Committee and Kearns School Utilization Committee, member of the Granby Education Foundation, heading the local United Way Budgets and Admissions Committee, and a driver for the Senior Center’s van. I was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Granby Chamber of Commerce in 2008.
Most Granby residents would agree that our town is a great place to live, great place to raise and educate our children, and finally, to enjoy our “golden years.”
As a member of the Board of Finance, I know how to get the maximum value from every tax dollar expended because we have developed a strategic and disciplined methodology to budgeting, expenditures and financial accountability. We have made the prudent investments in our town that will pay handsome dividends for decades to come. The ability to meet the town’s needs without raising taxes the past two years demonstrates the effectiveness of our strategies. You have my commitment to keep taxes affordable, and I pledge to serve with integrity to meet the interests and needs of the citizens of Granby.
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Three Openings 4-year term
(vote for three)
Monica Logan – DEM
Monica Logan moved to the Farmington Valley in 2003 and she and her husband chose Granby to raise their family in 2016. They have two young sons who attend Kelly Lane Primary School. As a healthcare attorney, Monica worked at Chubb Insurance rising to AVP and Senior Claims Technician. She was active in Chubb’s community outreach committee and served as Chair for two years. She currently works for The Doctors Company Specialty Underwriters.
Since moving to Granby, she has been active in the community. She joined the Democratic Town Committee in 2018 and has served on the Economic Development Commission since 2019. Recently, she was appointed to the newly formed Affordable Housing Commission. She is a founding member and serves on the steering committee of Granby Racial Reconciliation, a group of local religious and town leaders focused on fostering honest and open communication and solutions regarding racial reconciliation.
Monica Logan strongly believes that a robust education system helps our community in endless ways – from providing opportunities and guidance for our children to the value of our homes to the health of our community. One of her greatest strengths, honed through years of negotiations, is her ability to listen to different opinions and try to structure a solution from varying thoughts. She has so much appreciation for this community and is proud to raise her children here. As a parent, attorney, and strong supporter of the best education we can provide to our children, she will offer a listening ear and strong voice for our community.
She considers a diverse education to be the biggest foundation for our children to live happy and successful lives. She is passionate about the importance of education and how it impacts every student. As a high school student, she was fortunate to have two devoted and influential educators guide her path in life. The impact was enormous and genuine. Each student should be given the opportunity to find the path and skills that give them the most life satisfaction.
Donna Nolan – REP
Donna Nolan has lived in Granby for over 10 years with her husband, Terry, and their children Tim (GMHS class of 2018), Maria (GMHS class of 2020) and John (GMHS class of 2023). Donna received her BA in political science from Rutgers College in 1991 and her JD from Seton Hall School of Law in 1994. Donna practiced environmental litigation for over 12 years. She retired from the law when she moved to Connecticut in 2006.
Since moving to Connecticut, Donna has been active in her church, St. Mary’s in Simsbury. She taught fitness classes at the Farmington Valley YMCA for almost 10 years. She has been a soccer coach (St. Mary’s and Granby Rovers) and a member of the Granby Memorial High School Football Supporters. She was a substitute teacher for Kelly Services for the past two years where she was a long-term sub at GMHS last year. Donna recently accepted a full-time teaching position at St. Mary’s School. Donna is especially passionate about the need to encourage and foster proficiency in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to make Granby students more competitive in our technological world.
As a lawyer, I bring my writing, legal and people skills to the board. As an educator, I bring my knowledge and understanding of the importance of an education that works for all. We need to educate and prepare our students to be well-rounded, educated, socially conscious, self-sufficient members of society. I uniquely appreciate that this looks difference for everyone. I have raised students in Granby who have gone on to college. I also have a current student at the high school and a nephew that my husband and I steered into a machinist program where he could best utilize his technical skills. Finally, I am a Granby taxpayer who manages a household. As such, I desire to see Granby provide the best education for our students while being fiscally responsible.
Whitney Sanzo – DEM
Whitney Sanzo is a long-time area resident who grew up in Hartland and has resided in Granby since 2009. She is a mom to seven children who all attend Granby schools and is a former Director of Operations at a utility company.
Whitney’s unique experience gives her the ability to get things done. She has a history of working with a team approach to produce optimum outcomes while remaining within policy, ensuring safety, and minding a budget. She has also served the community as a Girl Scout Leader, a member of the Granby Community Fund, the Granby Education Foundation, Connecticut Association for Foster and Adoptive Families, and on the Connecticut Regional Advisory Council for DCF. She makes an excellent candidate who would serve Granby proudly.
Whitney and her husband have been foster and adoptive parents for the last 11 years with at least 30 children finding safety in their home. In doing this, she has learned how to tirelessly advocate not just for her children, but all children in her care to ensure their health, wellness and educational needs were being met. With children in grade K-9, she has a firsthand understanding of how early intervention and robust curriculum enabled her children to succeed and explore different passions that can lead to success in higher education, trades, internships, or agriscience.
While passionate about education and children, her drive and organizational skills come from her degree and expertise in management. As director of operations of a local water utility, Whitney handled day to day operations as well as ensured compliance with various entities such as the Health Department, DEEP, and the board of directors while staying within budget. Her professional experience planning and executing on budget as well as complying with regulatory oversight are all skills that would translate well on the BOE.
If elected, she would offer a unique combination of skills as a dynamic board member accessible to all.
Sarah Thrall – REP
My husband, Spencer, and I moved to Granby in 2006 with our young children. While I was born, raised and educated in Maine, the Thrall family has been in Connecticut for over 375 years where they continue to farm the same land in Windsor since they settled there 12 generations ago. We chose to raise our family in Granby because of the quality of the schools and the small-town character of this close-knit community. It has been a perfect fit.
In addition to serving on the Granby Board of Education for the past four years —I am currently the Chair— some of my service to our community includes the Farmington Valley YMCA, Granby Education Foundation, Good Company Theater, Valley Pre-School, Granby Little League, Junior Achievement, Granby PTO and PAC, and as host to French and Spanish exchange students. I also served as a Registrar of Voters and continue to volunteer on Election Day.
I believe I am a good candidate to continue serving on the Granby Board of Education because not only is my background in Education, having earned my degree in Psychology and Education from Bowdoin College, but my five children have been educated in the Granby Public Schools, with students currently at GMHS and GMMS. My two GMHS graduates consistently remark on how well-prepared they were for college. My goal is to ensure that all of Granby’s students are prepared for success after graduation: for career, college, military, or whatever path they may take.
I am proud of the accomplishments the Granby BOE has made during my first term; we’ve hired an outstanding superintendent, kept a flat budget for the past two years, approved projects that will improve our school buildings and facilities, developed a Vision of the Graduate, and begun a strategic plan that focuses on student learning and achievement, equity, and fiscal responsibility. However, I am most proud that Granby was one of only a few districts that opened to full in-person learning during the pandemic.
PLANNING and ZONING
COMMISSION
Three Openings 4-year term
(vote for any three)
Eric Myers – REP
Eric has lived in Granby for more than 38 years. He and his wife Mary raised their three children in Granby and their youngest is still in GMHS. Eric is a graduate of the University of Hartford with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. He works at the Hartford Insurance Group and will celebrate his 30-year work anniversary in 2022.
Eric has served on the Conservation Commission and the Planning and Zoning Commission as both an alternate and full member. Eric’s other interests include working on his 200-plus year-old home, gardening and being a licensed commercial rotorcraft and private airplane pilot.
I have lived in Granby for nearly my entire life and I’ve seen the town grow and change first hand. I understand the town’s needs and how the ever-changing environment impacts those needs. I grew up in a construction family and have strong skills related to land use and building. My service on several town commissions has further helped me to understand the needs of the landowners and business owners in town.
I want to serve because I’ve lived in Granby for most of my life, I’m passionate about landowner’s rights, and Granby has given my family what we’ve needed to be successful. My service to the town allows me to give back to the community, and by sharing my time and experience on Planning and Zoning, I hope to help the town continue on its path of prosperity.
Zoning Board of Appeals
Two Openings 4-year term
(vote for any two)
Bob Lindeyer – REP
My parents moved to Connecticut from Holland in 1951 because of the great opportunities presented to them after the ravages of WWII. Needless to say, I am a first generation American. My parents instilled in me the virtue of participating in one’s community as well as a strong work ethic. These virtues extend to my participation in groups and in local government. It was important to always give back with humility and gratitude. This is the reason I joined the Zoning Board of Appeals in the late 1990s. I have learned quite a lot about our town and zoning rules. It is my opinion that the judgments made on each request is a balance of adherence to the zoning laws and the wishes of property owners to improve and or modify their land.
I grew up in Windsor, graduated from Loomis-Chaffee and attended the University of Hartford for my bachelor’s degree in biology. While at UH, I got a job at Hartford Hospital. I started in the lab and after six years transferred to the Radiation Oncology Department in 1983. I am now a clinical engineer responsible for the radiation treatment equipment. My job allows me to participate in helping people survive the devastation of a cancer diagnosis. It also has provided me an incredible opportunity to keep learning. Medical technology is always changing with new advances in diagnosis and treatment. I am proud to be a part of this. In total I have been at HH for 43 years.
Over the years, even with the gradual change in ZBA electees, I have been able to participate in many requests for a variance to the established rules. I have to say that the final decisions to either grant or deny a variance have all been unanimous, except for one. I believe that to be quite an astounding fact. It shows that the committee members share a similar perspective on the needs of the people of Granby.
Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate
Two Openings 4-year term
(vote for up to two)
William P. (Liam) O’Leary – REP
I emigrated from Ireland in 1967. I worked on a farm, training and riding horses, planting and harvesting hay and grain. In 1971, I was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation in 1975, I did an internship and one year of residency at New Bolton Center, the large animal hospital of the Veterinary School. In 1977, I joined Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital, where I worked as a large animal veterinarian for 38 years. I am now enjoying retirement in the wonderful rural town of Granby with my wife Jo. We have three adult daughters, Miriam, Niamh, and Keara, and four wonderful grandchildren.
I have extensive community service and leadership experience. I served on the school boards at St. Mary’s School in Simsbury and Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford. I chaired the Parents Development Committee at Northwest Catholic High School. I served on the board of Equistrides in Granby. Most recently, I served as an alternate on Granby Zoning Board of Appeals. I am seeking this position to help the residents of Granby meet their zoning needs, while ensuring that the zoning rules and regulations are respected.
Board of Assessment
Appeals
One Opening 4-year term
(vote for one)
Dorcus Forsyth – REP
Dorcus has resided in Granby since the age of 10. Her husband, Tom, and his family have lived in Granby for many generations. Dorcus and Tom both attended Granby schools and were members of the first graduating classes of Granby Memorial High School. They raised their family here and are now enjoying their retirement years. They have two sons who also reside in Granby with their families.
Dorcus retired from the Town of Granby in 2018 after 31 years serving as the Assistant Assessor.
Dorcus is a member of the Hartford Area Assessor’s Association, Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers, Volunteer for the Registrar’s Office for each election and town referendum, and past recording secretary for the Planning and Zoning Commission for 28 years.
As a Certified Assessor, I feel I can best represent the citizens as well as the Town of Granby, because of my knowledge and years of service.
Town Moderator
One Opening 2-year term
(vote for one)
John Adams – REP
John has been a resident of Granby since 1990. He and his wife Cindy raised two children in town. John has served as First Selectman, Selectman, Chairman of the Charter Revision Commission and as Vice Chairman of CPPAC. He is active statewide serving on the Board of the Material Innovation and Recycling Authority and the Board of Examiners of Environmental Professionals. John is a Senior Vice President at Tetra Tech. He is the Town Treasurer and is currently seeking his fourth term as Moderator.
My community service makes me well suited to continue as the Town Moderator.