Patch Candidate Profile: Brigid Guertin, Danbury Board of Education

DANBURY, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Danbury and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Danbury Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Executive director of Danbury Museum and Danbury historian Brigid Guertin, 48, is running for re-election to the Danbury Board of Education as a Democrat. Her husband Gary is a lieutenant in the Danbury Police Department, and the couple have three boys attending Danbury schools.

Why are you seeking this office?

For the opportunity to serve the Danbury community in a way that continues to promote progress and the financial, cultural, and physical growth of the district - expanding opportunities for our children and supporting the great work of our educators.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Financial support of the school district in a way that maintains and promotes district growth. I will continue my advocacy of higher funding levels and work with BOE members to see that our students, educators and community have the financial support they need to succeed.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I believe there is more that connects us than divides us. Although we all approach advocacy through different perspectives, I believe that as a collective we can all work together to help our community succeed.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I believe strongly that Danbury needs a long term plan, jointly agreed upon by the BOE and the City Council and Office of the Mayor, to address the burgeoning sites and facilities issues with our aging school infrastructure.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

For more than two decades I’ve been a community volunteer. My most recent and related volunteer experience, as a member of the City POCD committee, and the two years of work related to that effort, prepared me well for the complexities of policy, finance and management -all part of BOE responsibilities.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Speak your truth!

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I believe in the strength of our Danbury community. Pulling together, advocating for the present, and for our future, while respecting the work of countless generations of volunteers is how I approach the thoughtful work of continuing to build opportunities for success for our students, our staff and our community!