Meet Janet Cushman, Enfield's New Board of Education Member

ENFIELD, CT — A relative unknown with no prior experience in holding public office was tabbed Tuesday night by the Enfield Town Council to fill a vacant seat on the Board of Education.

Janet Cushman, who has lived with her husband and five children in southern Enfield for more than 25 years, was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Wendy Costa, who resigned last fall and moved out of town.

Several council members stated at Tuesday's meeting they knew very little about Cushman, so Patch took some time Thursday afternoon to meet one-on-one with the new board member at, appropriately, the children's room of the Enfield Public Library.

After growing up in the Storrs area, she earned college degrees in elementary and deaf education.

"I enjoyed working at a school for the deaf, but when we started to have our children, it was an easy decision to lay down my career and be a stay-home mom," she said. "Within the first year of the birth of my first son, I learned about home schooling through a program on Focus On the Family. That was so intriguing to me, it sounded like an exciting thing that I was a teacher that was going to be staying home to raise my children. That was something we really embraced and enjoyed."

Cushman got involved with a program called the Enfield Together Coalition, an organization established to assess the extent of substance use in Enfield, and to develop ways to reduce the use of alcohol and other drugs by Enfield youth.

"I really enjoyed working with that group, planning youth events," she said. "As my oldest were graduating, I started thinking about my next season of life."

Town Councilor Lori Unghire, who worked with Cushman with the youth group, contacted her to see if she would be interested in applying for the vacant school board post. Cushman agreed to throw her hat into the ring.

"Janet will be an excellent addition to the Enfield Board of Education," Unghire told Patch. "Her experience, good judgment and warm demeanor make her a valuable asset to the board. The town of Enfield is fortunate to have her."

"I've really enjoyed serving the community, and was looking for new opportunities to serve," Cushman said. "This is another opportunity to invest in our community. I want to be part of a team that's willing to invest and do what's best for the kids in our community."

She said she looks forward to the challenge of taking on such a highly responsible position.

"I know I have a lot to learn, so there will be a good deal of time really getting to know those that I'm serving with," she said. "I feel like it's an honor to be part of this."

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