Fairfield First Selectman-Elect Bill Gerber Names His Transition Team

FAIRFIELD, CT — First Selectman-elect Bill Gerber and Selectwoman-elect Christine Vitale announced their bipartisan transition team on Wednesday, comprised of nine members from the Fairfield community with both public and private sector experience.

Gerber, a Democrat, won election to Fairfield's top office in a close vote over incumbent Republican Brenda Kupchick, and the team will assist the new administration in recruiting key personnel, ensuring a smooth transition of power, and focusing on critical municipal operations like the annual budget.

Both Gerber and Vitale will be sworn into office during a ceremony on Nov. 27.

"Christine and I ran on a commitment to bring greater collaboration and a new approach to how we confront the challenges facing Fairfield," Gerber said in a statement. "To bring that vision to fruition, we have selected Fairfield residents from the public and private sector, from both sides of the aisle and from state as well as municipal government who have stepped up to help us develop an administration that can hit the ground running. Together, this team will help my administration recruit and attract talented leaders to critical positions within our government who will deliver on that commitment."

Added Vitale, "We are encouraged by the enthusiasm we have seen from so many in our town who want to volunteer to help our administration get off to a strong start. Addressing some of our town's most unique challenges will require considerable analysis, deep managerial experience, and a willingness to collaborate. Our transition team will help find some of the best and brightest individuals to deliver the best quality government to the people of Fairfield."

The transition team includes:

• Christine Brown: Christine is currently a member of Fairfield's Representative Town Meeting. She brings a career at IBM, which includes leadership and management roles, to the transition team. Christine has also served as Local Leader with Moms Demand Action (a national gun violence prevention group) and in President and VP roles on town PTAs.

• Lori Charlton: Lori currently serves as the Chair of Fairfield's Board of Finance and brings over 35 years of private sector executive experience, most recently as a partner at Deloitte.

• Chris DeWitt: For the last 30 years, Chris has worked as a business development professional in the aerospace and aviation fields. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Fairfield University, an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and is a veteran of the USAF. He has been a member of the American Legion Post 143 in Fairfield for 10 years, serving as its Commander for the last 3 years. Chris is also a 16-year member of the BOF.

• Sunila Fadl: Sunila has a MBA in finance and more than 15 years of experience in the banking industry, and currently manages lending and credit risk at Citizens Bank. Sunila has also served as a PTA volunteer for Burr Elementary School.

• Cheryl Jones: Cheryl has worked in municipal government for 30 years, initially as the Director of Human Services, and currently as the Director of Human Resources in New Canaan for the past 20 years. In her current role, she helps negotiate union contracts, serves as the town’s Risk Manager, and works closely with the Board of Selectmen, Town Council, and BOF.

• State Representative Jennifer Leeper (D-132): State Representative Jennifer Leeper, serving her second term, is the Vice Chair of the Education Committee and a member of the Commerce Committee and Human Services Committee in the Connecticut General Assembly. An advocate for education, Rep. Leeper previously worked in the Performance Office at the Connecticut State Department of Education and as a school administrator in New York City. Before being elected to the General Assembly, served on Fairfield’s Board of Education.

• Nancy Lefkowitz: Nancy has served as a member of the Fairfield Board of Selectmen since 2019, after previously serving on the RTM. She is the Executive Vice President of Artist Relations and Special Events for the Tribeca Festival. Nancy also co-founded March for Change, a gun-violence prevention advocacy organization that helped pass the strongest package of gun-violence prevention legislation of any state in the country in 2013.

• State Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D-133): State Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey, serving in her fifth term, co-chairs the General Assembly’s Public Health Committee and is a member of the Transportation, Planning and Development and Government Administration and Elections Committees. Cristin previously served as a Selectman, and was RTM Minority leader. A social worker, she was also a founding member of Fairfield CARES Community Coalition and remains involved in its leadership.

• Phil Pires: Phil is a Principal at the law firm of Cohen and Wolf, P.C. in Bridgeport. Phil’s legal practice focuses on municipal law and commercial litigation. He is listed in BestLawyers in America, Connecticut SuperLawyers, Benchmark Litigation, and holds an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Phil previously served on the Fairfield RTM for six years, including two years as Moderator. He presently serves as the Chairman of the Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District, a special taxing district composed of property owners in Downtown Bridgeport.

Gerber and Vitale said they will announce executive office personnel in the coming days.