Glastonbury Candidate Profiles 2019: Town Council Democrats

GLASTONBURY, CT — Glastonbury's election season is heating up, and there are plenty of contested races with candidates eager to represent their town in November's municipal election. Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns, and has been publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Town Council Democrats

Jake McChesney

I am a former Connecticut prosecutor, and have previously worked in private practice and at Pratt & Whitney. I currently practice litigation as an Assistant Attorney General. Through my education and professional experiences, I have learned to respect diverse opinions, carefully analyze issues from multiple perspectives, and engage in thoughtful discussions on challenging topics. My family set roots in Glastonbury for its excellent schools, open spaces and small-town feel. Maintaining these qualities while wisely managing town finances to ensure a fair and reasonable tax burden for our citizens will define our success. I strongly believe in the power of public service and the need to give back to one’s community. It has been an honor to serve the people of Glastonbury on Town Council. I am running for another term to continue my focus on affordability for working families while preserving the assets that make our town an attractive place to live.

Mary LaChance

I am a Sr. IS Director at Travelers Insurance where I manage IT budgets and work
efforts. I currently serve on the Town Council and previously served on the Zoning
Board of Appeals in another town. I moved to Glastonbury about 10 years ago with my
husband and 2 boys. We are members of First Church of Glastonbury. I run the FIRST
LEGO League program for the Glastonbury Robotics and Engineering Club, and I am a
mentor of the high school robotics team.

Larry Niland

Currently I serve as the Vice Chairman of the Town Council. I am a 25-year resident of
Glastonbury with my wife, Nicole, and our two children, Jack and Alex. Previously I have
served as Majority Leader of the Council and also on the town's Planning and Zoning
Commission. I have over 29 years of municipal experience in his time as an IT
Specialist for the Town of West Hartford and am also a graduate of Penn State
University. Additionally, I have spent multiple seasons coaching teams for Glastonbury
Hartwell Soccer and Glastonbury Little League. My goals throughout my time on Council have included providing responsible budgets, fiscal responsibility, quality education, social consciousness, and services that benefit everyone in town. We also need to do all that we can to protect the character of our town and have it continue to be among the most desirable locations in the state. It is imperative that we represent all of our residents and not just those with similar views or interests.

Deb Carroll

I hold a B.A. from Holy Cross and a M.A. in English Literature from Boston College.
After nearly two decades as a high school teacher, I’m now an adjunct faculty member
at Goodwin College. I am also the current majority leader on Glastonbury’s Town
Council, having been elected in 2017. My husband, Tom, and I, are parents to three
very active boys, and we have enjoyed every bit of our seven years in Glastonbury.

Tom Gullotta

I am the current chair of Town Council. In the 1980s I served two terms on the Board of
education and two terms on the Town Council as vice-chair before retiring. I returned to
public life roughly 8 years ago and am currently running for my 5th term. In a previous
life I was the CEO of a children's social service agency, taught in the state university
system for 40 plus years, and was an academic author / editor focused on adolescence
and mental health promotion. Currently, I am a farmer, bibliophile, and owner of a book
auction company that donates its profits to charity.

Matt Saunig

I live in East Glastonbury with my wife, Ellen, and corgi, Brendan. I currently serve on
the town plan and zoning commission and previously served on the ethics and public
buildings commissions. For the past two years, I have had the privilege of serving as the
chair of the Glastonbury Democratic Town Committee. I am a lawyer at the state
Department of Banking and previously practiced banking law at serval international and
national law firms. I received my B.A. from UConn and my J.D. cum laude from the
Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, where I also served as an
editor on the Law Review.