Darryl E. Thames, Sr. Running For Manchester Town Clerk

MANCHESTER, CT — Democrat Darryl E. Thames, Sr., 58, is running for Town Clerk in Manchester.

Occupation: Politician

Experience: I have been on the Board of Education in Manchester since 2012, became Board Secretary in 2017 and have been the Chairman of the Board of Education since 2018. I have made significant contributions on the state/local levels of government and have experience with Community Based Organizations in the nonprofit sector as well. As a grants administrator for Danbury and Hartford Public Schools, I matched state, federal and private funding sources to develop and implement programs to meet the social, academic, health and safety needs of students. As Grants and Contracts Manager for the City of Hartford and the State Department of Social Services I managed RFP development and contracting to award funds to community based organizations and non-profits. As COO of Urban League I managed the day-to-day program operations, administered policies and procedures, and directed the implementation of performance/outcome based program management. I supervised, coached, disciplined, evaluated and set goals for 18 employees in four departments, including Director of Adult Education, Director of Youth Education, Director of Workforce Development and Training, and the Director of Economic Enrichment.

Board and Foundation Affiliations

· Leader – Manchester Repurpose Schools Committee

· Manchester Scholarship Foundation

· Cheney Foundation

· SMARTR Committee

· Founding Member of Sports and Medical Sciences Academy of Hartford

· Co-Chair, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving - Black Giving Circle Fund

· Co-Chair, Personnel and Finance Committee - Manchester Board of Education

These experiences and affiliations are invaluable to developing budgets, organizational strategies, financial resources and relationships to support and enhance the quality of service in the Town Clerk’s Office.

Family in government: Glendowlyn Thames - Deputy Commissioner, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of DECD, Dyshawn Thames - Supervisor/Trainer, DCF Joshua Hall - State Representative and Deputy Speaker

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

The single most pressing issue facing our town is re-imagining education and commerce in the midst of the COVID epidemic.

I intend to maintain an environment that is safe — using the guidance from the CDC and state and local health departments to conduct the business of the Town Clerk's Office. This means adherence to mandates and protocols, but this is not the only mitigation that should be undertaken. The Office must safely facilitate greater access to services online and be creative in developing new ways to bring the services to residents and other entities that draw upon the myriad of activities undertaken by the Office.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I don't believe in the politics of hate and reject any opportunity to make disparaging comments about my opponent. I am committed to the prioritization of People over Politics!

Allow me to introduce myself. I was birthed to parents who fled the cotton fields of the agrarian South to reap the rewards of industrialization in the North during the Great Migration. Growing up in a housing project in North Hartford, separated from the affluent by a train track secured by fences on both sides, I was groomed to work hard in and out of the classroom and go to college so that I could cross those tracks and positively influence the lives of others.

As a first generation college graduate with a degree from Howard University in Political Science, I have gravitated towards vocations that improved the lives of families, children and communities. I have worked for state and local government for 25 years in positions that were geared to provide resources, both financial and human, to improve social, academic and economic outcomes for people.

My leadership and public service acumen were honed as Chair of the Manchester Board of Education, Chief Operating Officer of the Urban League, Co-chair of the Hartford Foundation's – Black Giving Circle Fund, Leader on the Repurposed School Committee and SMARTR school renovation committee. Currently, I am on the board of the Manchester Scholarship Foundation and I am a former member of the Cheney Foundation. I worked at the City of Hartford, Danbury and Hartford Public Schools and the State Department of Social Services and have first-hand experience and depth of understanding relative to bureaucracy and the dexterity required to be successful in a bureaucratic environment.

I am deeply woven into the fabric of this community as a 30-year resident. I will bring my dedication, work ethic, professional experiences and strong desire to facilitate people, programs and policy to the office of Town Clerk. I pledge to remove any literal or symbolic train tracks or fences that create a chasm between the people of Manchester and high quality service. I will build on the Manchester tradition of a professional, friendly, and customer service oriented Town Clerk's Office.

Accomplishments:

As Chairman of the Board of Education I oversaw the renovation and reconstruction of our school system. I led us through COVID and ensured every child had a computer and internet access. I also promoted stronger relationships between schools and board members through the Board Liaison initiative. As a board, we were able to develop budgets that resulted in no tax increases for the last two years, but provided students with all the resources needed to propel through hybrid and remote educational settings.

I have written and won millions of dollars in grant funds from state, local and corporate funders and will bring this skill to the office to reduce the financial burden of the tax paying public and continue the modernization of the Town Clerk's Office.

As COO of Urban League I managed the day-to-day program operations, administered policies and procedures, directed the implementation of performance/outcome based program management. Evaluated effectiveness of programs and services. Monitored all phases of human resource administration. Supervised, coached, disciplined, evaluated and set goals for 18 employees, including Director of Adult Education, Director of Youth Education, Director of Workforce Development and Training, and and the Director of Economic Enrichment. .