Patch Candidate Profile: Melissa Murray, Norwalk Common Council

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

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

Democrat Melissa Murray, 48, is a Norwalk resident running for the Common Council in District C.

Please give us your party affiliation.

Democrat and Working Families Party

Education

I am currently working on my M.A. in Family & Health Communication. My first M.A. is in Journalism. I began my career working in Constituent Relations for The Governor of Arizona in the late 90s. I later transitioned to Financial Services and worked in Marketing Communications. I began freelancing several years ago so I could attain my graduate degrees. After completing my education, I will teach at the college level and contribute research in Family & Health Communication.

What is your occupation?

Graduate Student and Former Marketing Communications Manager.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

My husband, David Murray. We've been together for 18 years.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

No

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I like the direction of Norwalk, and I want to be on the team that keeps our positive momentum alive. Norwalk has made great strides in expanding transparency, fostering equity, modernizing our city (both in terms of infrastructure and culture), and providing services that make our quality of life more comfortable for all. We still have more to do, and I want to be a champion for improving the health, quality of life, safety, and comfort of those in my district.

Some examples of issues important to me are protecting walkable spaces, increasing or enhancing outdoor community spaces, reducing traffic, and improving the flow so we can walk, cycle, and gather outdoors together.

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

I do not believe a Common Council Member's role should focus on a single issue, so I decline to pinpoint just one. I am not a special-interest candidate or a one-issue candidate. Good governance requires transparency while balancing the city's and our constituents' various daily needs. In a town as multi-faceted as ours, there are several important initiatives we can take to move our city into a positive future. I plan on working on all that I can with transparency, honesty, and integrity.

As a former communications professional, I believe the most pressing aspect of a Common Council Member's role is to be as responsive and open as possible. I plan to be accessible to the residents of my district and work on any community issues that arise with empathy and fairness while looking for research-backed solutions. As a student working on my second master's degree, with plans to attain my Ph.D., I am a voracious reader and researcher. I plan to use these critical thinking skills to seek the best solutions for my community whenever possible.

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

My current academic research in Family and Health Communication ensures I am uniquely suited to understand the quality of life needs of our citizens and that I am highly empathetic to their experiences. In addition, my former background in corporate marketing communications and financial services provides me with a balanced view of how we will accomplish our goals within our budget and time constraints. I am an excellent manager and researcher with a tireless work ethic.

As a communications professional, along with my running mate, Jenn McMurrer, we have many years of experience providing timely, accurate, and clear information to the public with transparency and integrity. We have often been complimented this campaign season for our accessibility to our neighbors, and I expect this communication partnership to continue for our District C neighbors if elected. As a Democrat, I believe in equity. I will support programs and services that lift up our whole community to ensure safety, prosperity, and good health for all.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

Community volunteers and Council Members work diligently to serve their community. I am not running against an incumbent, but I believe the differences between Council Members' approaches to issues are simply ideological. I thank each and every member of our community who steps us to serve. Even when I disagree, I would never characterize their work as a failure. I am committed to working collaboratively and respectfully with all the Council Members, regardless of party affiliation.

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

1)Increasing affordable homeownership for working families.
2)I support building a community pool and a second recreation center on the East side of the city.
3)More community benches and pathways and safe streets.
4)Ensuring the Norwalk Police's Behavioral Health Unit is well funded and staffed.
5)Fight to maintain convenient access to healthcare services within our neighborhoods, particularly as health networks consolidate services and offices.
6)Improving traffic flow.
7)Provide a district newsletter to my Wolfpit and East Norwalk District C neighbors so they have the most accurate, timely information possible.

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

1) I have extensive volunteering and community activism experience in Norwalk, including co-founding a volunteer collective advocating for health equity.

(2) I have lived in diverse cities before returning to Norwalk and have extensive global travels, which will help me formulate creative solutions when needed.

(3) I am constantly learning: I hold professional certificates in Social Impact Communication from Georgetown and a Certificate in Marketing Management from NYU.

(4) Although lapsed now, I once held Series 7, 36, 63, and 66 securities licenses.

(5) I am a Former President of the Continuing Studies Student Association at Fairfield University and President of Lambda Pi Eta, AZO Chapter (Communication Honor Society)

(6) State of Arizona Service Award

(7) Achieved the National Sales Director designation at a major financial service firm at 24, one of the youngest to do so.

(8) I have provided Training & Development courses for corporate staff and mentored women in a financial industry networking group.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Never be sorry for standing up for what you believe in.

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

I am approachable. I treat everyone with kindness and respect. I believe it's important to be solution-oriented and to seek out peer-reviewed research before making major decisions. I believe in rules of etiquette in politics so that everyone feels safe to share ideas and engage in healthy debate.