UPDATE: Simsbury Democratic Committee Endorses Heavner for First Selectman

Update: An announcement from the Simsbury Democratic Town Committee is now posted beneath this article.

Original article:

The Simsbury Democratic Town Committee on Wednesday voted to recommend Selectman Lisa Heavner to succeed First Selectman Mary Glassman, who announced she’s resigning in January, the Hartford Courant reported.

Heavner told the Courant that she would not vote on any replacement for Glassman. Glassman and state Rep. John Hampton both endorsed Heavner, according to the newspaper. Heavner is in her third term on the board.

The Board of Selectman, with a majority of Republicans, will select a Democrat registered to vote in town, under state and local rules. The Board of Selectmen is expected to hear more about the rules at its meeting on Monday.

Glassman announced her resignation Monday, saying the 35-percent cut voted by the Board of Selectmen the previous Monday was a move that should have been made at the end of her term of office in November, not on July 1.

Selectmen said they made the cut because job responsibilities were being transferred from Glassman to newly hired administrators. Glassman has voluntarily restricted her salary for years.

More about Heavner

Heavner received her bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and her law degree from Georgetown University, according to a Simsbury Patch profile of her just before the 2013 election. Before she had children, she worked as a third-grade teacher at a parochial school and as an attorney was a clerk for a federal judge.

She’s been an active volunteer in Simsbury, particularly in the schools, she said in the profile:

“When my children were at Central School, I designed and founded an after school activities program that served over 1,000 children and awarded nearly 200 need based-scholarships. I served as Parent Teacher Council President at Henry James, a member of the Simsbury School District Vision Committee and a four year member of the Simsbury High School Leadership Team.”

Heavner said that as a selectman she has worked on a number of projects to improve town administration and save the town money, often working closely with Glassman.

UPDATE: Announcement from the Democratic Town Committee

Members of the Simsbury Democratic Town Committee met at a special meeting on Wednesday and voted unanimously to recommend to the Board of Selectmen that they fill the vacancy of the office of First Selectman with Lisa Heavner, to be effective January 2, 2015 with the resignation of Mary Glassman.

Heavner is a three-term selectman. She is currently liaison to the Board of Education, and she is chair of the town’s Public Safety sub-committee and has met emergency response training requirements for public officials.

She chairs the personnel sub-committee. Heavner recently initiated Simsbury ‘s Technology Task force as well as Community For Care, which endeavors to provide information to families with children suffering from substance abuse. She previously served as deputy first selectman.

Heavner’s comments

In her remarks on Wednesday, Heavner said:

“As we turn to getting on with the Town’s business, I thank you for your support and confidence in me. Having worked with side by side with Mary for the last half decade, I am ready to step up and step in to complete Mary’s term and to continue the work she began. I am up to speed on town issues and take this responsibility seriously.

“Now is the time to turn our focus to doing the town’s business and restoring the public trust. I have always worked in a bipartisan manner and willingly reached across the aisle to do what is best for the Town. I will continue to do so. I will seek out your opinions, ask what issues are important to you and listen to your concerns. Working together, we will ensure local government remains fair and effective for the people of Simsbury .”

Glassman endorses Heavner

In a statement released to supporters earlier in the day, Glassman squarely put her support behind Heavner and affirmed her decision to resign effective Jan. 2:

“Staying would only prolong the continuing conflict and chaos on the Board. What we need to do now is to move forward together and to ensure a smooth transition focused on getting the business of the Town done.

“The position of First Selectman must be filled by a Democrat, and we are fortunate to have someone so qualified and so ready to go.

“I am proud to support Lisa Heavner. Lisa and I have worked side by side for the past six years. As you know, Lisa is an experienced, hardworking and dedicated public servant who is ready to continue the important work we have started.

“Lisa is someone we can trust to lead Simsbury going forward and to do what is best for the people of our Town. I hope you will give her your support.”

Heavner is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. She resides in Weatogue with her husband, Jim. They are parent to Mike and Rob, both Simsbury High School graduates who are currently attending college.

The next regular meeting of the Simsbury Board of Selectmen will meet on Monday, Dec. 8. It is expected that the appointment of a new First Selectman will be addressed at that meeting, where sitting members of the Board select new leadership.

Editor’s note: Announcements posted on Patch may be slightly edited for style (such as “Dec.” for “December” above), with new sub-headlines.