Who Am I, and Why Should You Vote for Me?

In less than eight weeks, the residents of Stonington will have the privilege of casting their ballot for the next First Selectman of our town. As one of the candidates in this election, I hope that in those eight weeks I give our voters reasons to feel good about entrusting me with the honor of their vote on November 5th. Every Friday, I will be updating my campaign’s official website and Facebook page with my thoughts and ideas, as well as what I have learned that week as I’ve been out and about in our community. I hope that you will tune in and share your thoughts, ideas and concerns with me in return. 

A big thank you to Fred for posting a question on my campaign’s Facebook page, asking to get to know me a bit better as a candidate and person. For me, the best place to start is to share my comments from my candidacy announcement in July. If I put myself in your shoes, the voter’s shoes, there are two critical questions I would want answered:

Why are you running?  And why should I vote for you?

So, why AM I running?

My political journey began almost 4 ½ years ago around the dinner table at a friend’s house in Mystic. It was Christmas time and there were about 12 of us at the table. Of course, we all know we aren’t supposed to discuss religion and politics at such functions, but with this group of friends we seem to inevitably end up on one of the forbidden topics. This day, it was politics. We were all throwing out ideas and suggestions, stating “if I were in office, I would…,” and “why don’t politicians just work together… find solutions that make sense and then just do it!” It was around this time in the conversation that my Mom chimed in. “Well, Glee, if you have such good ideas, what are any of YOU going to do about it?” 

Thus, I began a dialogue with myself and started asking what I could do to be part of the solution and make a positive impact on the community that I care about so deeply. I spoke with other locals who had been heavily involved in Stonington. My husband and I made the joint decision that a good place to start making positive change for Stonington was running for the Board of Selectmen.  

I was so fortunate to have been elected to the Board and I remain grateful to those voters who put me there. It has offered me the opportunity to learn about our Town Meeting form of government and actively participate in it. As a result, I have a great foundation and a solid understanding of the issues facing Stonington, and I now find myself ready to take on the responsibility of preparing our town for the future as its First Selectman.

So, why should you vote for me?

With 16 years as a corporate business leader with both top and bottom line responsibilities, I have applicable business experience that I feel will benefit the office of First Selectman. I was a Regional Director at ServiceMaster and was responsible for the largest regions in the country. I built an office here in Connecticut and was able to bring jobs and a large distribution center to the state because of my leadership abilities. I made the decision to leave “corporate America” nearly 10 years ago, but I am happy to report that the business is still doing well and still in Connecticut. Since then, I have been working in my own business on a part-time basis with my husband, Jim, while raising our two boys, Austin and Connor. 

It is my belief that I have the skill set, experience and the desire to make positive, constructive change necessary to be the leader of our town. The foundation of my candidacy is tri-fold: my MISSION for Stonington, my MANAGEMENT style, and my passion for MENTORING.

My MISSION for Stonington is to create a comprehensive strategic plan for the town and its long term future. We will accomplish this by engaging members of our community and employees of our town in the process. This is something that is lacking for Stonington and certainly an area where… we can do better.

My MANAGEMENT style is collaborative. We have a great team of talented individuals working for Stonington, as well as almost 180 volunteers serving on 27 Boards and Commissions. I firmly believe that getting the right people in the right roles helps us all succeed, and I also want to have some fun along the way as we work hard for Stonington! If I outstretch my arms and only mine, I have limited impact and influence. However, if I take my arms and join them with yours, just think how much greater our reach can be. I am a leader with a collaborative management style, and I feel I can get these numerous Boards and Commissions to collaborate in a cohesive and consistent way… we can do better.

My passion for MENTORING fits in line with the primary responsiblities of the First Selectman, as stated in our Town Charter. Section 5-2 Duties of the First Selectman reads that the First Selectman’s primary task is the coordination of the Departments, Offices, Boards Agencies, Commissions and Committees of the Town. We can do better in recruiting and mentoring individuals to serve in these roles. Though a responsibility that requires proactive planning and understanding of what skills are desired and needed for various openings, it is one that I have a strong interest in.

As a candidate for First Selectman for the town of Stonington, I have a great understanding of the position for which I seek your vote and the importance of doing it well and with integrity, along with the need to create and foster public trust. As a community, we need to rebuild in this area and need to be able to trust each other. My goal is to give you solid, substantial reasons between today and November 5th to be confident and excited about casting your vote for me, and realize that together we can do great things in Stonington if you Go with Glee.

Warmly,

Glee McAnanly