Weston Candidate Profile: Samantha Nestor for Selectwoman

WESTON, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Weston and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Weston Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Samantha Nestor, 49, is running for selectwoman as a Democrat. She has served as second selectwoman, as a member of the Board of Education and chair of the Town's Communications and Marketing Advisory Committee.

Nestor is the founder and partner at Chrysanthemum Partners, a strategic communications consultancy. She has worked as marketing & communications director for the New York Design Center, and was a special projects manager for Elle Decor and a special projects editor for Metropolitan Home Magazine.

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

We are at a crossroads, a “Weston 2.0.” The Town Green, Library Expansion, new sidewalks, Police/Fire/EMS expansion, road improvement planning/budgeting, changes in demographics and enrollment, and the 2020 Town Plan of Conservation and Development offer decisions and exciting opportunities for Weston. These initiatives require keen financial analytic skills and exceptionally strong communications skills. We must collaborate with committees, boards, volunteers, businesses, vendors, donors, and Hartford to develop S.M.A.R.T. — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound — goals, so milestones can be reached, progress can be measured, and made. Need to communicate with and engage residents. This is my area of expertise.

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

I’m running for Selectwoman because the BoS needs different perspectives, especially from working moms. I’ve grown to love Weston and met countless residents -- in my daily life, at school, going door to door – who are passionate about Weston but feel their other obligations prevent their participation. I’m striving to change that culture by setting an example.

During my time knocking on doors (over 1400) I have listened to residents and understand first hand their concerns. Those conversations stay with me as I make decisions on the BoS.

Building my successful tenure as Second Selectwoman, I am seeking to continue the important initiatives began two years ago. With the fiscal health of the state in flux over the next several years, Weston needs the continuity of leadership that will plan and implement a strong vision for Weston right now and into the future while serving as a bulwark to keep the state from imposing economic obstacles.

I will work to make thoughtful decisions while planning ahead to provide a responsive and transparent government that seeks to create community, provide amenities, and be fiscally efficient.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

I will continue to be responsive and creative by working on out-of-the box financing for community needs that comes at no or a lower cost to the taxpayer. We need to seek more grants, private and public partnerships, sell stagnant properties to open space non-profits, and go after cost savings initiatives similar to the several Virtual Net Metering deals which have provided clean energy and cost savings.

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

My previous volunteer service in Weston offers unique and useful insights to the BoS. As past chair of the Marketing & Communications Advisory Committee, I bring an essential background in promoting the town assets; and as an elected member of the Board of Education, I’ve the understanding of how to support and oversee our town's biggest draw and investment, the schools.

My decades of experience as an entrepreneur and communications specialist bring business management and communications expertise to the Board of Selectman.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

As Selectwoman, I will continue responding to residents’ needs with collaborative, timely, cost conscious, and inventive financial decisions. I will keep leveraging my professional background and experience in strategic communications, design, real-estate, arts, media, and non-profits, towards lowering tax burdens and increasing home values – with an eye to attract new home buyers and give residents reasons to stay. Moving Weston forward while preserving its character is not a tall order, it’s the bare minimum people should expect.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Be brave and listen. If you are going to represent your town, you must be open to ideas and listen to residents. That means finding people where they are and not just pay attention to a vocal minority. Our residents provided clear directives in the 2018 Town Planning Survey. In this millennium people come for the schools, stay for the community, and for a majority of residents, the path to a thriving and financially healthy community is through change. We must not be afraid of change.