Wilton Candidate Profile: Jennifer Lalor For Board of Education

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

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

Jennifer Lalor, 44, is running for a seat on the Board of Education as a Republican. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in communication disorders from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science degree in speech pathology from James Madison University.

Lalor owns and runs a speech-language pathology practice in Wilton, and also serves as the clinical speech supervisor for southern Connecticut for TheraCare. Her husband, Bill Lalor, is chair of the Wilton Republican Town Committee..

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

Safeguarding our schools and town from challenges coming largely from Hartford. I will research each challenge as it comes, listen to multiple perspectives, and work to find a successful resolution.

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

I currently work in the education/special education setting. I routinely work with children, parents, therapists, and educators to brainstorm and implement strategies to help each and every child be successful.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

• Enhance and improve communication and community involvement
• Support and challenge EVERY student in our schools
• Maintain local control of our schools

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

As a supervisor, first in the Speech and Hearing Clinic at Iona College and now with TheraCare, I often discuss how to improve different "systems" to make the organization work better for all parties involved. I frequently address "problems" and work hard and sometimes creatively to get a positive result.

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

I believe in and value hard work. I love working with and for children and their families. It's what I do on a daily basis. I know how to be part of team working towards a similar goal. I realize education is ever-changing, and the BOE will be presented with multiple perspectives, challenges, etc. all of which will need to be listened to, discussed, and possibly resolved. The single, largest draw to Wilton is our schools. That makes our schools important to not only those that attend but to our taxpayers, homeowners, business owners...our entire community. I realize the importance of the position and will devote the time necessary to get the results Wilton deserves.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Listen and work hard to thoroughly understand a problem or situation in the course of making decisions.