LETTER: Carolyn Therrien Announces Candidacy

(Editor's note: The following is a candidacy announcement submitted to Windham Patch. If you'd like to reach out to us and announce your candidacy, submit a letter and photo to Local Editor Michael Ryan at michael.ryan@patch.com)

By Carolyn Therrien

My name is Carolyn Therrien, and I have decided to run for the Windham School Board.  I have lived in Windham since 1980 along with my husband, Paul, and over those years we have watched Windham grow into a wonderful community. 

I am running because I believe that I can make a difference to help stabilize taxes while focusing on bringing a very high level of education to our town’s children.  I was disappointed to learn that Windham spent $20,336 per high school pupil when the state average was $12,036 and the student grades weren't that much above average.  We can and need to do better for our children and for the Windham taxpayers. 

When we become more efficient, we will provide so much more for our students, while at the same time keep our senior citizens in their homes, avoid foreclosures, retain our home values, and maintain the Windham culture that made it why folks chose to live here in the first place. 

I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree, followed with a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Western New England University. My work experience includes several positions with the federal government, including recent ones on multi-million dollar Air Force programs;  Deputy Program Manager for both Theater Ballistic Missile Combat Systems and Combat Information Transport System; Chief of Operations for the Global Grid Product Area Directorate; Chief of Integration on the AWACS Radar Upgrade; and Chief of Configuration Management on several Air Force communication programs.  I am now retired and have the time to dedicate to the school board position and use my experience to better serve the taxpayers of Windham.

I hope to meet many of you over the next few weeks, to listen to your thoughts, and to earn your vote.  

Carolyn Therrien