Bring Balance To Monroe
The Democratic Town Committee supports these qualified Democrats to run in and win our 2023 municipal election on November 7th
First Selectman
Jerry Stevens
Dedicated to public service, education, and family, I am proud and excited to announce my candidacy for Monroe First Selectman. As a lifelong Monroe resident with a strong history of community involvement, I aim to use my experience and passion to positively impact our town.
Growing up in Monroe, I attended Monroe Elementary, Chalk Hill Middle School, and Masuk High School. After earning my degree in Industrial Arts Education from Central Connecticut State University, I eagerly returned to the community as a teacher. In 2002, my program was recognized as the Connecticut Technology Education Program of the Year. I was honored to be named Monroe Teacher of the Year in 2006, followed by the Connecticut Technology Education Teacher of the Year in 2007.
Together with my high school sweetheart, Kathy, we have raised two adult children, Amanda and Jared, who are both products of our excellent school system and have chosen to pursue careers in education as well.
Throughout my life, I have been an active participant in our community. My involvement includes coaching AYSO soccer, travel soccer, and Little League; serving as AYSO commissioner; and coaching various sports at Masuk High School, including varsity soccer, junior varsity soccer, and colorguard. In addition to my community involvement, I have served our town as a member of the Economic Development Commission and am currently in my 7th year on the Board of Education. These roles have enabled me to contribute to the growth and success of our town in a meaningful way.
For the past decade, I have owned and operated Stevens Resources, LLC, a Monroe small business specializing in furniture restoration and woodworking projects.
My family has a long-standing tradition of community, business, and political service in Monroe. I am committed to continuing this legacy by serving as your next First Selectman, bringing a wealth of experience and dedication to the role. Together, we can work to build a brighter future for Monroe.
Town Council
Susan Bannay
Sue has been a resident of Monroe for 35 years. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Special Education from Southern Connecticut State University and a post-graduate diploma in Educational Research from the University of Stirling, Scotland. Sue is a certified school administrator and prior to her retirement was the Dean of Students at Fairfield Ludlowe High School in Fairfield, CT. Her career in education spans 40 years and, in 2001, Sue was named Special Educator of the Year by the Fairfield Special Education PTA.
Over the years she has volunteered at many Save Our Stepney events and supported countless regional activities, including the Bethel Criterium, Special Olympics, Meals on Wheels, Fairfield County Pride and the Shamrock Traditional Irish Music group affiliated with the Fairfield Gaelic Club.
She is a musician within the local Irish music community and plays the Uilleann pipes at many local events. Sue is an avid cyclist having received many awards including an appointed membership to the United States Cycling Federation’s All American Masters Team. Among her favorite pastimes are reading mysteries and Stephen King, learning Swedish, visiting Iceland, gardening and spending time with her intergenerational family here in town.
Jessica Katuska
Jessica Katuska is a lifelong Connecticut resident who has lived in Monroe for nearly a decade. She volunteers in the community in multiple capacities, including Girl Scouts and the Stepney PTO. She works as an Analyst and holds a degree in Economics. She is a mother of two elementary school kids in the district and has served on the Board of Education.
Cathy Kohut
Cathy moved to Monroe in 1985, while attending law school and working at Bridgeport Hospital. She has served the community in a variety of ways over those nearly 40-years.
She received her Juris Doctor degree and was sworn into the Connecticut bar in 1987, and has been in private practice since that time. As part of her legal work in the community, Cathy has served as a special public defender in the Juvenile Court system and also taught as an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University for many years.
Cathy has always been deeply committed to serving her community.
She has been a volunteer docent at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo since 1997 and now teaches new docents, CDC students and others. Cathy is also a DEEP Master Wildlife Conservationist, which has included long nights participating in bat and owl population studies for the Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and other citizen scientist studies.
She has served as a Commissioner on the Inland Wetlands Commission, and was appointed as the Inland Wetlands Violation Appeals Hearing Officer. Currently, Cathy is the Vice President of the Stepney Volunteer Fire Department, and a board member for Homes for The Brave, an organization that serves veterans in need.
Her proudest achievement is being a founding member of Resources in Search and Rescue, Inc., an all-volunteer K9-assisted Search and Rescue Team. Founded in 2009, RSAR is based here in Monroe, and has provided K9 search teams to fire departments and law enforcement agencies throughout the state in their search for missing individuals, both living and deceased. The organization never charges any agency or family for their services. Cathy is also an associate member of the International Police Work Dog Association.
Cathy now seeks an elected position in town government, bringing her decades of service, knowledge, and experience to the community in a new role. Focusing on quality of life issues in town, she will be a strong proponent of fiscal responsibility, planned growth and development, protection of the character and resources of the town, encouraging small business and supporting a strong education system.
Kathie Loehr
Kathie Loehr and her husband moved to Monroe in 1983 purchasing a historic home (1867) in Stepney that they are almost done renovating. She graduated with a BSN from WCSU and spent most of career at the Dept. of Veterans Affairs where she was the Nurse Manager of inpatient Mental Health. In addition to NM duties, she was the Co-Chair of the VA New England Nurse Manager Conference for many years. She also accepted assignments in Los Angeles, Battle Creek, MI and was deployed as part of VA’s Disaster Emergency Management Team to supervise a field hospital at Kelly AFB during Hurricane Ike in San Antonio Texas. She is a recipient of the Nightingale Award of Excellence for exemplary nursing practice.
Kathie has been active in the community for many years starting her volunteering at the Stepney El library and substituting for the school nurse. She was an assistant scout leader with a GS troop that ran from Daisy’s thru senior year in HS with many accomplished scouts that still reside in Monroe.
She has been a member of the Save Our Stepney Task force where she is currently the VP and Treasurer. She has chaired the annual tree lighting on the Stepney Green for the past 10 years. She is an avid gardener having attained Ct. Master Gardner status. She also has a certificates Gardening and in Horticultural Therapy from the New York Botanical Garden.
Jason Maur
Jason Maur, a lifelong resident of Monroe, hopes for your continued support in his reelection to Town Council. Having grown up in Monroe, Jason was provided many opportunities, opportunities he wants to ensure are available to all people who live in Monroe.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins and Quinnipiac University School of Law, Jason is now corporate counsel for a solar energy company. An Eagle Scout, Jason is determined to give back to the community that gave so much to him. He was the Student Representative to the Board of Education, spent 6+ years serving on the Commission on Aging, where he was vice chair, and now serves on Town Council.
Jason is a part of Monroe’s past and has learned from it, is a part of Monroe’s present and proudly serves it, and has a vision for Monroe’s future, so he asks you to be part of it together. Vote Jason Maur for Town Council.
Janice Persico
Janice Persico is an 11 year resident of Monroe. She and her husband (Dr. Justin Persico) decided to move their family of five to Monroe because of the small town charm and great school system. Janice would love to keep it that way! She is the former director of Stepaway Preschool here in Monroe and decided to step back and become a stay-at-home mom in 2019 after two of her children were diagnosed with autism.
Janice has worked as president and treasurer of the Stepney Elementary PTO and is currently helping organize a new Monroe Pride organization. She has a BA in psychology with a concentration in children and youth. Janice is passionate about family values, education, communication and transparency.
Town Treasurer
Nick Kapoor
Nick Kapoor has always called Monroe home and is now running to become its next Treasurer. As a mathematics professor at Fairfield University and the current Acting Chairman of the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, Nick will bring a blend of academic excellence and community leadership to Town Hall. His service on the Town Council and Board of Education underlines his commitment to Monroe and wanting to ensure equity for all. While serving, he's been mindful of the community’s financial well-being, striving to provide top-notch services without overburdening taxpayers. With an M.B.A. in Finance and M.S. in Mathematics and over a decade in the corporate finance world, Nick is poised to offer Monroe the best in financial stewardship. He's also an active board member of the Center for Family Justice, highlighting his dedication to community well-being.
Tax Collector
Nina Gagnon
Nina has been a resident of Monroe for over 10 years. In this time she has come to absolutely love this town, its charm, and most of all its people.
A graduate of Marist College in 2008 with a degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education, she spent several years teaching in Connecticut until it was time to grow her family. Since then she has build a small online business through Etsy that has been successful for nearly ten years.
In the community, Nina has devoted countless hours as chair member of the Monroe Playground Foundation. She acted as team captain throughout the build and continued to work on the build until its final completion of the zipline in Spring of 2023. Nina also volunteers at Stepney Elementary School for many events such as school store, book fair, and room parent as well as a Cub Scout Den Leader in Monroe’s Pack 262.
Board of Education
Chrissy Fensore Martinez
Chrissy Fensore Martinez is a lifelong Monroevian who graduated from Masuk High School and has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in special education from Southern Connecticut State University. She is also a CT certified school administrator. Chrissy has worked as a special education teacher, supervisor and Director of Special Education in Connecticut for 27 years. Her current role is as Supervisor of Pupil Services and Special Education for the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System. Chrissy has also worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT in the department of special education. She has recently completed a two year term as secretary for the Monroe Special Education PTA (SEPTA) and was on the board of directors for the Connecticut Reading League (formerly The Dyslexia Society of Connecticut) for several years. She has been a current member of the Monroe Board of Education for the last eight months.
Alan Vaglivelo
Alan is employed as a School Psychologist for the Fairfield Public Schools Central Office team. He has lived in Monroe for 19 years and has served the Monroe Board of Education for 17 years. Alan has been married for 24 years and has two children who previously graduated from Masuk.
As a dedicated educator and experienced school psychologist, Alan is committed to utilizing his expertise to advance the quality of education and support the holistic development of students. With a strong foundation in school neuropsychology and extensive involvement in educational leadership, he is well-prepared to contribute to evidence-based policies and practices that positively impact student outcomes. Alan’s years of service on the Monroe Board of Education have given him a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within our education system. He is passionate about collaborating with stakeholders to create an inclusive, nurturing, and empowering educational environment for all students. With a focus on innovation and collaboration, he aims to continue my contributions to the betterment of our educational community.
Board of Finance
Steve Kirsch
Steve was elected to the Monroe Board of Finance in 2019 and is seeking reelection to a second four-year term on the Board. As a member Steve has been a strong supporter of the education system and a proponent of using excess General Fund balance to both reduce the tax burden to citizens and to complete necessary capital projects in a timely manner.
Since 2022 Steve has served as Vice Chairman of the Town of Monroe Pension Committee.
Steve and his wife Laurie have lived in Monroe for 30 years where they raised their two sons.
Steve has served on a number of town committees including the BOE Finance Advisory Committee; BOE 2012 Technology Planning Committee; 2013-2015 Facility and Demographic Study Committee; and the 2017 Library Strategic Planning Advisory Board.
As a member of Congregation Rodeph Sholom for 21 years, Steve served as Treasurer; Vice-President Financial Administration; and the Chair of the Budget and Operations Committee.
Steve worked for IBM for 36 ½ years retiring as a Senior Information Technology Architect specializing in large systems solutions. Since October 2016 Steve has been employed by Artech LLC as a Mainframe Infrastructure Architect working on computer systems solutions, pricing, and financial analysis.
Board of Finance (2 Year Vacancy)
Samantha Spino
Samantha is a CPA and Senior Manager at CFGI, a national accounting consulting firm. With a Bachelor’s in Accounting from the University of Maryland – College Park and over 13 years of experience in accounting and finance, she has spent her career working through a wide range of routine and complex business scenarios for private companies, local governments, NPOs, and public corporations. She currently serves on Monroe’s Conservation Commission.
Planning and Zoning
Leon Ambrosey
Leon is a 30 year Monroe resident who has raised his family in Monroe. He has spent 8 years in Monroe Planning and Zoning. Leon is a business owner in Monroe and his committed to an open responsive approach to land use issues in Monroe.
Planning & Zoning Alternate
Domenic Paniccia
Mr. Domenic Paniccia is a former member of the Long Island Sound Advisory Commission, past member of the Economic Development Commission, Building Committee-Monroe Public Schools, current member of the Building Committee for the EMS Headquarters Building and current member of the Zoning Board of Appeals-Monroe, CT.
He has been a real estate broker and in the construction industry since 1970. Domenic has experience in all types of construction and construction management with an extensive knowledge of land use, local, state, and national building codes and regulations.
He is a BPI Certified Building Performance Analyst, has an OSHA 30 certification and is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Constable
Pat Tomchik
Pat and her family are longtime residents of Monroe. She moved here the year she completed an internship in counseling at Chalk Hill. As a math instructor, she has taught at Chalk Hill and Jockey Hollow and after retiring, she taught part-time at four of the neighboring colleges. In addition, she enjoys volunteering at the Monroe Food Pantry. As a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, she has seen positive improvements to the park and looks forward to planning for more in the future. Currently, she is the incumbent Democratic Constable for our town and hopes to continue in that role.