Stephanie Summers

Stef Summers, Board of Finance incumbent and past chair, seeks your support for a second 6-year term. A 29-year town resident, Stef was a career editor and writer at the Hartford Courant, Northeast magazine, Kansas City Star and elsewhere. In the last 10 years, she has also served the town on the Board of Education and Capital Improvement Program Committee. She was a leader of unWillington, the townwide grassroots effort that rejected building a state gun range complex in the center of town. On BOF, Stef brings ideas for short-term spending economies and long-term planning initiatives, such as the capital savings policy in the last few years. She is open to hearing your ideas.

Jason Ross

My name is Jason Ross and I am seeking reelection to the Board of Finance. I am a lifelong Willington resident, aside from the time I spent on active duty in the Marine Corps. I believe our town has great potential to flourish. We can achieve this by using fiscal responsibility and creative thinking as we plan for our future. Most of my adult life has been spent in service to others, and my hometown is the perfect place for me to continue that service.

Bill Bunnell

Bill has spent 47 years living in Willington, 6 years on Willington Housing Authority, 2 years on Planning and Zoning plus 1 year as PZC alternate, 2 years Willington Sustainability & Energy Committee, and 2 years as a CT Food Share Truck volunteer.

“My goal for serving on board of finance will be to help Willington achieve its community priorities while fulfilling fiscal obligations in a careful and balanced manner.”

Laurie Mazich Semprebon has been a leader in Willington for years, serving three and a half years as Town Treasurer (appointed and then elected), former chair of the Willington Board of Education, eight years total served on Board of Finance, Board of Assessment Appeals, Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Conservation Commission. She is also a U.S. Army Veteran. In addition, Laurie was a Girl Scout leader in town for ten years. She is currently a retired teacher who occasionally substitutes at Center School.

Briana Ross

I am Briana Ross and I am seeking reelection to the Board of Education. I was first elected to this Board in 2021 and have held the position of Chair since 2023. Last year I helped develop the cell phone policy that implemented the use of Yondr Pouches, worked with the Superintendent and staff to choose a new, state approved literacy program, and collaborated with a committee to hire a new Principal for Hall School.

As a 25 year veteran teacher, I am acutely aware that decisions made by the Board of Education directly affect student achievement. My professional experience with current trends and issues at district, state and federal levels aides in deciding what is best for OUR students.

Willington holds a special place in my heart because I was born and raised here. I have been proud to watch my two daughters grow up in our little town as well. I want all Willington students to be supported and challenged to grow individually as they learn to be positive, contributing members of their community. I look forward to continuing to advocate for Willington’s students through my service as a member of the Board of Education.

Ann Grosjean

Ann Grosjean holds a PhD in Education, and she is a twelve year incumbent of the Board of Education, and a retired elementary teacher of 35 years. Her adult children and grandchildren attend(ed) the Willington Schools. She seeks innovative ways to create the best schools for our children, families, and community while stretching our education tax dollars.

Tracey Anderson

Tracey has lived in Willington for 29 years, and she has served on the Willington Board of Education for 8 years. She is currently employed as a Reading Specialist in a neighboring town, and she was previously involved with Willington Public Schools as a parent volunteer, substitute teacher, paraprofessional and President of the PTA. Her daughters attended and graduated from Willington Schools.

Tracey is a loyal and committed advocate for public education, supporting responsible spending while still being an advocate for rigorous curriculum to improve achievement.

Allan Ayers

Allan is an 11-year resident of Willington, and father of two children who will be attending E.O. Smith in the near future.

“I’m running to not only advocate for my own children, but your children, and all of the parents of Willington.”

Julie Marshall

Julie grew up in Tolland and moved back to the area and into Willington to raise her children and be closer to family. She has spent her career working in education with a focus on special education supports and services. She is currently filling a seat on the region 19 BOE and would like to continue supporting the region and our Willington students that decide to go to EO Smith.

Sarah Smith

Listening to the views and understanding the concerns of our towns, teachers, administrators and BOE members is really important to me. My main reason for running again is to continue collaboratively working with our education community. I would like to continue working on the Policy Committee to help implement this year’s new policy that provides every student the highest standards of education, academic help and accountability.

Committees that I have served on are Policy, Personnel, Curriculum and Building, where I put 100% effort in being a contributing member. I attend many meetings and functions at E. O. Smith and enjoy interacting with the students to understand what their school experience is like. I belong to several charitable, community action and educational organizations; I, also, serve on the Executive Boards of ASHoW and the AAUW. I am a retired chemistry, biology and anatomy and physiology teacher.

Jennifer Tehan

Jen currently serves as chair of the Library Board, where her tenure and no-nonsense approach has delivered a smoothly functioning board. She is a lifelong library lover and sci-fi fan, with a biology degree and some post-grad study in medicine. She relied on library services as a young single mom and understands the far-reaching impact of a strong public library and will bring the frequent user’s perspective to the table.

Her focus is on fiscally responsible gains in programming, outreach and professional development. In her former town, she was an elected member of the Milford, MA, Town Meeting. 

Rebecca Hayes

I have been a resident of Willington for five years, but we moved around a bit before ultimately deciding to settle in New England to be closer to family. Choosing Willington was one of the best decisions my family has made. I am an avid supporter of libraries and know first hand how they help the community. When my family moved to Willington, I was pleasantly surprised by the exceptional quality of our public library. As a new resident with two small children during the pandemic, I was especially grateful for the services it provided.

I have been eager to become more involved in our town, and am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the success of our library. If elected, I will be dedicated to attending meetings, actively participating in discussions, and working tirelessly to make sure our public library remains a proud cornerstone of our community. Above all, I am excited to give back to a town that has so welcomed me and my family.

Laura Rodriguez

Laura Rodriguez is a 23-year Willington homeowner and lifelong educator. I am running for library board because I care deeply about literacy and want to ensure all residents have access to the books they want to read.

Richard Bleiler

I have been a professional librarian for nearly 40 years, and for 30 of those years I have lived in Willington. I have delighted in watching the growth of the Willington Public Library, from a corner of the Hall Memorial School to the lovely building it presently occupies.

Librarians believe in service, in giving back and also in paying forward. I am running for the Library Board of the Willington Public Library, and asking for your support, in order that I might advise, assist, and support the library as it continues to collect and develop to support the Willington community.

Bob Shabot

Bob is an incumbent on the Plannaing and Zoning Commission. He is a 33 year resident of Willington, and he has served the town in a variety of capacities over those years:

• 20 Years serving on the Conservation Commission
• 18 years as President of the Willington Historical Society
• 17 years as a member of the Historic District Commission
• 6 years Planning & Zoning Commission, presently Vice chair.

Bob is looking forward to helping implement the Willington Economic Development Strategic Plan to attract new businesses and keep residential tax increases to a minimum.

Stephen Troyer

Since moving to Willington I have enjoyed our quiet rural community and also working as a substitute teacher in both of the schools. Prior to my arrival four years ago, I worked for over 30 years in Silicon Valley in senior business roles at leading companies including Cisco and Juniper. I also founded and helped build innovative startups like LiveReach AI.

In addition, I bring public service experience as a ten-year board member, with two as chair, of the largest mental health services provider in Northern California, Momentum Behavioral Health. I also founded the Bear Valley Mountain Cooperative to preserve and invest in vital business and economic opportunities in the small town community of Bear Valley, CA.

Ethan Griswold

Ethan Griswold is an active resident of Willington, CT, having moved here over a decade ago. Holding an undergraduate degree in Political Science and an MBA from the University of Connecticut, he has built a successful career in technology, having exited three startups. Currently, he currently serves as the Director of Partnerships for a multinational Fortune 500 real estate investment trust, where he leverages strong leadership skills to drive strategic initiatives.

Growing up in Washington, D.C., Ethan spent much of his youth involved in Federal politics and worked on Capitol Hill, which instilled a deep understanding of governance and community engagement. Ethan is committed to fostering sustainable growth and development in Willington and resides in the town with his wife and two children. He looks forward to bringing his expertise to the Planning and Zoning Committee to enhance the community’s future.