Tolland Democratic Town Committee

Name: Sam Adlerstein

Party and Position:  Democrat, Chairman of the Tolland Board of Education. Seeking Re-election

Personal:  My wife Sukoshi and I have lived in Tolland for 20 years, raising our two boys, Luke and Owen.  We chose Tolland because of the small town community with good schools, acres of open space, and miles of hilly tree lined roads.  I have Alopecia (hair loss ailment), so you can pick me out in the crowd 🙂

Previous political experience: Chairperson, Friends of Tolland Schools.  Facilitator, school dialogue with the community.  Member, Tolland Energy Taskforce.

Background: Certified Business Coach, facilitator.  Experienced in process improvement, financial management, and organizational change initiatives.

Why are you a BoE Member?

In Spring of 2013, I thought about running for BoE, and decided… naw.  I was already volunteering for enough stuff, like others I too much on my plate.  I had directly experienced some BoE issues that I wanted addressed, and, frankly, I was looking for someone else to do it.  Then I noted how Tolland is a first rate volunteer community, home of dozens of civic, school and sports organizations.  My sons have had amazing soccer, baseball and basketball coaches, and it takes a huge unpaid effort to make those programs successful.  I then decided I would like to invest my time toward the BoE, and contribute to and belong to a better Tolland community.

Name: Patrick Doyle

Party and Position: Democrat, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Education. Seeking Re-election

Family:  My wife Amanda (a teacher of 14 years) and I have lived in Tolland for 8 years. Currently we live on Lakeview Drive Extension with our son Drew who is a first grader at Birch Grove Primary School.

Previous political experience:  I have experience working on and with boards of non-profit organizations. This would be my first time serving in public office.

Other Experience:  I have a passion for education and feel lucky to have been a national trainer in youth leadership and developing effective partnerships between schools and community-based organizations. I have overseen a $2.9 million annual investment focused on improving education in our region, and served as a steering committee member of Hartford Area Child Care Collaborative. I was also the lead author of Service-Learning Impacting Citizenship, a curriculum and program designed to help young people become more civically involved.

I work as a non-profit/education professional with over fifteen years of experience developing and managing programs and grants. I have demonstrated the ability to work successfully across diverse settings to bring together educators, community-based organization, and volunteers to improve communities.

Why are you a BoE Member? My son Drew is a first grader at Birch Grove Primary School and now is the time to focus my experience to serve Tolland.

My experience is grounded by the insights I have gained as the spouse of a teacher, as the father of a great kid, and as a facilitator of conversations with people about their aspirations for our community. I know by listening and working together we can make the education students in Tolland earn and receive even better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Kathy Gorsky

Party and Position: Democrat, Board of Education Member, Chair of the Policy Committee. Seeking Re-election

Family:  I have lived on Gehring Rd. in Tolland for 17 years.  I have been married to Tom Gorsky for 22 years and have two daughters, Katie and Shannon.

Previous community involvement:  I have served the Town of Tolland as a volunteer for many years; most notably, I was a Girl Scout leader for 7 years and I have been an active member of the Friends of Tolland Music group as well.

Other Experience:

I am a graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law and a member of the Connecticut Bar Association.   I have worked as a substitute teacher in the Tolland School District, giving me hands-on experience within our schools.

Why are you a BoE Memer?

I feel that our schools have the potential for excellence and I would like to help them reach that goal.  I am passionate about education and I want to help our kids as they prepare for a great future.  I have worked as a substitute teacher in Tolland, which has given me the opportunity to see that we have exceptionally talented and dedicated individuals working for the benefit of our children.  It’s important to me that we help these individuals to do their jobs effectively while also respecting and understanding the needs of our citizens.

What strengths do you bring to the table?
As a former substitute teacher in town, I have a unique understanding of the day-to-day needs and pressures that are felt by the staff in our schools.  In addition, my law background provides me with the tools to understand many of the legal issues that arise in town government.  I have the ability to closely examine and recognize pros and cons of both sides of an issue and come to a well-reasoned decision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Karen Moran

Party and Position Running For: Board of Education Member, Founder & Chair of the Communications and Outreach Committee. Seeking Re-election

Family: Married to Kevin for 17 years. We have two children – Robyn and Jordan. We have lived on Merlot Way in Tolland for 15 years.

Previous political experience: None, but very involved in my community.

Other Experience: President, Tolland Elementary PTO 2011-2013, an avid volunteer in our schools, member of Friends of Tolland Schools, former member of Tolland Friends and Neighbors.

Why are you a BoE Member?  Simply put, I think Tolland is a wonderful community and has a lot going for it. I would like to be part of preserving and improving what we have here. Many families like mine settled in Tolland because of its sense of community and a school system with an excellent reputation. I believe we are very lucky here in Tolland to have hard-working, dedicated administrators, teachers and staff. This is another aspect we need to preserve in our town…for the sake of our students – our future citizens and leaders. We need to provide a great public school system where our staff can do their best and our students can thrive and be ready to face the challenges in this ever-changing world.

What strengths can you bring to the table?
My PTO experience and involvement in our schools has allowed me to have a unique perspective and I would like to continue to support our schools at a higher level.  Organizing, marketing and fundraising skills helped me to lead a PTO volunteer group that successfully raised needed funds for our elementary schools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cliff Vachon