SECRETARY THOMAS, DEPUTY KOZIN ADDRESSED CONNECTICUT TOWN CLERKS ASSOCIATION AT CONFERENCE, SWORE IN NEW OFFICERS
Miano, Andrew
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2023
Contact: Andrew Miano
SECRETARY THOMAS, DEPUTY KOZIN ADDRESSED CONNECTICUT TOWN CLERKS ASSOCIATION AT CONFERENCE, SWORE IN NEW OFFICERS
(NEW HAVEN, CT) – Today, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas and Deputy Secretary of the State Jacqueline Kozin addressed the Connecticut Town Clerks Association (CTCA) at their annual spring conference in New Haven.
“Thank you truly for all the hard work you do in every town across our state, particularly the work you do that allows our elections to function smoothly, like helping voters to cast absentee ballots safely and securely,” Thomas said. “And thank you for stepping up to serve in your communities, because I know how hard it can be.”
Secretary Thomas also updated the town clerks on topics including early voting, upcoming technology updates, common legislative priorities, and new tabulators. On early voting, Secretary Thomas stressed the need for town-by-town flexibility rather than a one-size-fits all approach.
“We understand that every town, from our large urban centers to our small rural neighbors, will have different needs and different capabilities,” Thomas said. “The Office of the Secretary of the State has heard you loud and clear - your work to count absentee ballots on Election Day is long and tedious. We are fighting on your behalf to secure new tabulators and high speed counting machines.”
Deputy Secretary Kozin highlighted that town clerks are often the most frequent interaction that individuals have with their government and as a result, their vital work must be better recognized and supported.
“Your office intersects people’s lives at some of their most important moments and plays a critical role in our elections,” Kozin said. “You help people engage with their government. That’s why Secretary Thomas and I are fighting to ensure that your hard work is recognized in Hartford.”
Kozin went on to administer the oath of office to the group of incoming officers. County Vice Presidents included Bonnie Armstrong of South Windsor for Hartford County, Cathay Dupont of Thomaston for Litchfield County, Lisa Bergh of Bethel for Fairfield County, Leonard Greene of Beacon Falls for New Haven County, Bob Siegrist of Haddam for Middlesex County, Christine Bright of Putnam for Windham County, Elizabeth Waters of Bolton for Tolland County, and Gayle Furman of Colchester for New London County.
She also swore in the executive board of officers, which included Lisa Dalton of Watertown as 1st Executive Vice President, Marc Garofalo of Derby as 2nd Executive Vice President, JoAnn Doyle of Cromwell as Treasurer, Kelly Bilodeau of East Hampton as Secretary, Pamela Theroux of Voluntown as Assistant Treasurer, and Katie Haring of Montville as Assistant Secretary. Patricia Spruance of Windham was sworn in as president, replacing outgoing president Kate Wall of Berlin.
“The Connecticut Town Clerks Association was honored to have Secretary Thomas attend our Spring Conference,” said Wall. “From the start of her administration, Secretary Thomas has had an open door policy. The Town Clerks thank the Secretary for her willingness to listen to our concerns. We look forward to working with the Secretary and her staff as we continue to work toward making elections secure and accessible to all qualified voters.”
“I was impressed to have both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary join us,” said Spruance, incoming CTCA president. “As town clerks we realize that sometimes our own town administrators don’t quite understand all the different touch points we interact with. It was a very affirming experience to have Secretary Thomas and Deputy Secretary Kozin amongst us, and we look forward to working and collaborating with them on the different issues before us.”
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Andrew Miano
Press Secretary
Office of the Secretary of the State
Connecticut