Lavery seeks Democrats' nomination to run for selectman post

By Hoa Nguyen

June 19, 2007

Original Stamford Advocate article: Lavery seeks Democrats' nomination to run for selectman post

English teacher and past Junior League of Greenwich president Lin Lavery announced her candidacy for selectman yesterday morning at a hastily organized gathering in the Town Hall Meeting Room.

'Eight-thirty in the morning and you're all here and I'm so beyond thrilled I can't tell you,' Democrat Lavery told the 100 supporters who came to the early morning event.

Lavery, 59, of Alden Road in central Greenwich, is best known for her board positions on the Junior League, United Way of Greenwich, Greenwich Library, Kids in Crisis and two PTAs. Lavery also has municipal board experience as chairwoman of the Selectmen's Nominations Advisory Committee and vice-chairwoman of the Greenwich Commission on Aging.

'I'm a person who likes to serve, and knowing that service is really who I am, I think I've been led down the path of volunteer work, which has now led me really to where I am standing,' Lavery said. 'I can best serve this town by being our next selectman.'

Since moving to town in 1983, Lavery has been active in nonprofit work. Supporters said one of her noted accomplishments was helping Kids in Crisis convince a Cos Cob homeowner to donate his house for use as a crisis shelter.

Though Lavery does not have broad name-recognition, never having run for public office before, she is well known among residents active in nonprofit groups and could parlay those relationships into votes, supporters said.

'She can fill a room like this, not many people could,' said Larry Simon, a Democrat who serves on the Board of Estimate and Taxation and lives near Lavery.

While Lavery has not been active in the local Democratic Party for some years, she does have one successful campaign under her belt. She headed up Susan Ellis' bid for the Board of Education last year, which was marked by a large campaign war chest of more than $5,800 and success in unseating an incumbent. Ellis is returning the favor by agreeing to be the treasurer of Lavery's campaign.

Lavery may be a political novice, but her goal, according to Lavery's husband and youngest daughter who were at the campaign event yesterday, is to serve the community and make it better.

'I don't think politics is the goal,' said her husband, Tracy Lavery.

Frank Farricker, a Democrat who is running for first selectman, said Lavery is a great choice, particularly because she has said she wants to work with Farricker as a team in coming up with a common platform.

'She's into making a difference,' Farricker said, adding that she shares his desire to make education a priority. 'If you want to get something done, you have to have similar opinions.'

Lavery joins a contingent of Democrats eyeing their party's nomination on July 19, when the town committee takes a vote. Felix Andreoni, who unsuccessfully ran for first selectman in 2003 as a petition candidate and serves on the Representative Town Meeting, announced at a recent Democratic Town Committee meeting that he would run.

Jeffrey Ramer, a local lawyer who has expressed an interest in running, said he was still mulling his decision. But now that Lavery has announced her candidacy, Ramer said he might think twice about running, though he did not rule it out at this point.

'She obviously is someone who is keen on doing the job. That speaks well for her, that means she will go into the job with enthusiasm,' Ramer said. 'People I respect seem to have a high regard for her.'

The Republican Town Committee will endorse its slate of candidates on July 18 -- Board of Estimate and Taxation Chairman Peter Tesei for first selectman and Selectman Peter Crumbine for a fifth term.

Lavery, who is a relative unknown outside of her civic and municipal activities, sought to align herself with outgoing Selectman Penny Monahan, borrowing a campaign phrase often associated with the outgoing selectman.

'I will represent all of Greenwich,' said Lavery, who received a hug from Monahan after her speech.