Old Saybrook has one of the lowest mill rates in the state and has managed, thus far, to make many of the investments necessary to maintain our standing as an attractive community for residents and visitors. But challenges with large financial implications loom – addressing the court order we are under to stop polluting the Sound, elevating roads that may become flooded, acquiring land that can be used to develop affordable housing, etc.
We believe Old Saybrook must:
- Develop a multi-year strategic finance plan to guide all investments over a longer timeframe
- implement recommendations made in the strategic plans for affordable housing, coastal resilience, and parks and recreation on a more timely basis
- Fund a Personnel and Staffing Study of the Police Department to identify the problems the Department is facing years ago and helped avoid today’s “crisis”.
Meghan Brady
Meghan grew up on the CT shoreline and she and her husband, Howard, moved to Old Saybrook in 2005 to raise their two children (both are recent graduates of Old Saybrook High School).
Meghan’s candidacy for the Board of Finance is bolstered by her professional experience, which includes government affairs, fundraising, lobbyist, and consulting roles in Washington, D.C., and a position as the Director of Marketing and Community Outreach for the United Way of CT/211. Her most recent work is centered in the elder care industry, working with families, clients, health care providers, lawyers, residential facilities, insurance companies, and various other community organizations in and around our shoreline community.
Her volunteer work involves serving on the OS Turf Ballfield Lights Committee, an ad-hoc committee of the Board of Selectmen (2021-2023) and she was elected and served two terms as President of Old Saybrook High School Ram Boosters Athletic Club. She is also a regular volunteer with the Shoreline Soup Kitchen and Food Pantries.
Meghan is running for a seat on the Board of Finance because she is inspired by the spirit of the town’s community. If elected, she will prioritize smart growth, environmental planning, and investment in Old Saybrook’s youth and elder populations, listening to all voices and exploring innovative solutions in collaboration with local leaders, businesses, and beyond.
George Chang (Check Out My Video)
When Dr. George Chang and his wife, Lynda, began to look for schools for their two children, Keanna and Joshua, the Old Saybrook school system appealed to them and they moved to Old Saybrook in 2000. Both of their two children attended and graduated from Old Saybrook schools, starting with pre-school at Goodwin.
George has worked at Pfizer since 1989; his current responsibilities include complex data and trend analysis, and creation of computational models to accelerate drug discovery.
In Old Saybrook, George is well-known for his 16-year service on Old Saybrook’s Board of Education. In 2023, he chose to step down and joins this year’s Democratic slate as a candidate for the Board of Finance.
While serving on the Board of Ed, George was involved in the development of the school budget, was Chair of Budget and Fiscal subcommittee, and was involved in every teacher contract negotiation. Now, he hopes to apply that fiscal knowledge and experience to matters related to the town of Old Saybrook itself. If elected, George will advocate for a “Budget the plan and not plan a budget” approach. This was a steadfast principle for the school-budget process and George believes it can be applied to support the town’s 5-year strategic plan and inform its vision for the long term.
Justin Terribile
Justin grew up in Madison, and after living in a variety of places throughout New England, he and his family settled in Old Saybrook seven years ago. Since moving to town, he has been an active leader on many local boards, organizations and committees, from the Greater Old Saybrook Chamber to the Democratic Town Committee.
Justin’s run for the Zoning Commission and Board of Finance is informed by many years of work experience and civil service. For the last six years, he has served as an Alternate on the Saybrook Zoning Commission (prior to that, Justin served three years on the Zoning Commission in Madison).
During the pandemic, Justin was a member of The Small Business Success and Employment Subcommittee of the Old Saybrook Long Term Recovery Committee. Meanwhile, Justin’s professional career spans 24 years in sales, marketing and business ownership. In his current role, as senior director of Madison Logic, a software company, he leads a team that develops marketing programs for Fortune 1000 clients. Even so, his heart is deeply rooted in small business—if elected, he would tirelessly advocate for the small business community’s best interests. Overall, his goal is to help Old Saybrook grow in a strategic, focused, proactive, and fiscally responsible way, with clearly defined priorities to ensure that our children have a vibrant community to call home.