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Knowledge, Passion, and Commitment

Local elections have a greater influence on people’s daily lives than national ones; Nov. 7 is our chance to choose the people who will make the decisions that directly impact our community.

One of those choices should be Dr. Erica Gelven, candidate for Board of Education (BOE). When circumstances prevented me from continuing my BOE service, I asked Erica to volunteer for the appointment to fill my seat. I knew that Erica had the knowledge, the passion, and the commitment to make a positive difference for Clinton. Since her appointment in 2016, Erica has proven me right time and again.

With her Ph.D. in developmental psychology, Erica knows what children need at each developmental stage to thrive. She uses this knowledge to ensure that the district is meeting those requirements. Her work on the homework committee is just one example of Erica’s efforts to ensure that our children are being appropriately challenged while also attending to their social and emotional needs. With her experiences as a professor at Three Rivers Community College and Quinnipiac University, Erica also understands exactly what it means to for our children to be “college and career ready,” a catch phrase that people throw around but that Erica lives.

Erica has also proven that she is willing to make tough decisions, including cutting teachers, when the numbers dictate that it makes financial and educational sense to do so. Always with an eye to her responsibility to all of Clinton’s citizens, Erica strives to do the right thing for the right reasons.

I am lucky to call Erica Gelven my friend; Clinton is lucky to have her as its representative on the BOE. On Nov. 7, I encourage your readers to make the right choice for our community and vote for Erica Gelven for BOE.

Kim Buckley

Clinton