Last night the Board of Education met for the first time since three new members were elected to the board by Wilton voters in November. With Thursday night’s start of the new board makeup came the need for the members to choose their leadership, and they did so last night, voting to name Debbie Low to the position of BOE chair.
“I do want to say, ‘Thank you to everyone for your support,’ and I also want to thank once again our retired members, Lory Rothstein, Laura Schwemm and Chris Finkelstein,” Low said.
She added a message for the new members who were sworn in last month and were at their first meeting.
“I want to congratulate everyone on a successful campaign and I look forward to working with you. Wilton has a tradition of pretty effective Boards of Ed. So as new members and new officers, we have our work cut out for us. I wish us all good luck.”
Low, who was elected to the BOE just two years ago, is a former superintendent of the Ridgefield School District. Before that, Low worked 20 years in Wilton, including serving as Wilton High School principal and district assistant superintendent.
Following the vote for Low’s chairmanship, the Board members then chose Glenn Hemmerle to serve as vice chair, and then moved to appoint Gretchen Jeanes as the BOE secretary. Like Low, Jeanes was elected to the board in 2017; Hemmerle was first elected to the BOE in 2013, and was re-elected in 2017.
The three new members who joined the board as of Dec. 1 are Ruth DeLuca, Jennifer Lalor and Mandi Schmauch.
