Congratulations to All Our Town Officials Elected in 2023!

Casey T. Flanagan

First Selectman

  • I find a great deal of joy in helping the people of Sharon solve their problems and issues. This role is less about me and all about them. I didn’t begin my career in public service with the desire to be First Selectman, but through my experience on the Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen, I feel like this is the right fit. Ultimately, when I think about what motivated me to run for this office, it always comes back to my son, Jack. I want to make sure that Sharon is a place he calls home and that he has fond memories of growing up here.

  • I’ve heard it said that “We are not simple people; we are people who like to live simply.” That is what I like the most about Sharon. I grew up here. The people who have remained here and those who have moved here all seem to see Sharon as a place of respite from the complexity of the world.

  • I consider myself a dog person.

Lynn Kearcher

Selectman

  • I believe that one person in one town can make a significant change; three people working together in one town can make change in a timely and productive way. The office of Selectman will give me the chance to serve the people of Sharon. As a native, and as someone who has lived in a handful of major cities working professionally, I believe I possess the ability to listen to the needs of everyone in town and champion positive changes while preserving the essence of the community.

  • Impossible to name one. The beauty of the town, the spirit of the people. Most residents have a shared purpose, a shared belief that the individual has a right to a voice in a public forum, that the environment should be revered, and that public service is a responsibility for all.

  • Ms. Marvel. I admire her ability to alter her appearance, heal herself and use her wit and intelligence to read people and forecast disaster before it happens. I’d like to think my superpower might be to be make people laugh when they least want to.

Thomas H. Bartram

Board of Finance

  • I was asked to fill a vacancy on the Board so it was sudden. I had spent many years on the Board of Selectmen and worked with Finance closely so it seemed a natural fit. I have enjoyed my years on Finance very much.

  • As a lifelong resident, I'm not sure I can single out one thing I like best, but if I have to pick one, I guess it's the people........Sharon has a wonderful array of citizens who have done great work locally, nationally, and internationally. Everyone you meet has a story to tell.....I enjoy hearing them all!

  • 👍.....usually a sign we are all in agreement!

Carol Flaton

Board of Finance

  • I wanted to contribute to the town (and the community) and volunteering for a town board seemed like a good way to do that

  • Good people, strong community and an incredible place to live; it’s a privilege to call it home

  • Nutella

John P. Hecht

Board of Finance

  • After attending both Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance meetings, I wanted to become involved in helping to maintain and improve the attributes that Sharon is known for. Searching for savings that can be achieved in all areas of the Town and School budgets without negatively impacting education or quality of life in Sharon will be my goal.

  • The "Peaceful, Easy Feeling" to quote the Eagles. The quaint setting with nature all around us is very special as well as the kindness of our neighbors, friends, and people we have been able to meet.

  • Boston creme pie

Christine C. Clare

Board of Finance

  • Last September, I retired from my accounting and bookkeeping practice. I would like to use my professional expertise and life skills to make a contribution to our community. A few things of importance to me include education, moderate-income housing, and services that make people happy and encourage them to stay, like the newly expanded Library, Mudge Pond, and the Sharon Green.

  • My husband and I were attracted to the small-town feel and the natural beauty and history of the town and surrounding areas. People are friendly and, while it’s not “Cheers,” most days you will be greeted with a warm smile. And the parking is effortless!

  • 😃

Larry Rand

Planning and Zoning

  • I retired from teaching at Kent in 2006 after 40 years there. We have been Sharon residents since 1969. Shortly after my retirement, Liz Piel asked me if I would like to run for P&Z. I accepted the invitation because I loved Sharon and wanted to serve the town in whatever way I could.

  • Sharon is a beautiful rural town with community spirit. These and other qualities make it a perfect place to live.

  • I adore dogs and can't imagine living without one. Carol and I have had dogs since we were married in 1966. Dogs provide love, friendship, and so much more.

Larry Moskowitz

Planning and Zoning

  • As a practical thinker, I wanted to lend my voice regarding planning and zoning issues in Sharon.

  • I respect the blending of city and rural values that support a very vibrant lifestyle.

  • Texting

Jill Drew

Planning and Zoning

  • I want to be part of the conversation about Sharon's future.

  • The strong volunteer ethos that motivates trailbuilders for the Land Trust, the first responders on the ambulance and fire squads, the supporters of our many non-profits, and the people who serve on town boards and commissions.

  • 💙Blue heart💙

  • I want to help the town of Sharon plan for a vibrant, resilient future while keeping its historic, rural character.

  • The amazingly interesting, smart, and energetic people who work and live here.

  • A croissant from Le Gamin

Planning and Zoning

Katy Kinsolving

Debbie Hanlon

Assessment Appeals

  • I grew up in Sharon, moved away for a while and moved back about eight years ago. I would like to be more involved in the town and I feel this is a good way for me to start. I believe myself to be a fair person. I believe all people have a right to be heard. And I believe the rules must be followed the same for everyone.

  • Everything. It's my home town — the beauty of it, the quaintness of it, walking into a business and they know your name and your parents and your grandparents.

  • The power to Heal. My most-used emoji is Care 🥰

Elizabeth Forstmann

Assessment Appeals

  • A town is a summation of small but important responsibilities and I am honored to be part of the municipal process. My position on the Board of Assessment Appeals affords me the opportunity to serve the town and its residents without having an agenda except to be fair and to follow the guidelines set forth by the town and state.

  • There are so many it’s hard to pin down, but I really love our town’s quiet rural nature along with the town’s three centuries of time-honored sophistication. These aspects, coupled with the warm and inviting nature of the town, make it a wonderful place to raise a family.

  • I cannot choose between cats and dogs as I love them both. I am unquestionably an animal person.

Nancy Hegy Martin

Board of Education

  • After 30 years of holding various administrative and marketing positions, I have spent the past 15 at local non-profits. I was the Director of SOAR at Salisbury Central before becoming the Administrative Director for the 21st Century Fund for HVRHS. Last year, I retired as Director of the HVRHS Mahoney-Hewat Science and Technology Center. These jobs have given me great joy because they gave me the opportunity to get to know and serve students within our region. I am also an appreciative parent of two Sharon Center School and HVRHS graduates.

  • The people

  • Thumbs Up, followed by the Heart, 👍 & ❤

Philip B. O’Reilly

Board of Education

  • I have been working in public education for more than 43 years, beginning as a paraeducator, then teacher, principal, and since 2005 as a superintendent of schools. Having served in schools, working with teachers and staff, families and communities, I wish to continue this service in my own town of Sharon.

  • Since the first moment I arrived in Sharon as a principal candidate in 2001, I have been in awe of Sharon's natural beauty and all it has provided for my family, including a supportive church community and truly wonderful learning, athletic and artistic opportunities for my six children.

  • As an owner of four labrador retrievers, I am certainly a dog person

Allen I. Young

Zoning Appeals

  • A desire to make a positive contribution to life in Sharon.

  • It’s a real community where people enjoy the company of others

  • Emailing

Brian E. Abut

Zoning Appeals

  • I wanted to be part of a larger community here in Sharon.

  • Three vistas that I love to pass: Dunbar Road at Cornwall Bridge Road; Sharon Valley Road looking up at the Sharon Land Trust trail; and strangely, sunset from The Edward, despite all the telephone and cable wires.

  • Is Samantha Stevens from Bewitched a superhero? If so, then her. She can fly, be invisible, teleport, go back in time, start fires and clean the room with a twitch of her nose. I'm in!

Donna C. DiMartino

Zoning Appeals

  • I wanted to contribute to the town I grew up in, love, and call home.

  • I love being able to take walks in the fields and open spaces of our town.

  • The ability to feed the world and stop war

Sara Cousins

Regional Board of Ed

  • I view running again for the Region One Board as an opportunity to repay all those Sharon residents who, over the past 200 years, have taken on the obligation of volunteering to make this town what it is today. By volunteering as the Sharon Representative to the Region One Board of Education I can show my gratitude through action.

  • My absolute favorite thing about Sharon is its natural beauty. Wow! Just stunning. I am so grateful for the shared values of preserving the historic quality of our town and the many groups that support and create the trails and open spaces for all to enjoy.

  • My most-used emojis are Peace ✌ or Scared/Stressed 😬 – because if we are texting each other, these two cover a lot of our typical emotional states!

Tina M. Pitcher

Treasurer

  • In high school and college, I always thought I would become an accountant. Life happened and I ended up working for the Town. Toward the end of her interest in continuing as Town Treasurer, I helped the previous Treasurer with most of the work involved with the position, so when she decided not to run again, it was only natural for me to want to continue with this work.

  • Mostly the people you meet every day, the rural environment we live in and the amount of volunteerism.

  • Actually NEITHER. I prefer to “talk” to people. With the interaction, you can get a sense of what the person is feeling and that interaction can be comforting.

Tax Collector

Donna Christensen

  • I enjoy working with people. Along with collecting taxes for the Town, I am able to help taxpayers with issues they might be facing. I have been able to meet many great people over the years and I look forward to continuing to serve the Town of Sharon.

  • Its natural beauty

  • Ice Cream