Carol Walsh, Ph.D.

I moved to Newtown with my husband and two young children in 2005 when my company relocated to Trumbull, CT. Of all the towns we could have chosen, the decision to move to Newtown was largely driven by the excellent reputation of the schools and the family-friendly environment. Although it was very difficult leaving our friends and neighbors in NJ, we quickly grew to love the open spaces, historic homes and the ice cream from the local creamery! 

I grew up on Long Island and attended Stony Brook University where I received both a B.S. in Allied Health Sciences and a Ph.D. in Oral Biology and Pathology.  My professional experience has been in the consumer products industry where I rose from bench scientist to project leadership and management positions with responsibility for basic research, clinical studies, and product safety. I currently hold a Director position leading a team of roughly 30 scientists with diverse backgrounds such as cell & molecular biology, chemistry and physics. I have responsibility for the strategic and technical direction of the research, the professional development of my team members, and a budget in excess of $7 million. In this capacity I am also responsible for engaging with external partners and have negotiated numerous contracts with universities and small biotech firms.

I am honored to be nominated by the Independent Party of Newtown for the Board of Finance. I have been inspired by the knowledge, passion and commitment of my fellow candidates.  I am concerned with responsible development in Newtown, maintaining a superior school system, and avoiding wasteful spending. One of the characteristics that drew my husband and me to Newtown was the unique New England charm. We should support commercial development without creating traffic congestion or detracting from the beauty of Newtown.  The quality of our school system is directly linked to our children’s future success and the value of our properties. We should strive to bring the school system back to Blue-Ribbon status while maintaining an infrastructure that anticipates population growth.  Long range planning is critical to successful development. In my professional life I have seen how lack of access to capital can limit success and how seemingly arbitrary budget cuts can derail projects and kill momentum. On the other hand, budget pressures can often drive critical thinking and appropriate prioritization.  I support a system of accounting that allows us to track spending and maximize the value of our tax dollars.