Anne Santoro

East Lyme has grown in many positive ways since my husband Fred and I moved here in 1989 to raise our family.  Improvements resulted from the leadership and collaboration of Town boards and commissions, Town departments, non-profit organizations, and small businesses.  I would like to continue this positive trajectory as First Selectman and am ready to take on the work of this important office.

I am currently Deputy First Selectman, serving in that role since my election to the Board of Selectmen in 2021.  As Deputy I have worked closely with First Selectman Seery and developed a solid understanding of the responsibilities of his office.  As a Selectman, I have taken on vital leadership roles, including serving as Chair of the ARP Subcommittee to determine the distribution of federal Covid relief funding, and most currently, Co-Chair of the Short-Term Rental Committee to identify issues and develop solutions.  Further, my Selectman duties as Ex-Officio to the Library Board of Trustees, Water and Sewer Commission, and Town Building Committee have added to my knowledge of municipal operations and issues.

From 2017-2021 I served on the Town’s Board of Finance, having oversight of our annual budgets and other financial matters.  Here I also took on critical leadership roles, including in the writing of a Town Purchasing Policy and in serving on the Public Safety Building Subcommittee.

I am an attorney, not currently practicing.  I served as Counsel for the Connecticut municipalities of Milford and Greenwich.  I also worked as an attorney at the Smithsonian’s contracting and procurement office, negotiating and drafting large scale contracts, and subsequently served as Chair of the Intellectual Property Section of the Connecticut Bar Association.

Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, I graduated from Stanford University in California and the University of Connecticut School of Law.  Good fortune brought Fred and me to East Lyme to settle and Fred was able to open his pediatric practice in Town.  Our two children, Thomas and Victoria, graduated from the East Lyme School system and are now enjoying careers in law and finance, respectively.

When not serving the Town, I enjoy teaching and playing tennis, walking our dog Kaiya, visiting museums, and following developments at all levels of government.

Looking forward, I see more positive changes possible for our Town if we prioritize, among other things, public safety, long-term budgeting, thoughtful policy on difficult land use issues, as well as encouraging greater public engagement.  I hope to bring my skills and experience to the office of First Selectman to accomplish this work.