I heartily endorse Kathleen Keresey for a second term on the West Stockbridge Selectboard

To the  editor:

I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for Kathleen Keresey for West Stockbridge Selectboard.

Kathleen has the experience, demeanor, professionalism, and communication skills that will serve the Town of West Stockbridge very well in a 2nd term on the selectboard.  As a person whose family has long roots in West Stockbridge, where she grew up, she knows the town very well. I am very grateful that she decided to run for a second term as there will be continuity in the contributions that she will be able to make to the town.

In the pandemic Kathleen was instrumental in securing grant funds that supported local businesses that had to adjust their operations.   She worked diligently with Jon Piasecki in assisting in the completion of the Host Community Agreement that he needed for the expansion of his cannabis cultivation business. This enabled Jon to move forward as a business-person and bring economic development to the town because of his business.  Kathleen has contributed to the updating of the Master Plan that the planning board has been engaged in.  The master plan work included a survey of residents that showed support for affordable senior housing. Kathleen has worked to follow up on that and now the town is poised to take a next, and important, step to create an Affordable Housing Trust for the town. I could go on – she has done so much good work.

Her goals have always been in the very best interests of the town.  They emanate from her love of the town, experience in her own career, an innate readiness to always learn and know more, and her many hours of work in the last three years that she has served on the selectboard.

Most recently I have seen her work on issues relating to growth and evolution towards professionalization in the management of the town, with a forward looking approach, and no narrow agenda.  She always sees issues broadly and never favors one group or faction in the town.

Again, I heartily endorse Kathleen for a 2nd term on the selectboard.  I urge all town residents to vote for her in next Monday’s election.

Best,
Dana Bixby
West Stockbridge