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Marpe was first elected to the Board of Selectmen in November 2013. Current Second Selectman Avi Kaner, Marpe’s running mate in 2013, said he has decided not to run for reelection due to the increasing demands of managing his family business. Kaner will serve as the Marpe-Tooker campaign chairman.
“I am delighted to announce my decision to run for reelection as First Selectman of Westport. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to serve our community, and I look forward to four more years of working on behalf of all Westporters to preserve and improve the town we all love,” said Marpe. “Second Selectman Avi Kaner has been a tremendous asset on the Board of Selectmen, and has been integral to the success of our administration. I am deeply grateful to Avi for all of his contributions to our town, and for his continued support.”
Marpe also discussed Tooker’s qualifications to serve as Second Selectman, stating, “I am fortunate to have found a new running mate that has an exemplary record of service to Westport. Jen has a wealth of knowledge about the Town's fiscal issues, and as a former member of the Board of Education, is a committed advocate for Westport’s world-class school system. Jen is also an accomplished businesswoman, and I know she will be a very valuable addition to the Board of Selectmen.”
“I am honored by the opportunity to serve Westport on the Board of Selectmen, and enthusiastically support Jim Marpe’s bid for a second term," Tooker said. "With Jim’s continued stewardship of our town, we are better positioned to address the difficulties we face due to financial mismanagement and failed leadership in Hartford."
Prior to serving on the Board of Selectmen, Marpe was twice elected to Westport’s Board of Education. He served as interim chairman and was vice chairman of the Board of Education from 2007 to 2012. He was a member of three Teacher Contract Negotiation Teams and served on the Town Plan Implementation Committee.
Marpe retired as a Senior Partner of Accenture, a leading global management consulting and computer technology services company. He has a BS from Case Western Reserve University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
He has been involved in a number of community organizations, including the Westport/Weston Family Y, Homes with Hope, Green’s Farms Congregational Church, and the Westport Rotary Club.
A Westport resident since 1989, Jim is married to Mary Ellen and they have one daughter, Samantha.
Tooker is a recently retired executive from Gen Re, following a 22-year career where she served in various leadership and management positions on the marketing and underwriting side of the reinsurance business in both the United States and Europe. She is a current member of the Westport Board of Finance, and was elected to that board in November 2013. Prior to serving on the Board of Finance, she served on the Westport Board of Education.
Tooker continues to focus on education, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the State Education Resource Center, the Adam J. Lewis Preschool in Bridgeport and serves on Bishop Frank Caggiano's Education Commission for the Diocese of Bridgeport.
As a community volunteer, Tooker serves on the Westport/Weston Family Y Board of Trustees, is a member of the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club and serves on the Sunrise Rotary 21st Century Foundation Board.
Tooker received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and International Studies from the University of Notre Dame. She is married to Mo, and they have three children, Jack, Riley and Nicole, who attend the Westport public schools.
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