Education
Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration
M.A. in Public Policy, Trinity College
B.S. in Criminal Justice, Minor in Political Science, University of New Haven
About Tom
Tom has 25 years of experience in local, state, and federal government. He taught political science at the University of New Haven from 2016-2021 and returned in 2024. He received the University of New Haven’s Excellence in Teaching Award for non-tenured faculty in 2018.
Tom was elected State Representative of the 42nd District in the Connecticut General Assembly in 2004 and re-elected in 2006, 2008, and 2010. He rose to Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, the chamber's fourth highest-ranking legislator. He served as Vice Chair of the Public Safety and Security Committee and member of the Education Committee and Planning and Development Committee. He also served as a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, as Chair of its Regulation & Protection Subcommittee, Chair of its General Government Subcommittee, and member of its Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee, and Results-Based Accountability Subcommittee.
Tom was a leader in the legislature on many issues, including budget and tax reform, government performance and accountability, education reform and finance, regionalization of municipal services, drunk driving, and casino impact aid. He received wide recognition for raising public awareness of and inspiring a legislative response to Connecticut’s ongoing fiscal crisis following his authorship of two policy reports, including Crisis: A Terrible Thing to Waste—Connecticut’s Budget Dilemma and the Opportunity for Reform and Wake Up Call: Connecticut’s Fiscal and Economic Crisis and a Roadmap for Recovery and Reform.
Tom served as Co-Chair of the DUI Reform Working Group and Co-Chair of the Task Force on Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities. He was a member of the Municipal Opportunities and Regional Efficiencies (MORE) Commission, the Task Force on Adoption and Foster Care, and the Smart Growth Task Force and Chair of its Regionalization Subcommittee. He represented the State of Connecticut on the Council of State Government’s Education Committee and the New England Secondary School Consortium (NESSC).
Before his election to the state legislature, Tom was elected to the Ledyard Town Council from 2003-2004 and was a member of the Education Committee and Transportation Task Force of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM). He was elected to the Ledyard Board of Education from 1995-2003 and served as Chairman of the Board from 1999-2003. In addition, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE).
Tom served as a Congressional Aide in the U.S. Senate from 1989-1994. He has volunteered on dozens of local, state, and national political campaigns.
Tom served as an administrator at Connecticut College, Manchester Community College, and The Williams School.
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