2025 CANDIDATES

first selectman:
Sean donlan

Sean, a local attorney, has been active in town government and politics since moving to Haddam in 2001.  He has served four terms as selectman and two years on the board of finance. He has been actively involved with local community organizations, including Haddam Little League, Knights of Columbus and the Haddam Lions Club. He also served in the Massachusetts National Guard.

He is married to Kristin Kalayjian Donlan and has three children, Emma 25, Andrew 23 and Kate 19.

selectman (incumbent):
Peter Baird

Peter and his wife Jane moved to Haddam 24 years ago for its access to the river and beautiful hills to raise their family, His two sons are both graduates of HK Schools.

He has previously served two terms on the Planning and Zoning Commission, four years on the Board of Finance, and the last two years as a town Selectman. He is also on the Higganum Cove Committee.

Peter worked as a Senior Associate for MDRC, a large social policy research firm where he engaged in research and policymaking on some of our toughest social problems, including poverty, health, education and urban planning. He has headed a number of evaluation projects including efforts to help veterans with disabilities to return to the workforce.

selectman: GINA BLOCK

Gina Block was born and raised in New England and has lived in Higganum with her husband for the past 16 years. They are excited to raise their two young children in this vibrant community and explore all that Haddam has to offer. As a resident, homeowner, and mother in town, Gina has a vested interest in helping Haddam fulfill its true potential.

Gina is passionate about giving back to her community. She has been a DTC member since moving to Higganum in 2009 and is currently serving her 8th year as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission. She has advocated for and aided in the creation of conservation zones, village districts, and works to foster small-scale growth principles.

Gina has had a full 20-year career in design, but is pausing to pursue a Master’s degree. She also serves as the current Legislative Aide for State Senator Norm Needleman, and looks forward to furthering her activism with the Connecticut Democratic Party at both the state and municipal levels.

town clerk: sarah pytlik

Sarah, a native of Killingworth and graduate of HK High School (1998), owns her own hair salon and manages the administrative work for her husband’s construction and excavation business. She moved to Haddam in 2009 to raise her family and has four children, ages 21, 20, 16, and 8. She also serves the town’s economic development committee.

  • PLANNING & ZONING: MIKE FARINA

    Michael, a resident of Higganum for the past 15 years, serves as secretary to the Haddam Planning and Zoning Commission and the Haddam Economic Development Commission. He also is the town appointed to the CT River Gateway Commission and a member of  the St Peter Church Parish Council.

    Michael is retired from Walt Disney/ABC TV and served as the Director of Network Studio Operations East and West Coast.

  • PLANNING & ZONING ALTERNATE: JOSEPH DALTON

    Joe and his wife moved to Haddam in 2014 and have two children in the HK school system. He is a board member of HK Little League and is an active member of the Haddam Historical Society. Joe says he is looking forward to supporting the town in what makes it special and unique, balancing natural/historical preservation along with meaningful and beneficial economic growth and development.

  • PLANNING & ZONING ALTERNATE (INCUMBENT): DOROTHY GILLESPIE

    Dorothy, a retired high school science teacher, moved to Dublin Hill Road in Higganum 32 years ago with her husband, Mike Jantsch. Foster dogs are often part of our family as we've just adopted out the adorable Rusty -- number 26 to grace our lives.

    She has served as P&Z alternate for the past two years and was on the Higganum Cove Commission.  “I believe Haddam is such a gem, full of so much natural beauty. We have so much -- so much natural beauty and so many good people. I'd like to see our business tax base grow to alleviate the burden of personal property taxes while still retaining the small-town feel.

  • BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS: BILL GRESHAM

    Bill is retired from Travelers Insurance after 32 years managing asbestos litigation. He has two adult children, and he and his wife Karen have been married for 40+ years.

    Bill is a member of the Haddam Historical Society Board of Directors, a member of the Haddam Wetlands Commission, and an active volunteer with the Connecticut Forest & Parks Association (managers of the Blue Blaze trails in CT).

  • BOARD OF EDUCATION: SONJA CHARPENTIER

    Sonja has lived in Haddam with her husband for over ten years. They have two children—a rising third grader at Burr Elementary and a preschooler. A dedicated educator, Sonja is a math and science teacher at Coginchaug Regional High School.

    Since January, she has served on the Region #17 Board of Education, where she brings a valuable classroom perspective as its only currently active teacher. She is on the Board’s curriculum committee.  Sonja is active in the community—leading sewing workshops and STEM summer camps through Haddam-Killingworth Parks and Recreation. She is a member of the Haddam Women’s Club.  

  • BOARD OF EDUCATION: Kelly Haeckel

    Kelly is a lifelong resident of Higganum for over 36 years where she currently resides with her husband, son and dog.  A graduate of Haddam-Killingworth High School, the class of 2000, Kelly grew up in Higganum and attended Haddam Elementary School and Haddam-Killingworth Middle School.

    She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in Healthcare Administration from the University of Connecticut in Storrs. She is currently the Vice President for Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer for Middlesex Health where she has over 20 years of healthcare and leadership experience.

  • BOARD OF EDUCATION: MATTHEW RIGGS

    Matt and his wife, Tiffany, moved to Haddam 23 years ago, first living in the 1840s home built by the Shailer family and now off of Walkley Hill Road where they have more property to raise chickens and goats. Their oldest daughter graduated from HK in 2022, while their youngest daughter is a rising senior.

    Matt is Chief Science Officer at Metrum Research Group, which specializes in biomedical modeling and simulation.

  • ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS: Rob Harlow

    Rob was born in Haddam and grew up across from the jail. A marketing executive, Rob and his wife Nicole have two kids in HK Schools. He is active in community activities, including Little League, HK PTO, metal detecting, and the Haddam Historical Society.

  • ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS ALTERNATE: ELIZABETH DEVLIN

    Bio forthcoming!

  • ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS alternate (incumbent): deb rutter

    Deb and her husband, Bruno Morasutti, have lived in town for almost 40 years. They have 2 children, both proud H-K graduates. She was a librarian for 47 years and retired two years ago after 23 years as the Deputy Director of the Cheshire Public Library. In 2024, Deb served as the interim director of the Brainerd Library. For the past 2 years, she has served on the ZBA as an alternate.