MEET THE CANDIDATES.
"All politics is local", Rep. Tip O'Neill used to say, and that's especially true here in Wilton. We are proud of our 200-year tradition of self-government and we guard our independence fiercely. That's why we've assembled a team of neighbors and parents who care enough about Wilton to give their time and expertise to make sure our town runs smoothly and professionally. While Hartford and Washington see a "one size fits all" world, we know Wilton is unique. We need local leaders focused on local issues, not national politics.
Our platform is simple yet critically important to all of us who love Wilton:
- Ensure an exceptional education for our students.
- Boost Wilton's economy by supporting local businesses.
- Support local law enforcement to foster a safe, thriving community.
- Further Wilton's efforts as a leader in both environmental sustainability and green, open space.
- Preserve independent decision-making for Wilton.
Our team is smart, skilled, and reliably local. We invite you to get to know them:
Kim Healy
Board of Selectmen
Kim has made a lasting impact on a variety of organizations in town, where her energy love for Wilton has been on full display. She is currently a member of the Wilton Conservation Commission, Co-Chair of Wilton’s Minks to Sinks, and Treasurer for the Wilton Youth Council Project 2022.
Kim just completed six years on the Board of the Wilton Library (Board of Selectman appointed) where she held the roles of Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair and Secretary. Kim also has been Treasurer of the Wilton Youth Council, a CCD teacher for Our Lady of Fatima, and library assistant at Cider Mill.
A retired CPA, she was an auditor with Price Waterhouse Coopers and currently is a volunteer tax preparer for the AARP. Kim and her husband, Mike, moved to Wilton in 2008 and have four children, two of whom are still in high school.
It has been a tough 2020 and 2021 for our kids, small businesses, and our residents. Kim will bring a balance to the Board of Selectmen as Wilton navigates the challenges of post-pandemic life. She values accountability, transparency, and smart, responsible governance and her mission is to ensure Wilton remains a safe and nurturing environment for its residents.
Board of Education
Jess Christ and Jared Martin, our candidates for Board of Ed, are both parents with kids in Miller-Driscoll, Middlebrook, and Wilton High School. They will represent the interests of parents and students ahead of all others. When it comes to our children, Wilton parents deserve to be heard.
Jess Christ
Jess and her husband Colin moved to Wilton 2010 because of the town’s outstanding school system. She has been a realtor in Wilton and the surrounding area successfully juggled work and volunteering while raising three active children; Ella and Liam who attend Wilton High School and Phoebe who is a student at Middlebrook School. Jess was an integral part of a group of women who successfully started the Miller Driscoll Spring Carnival, the “Cider Mill’s Got Talent” talent show, Cider Mill Bingo, and most recently, Middlebrook’s Class of 2025 Spirit Night.
Jared Martin
Jared is politically unaffiliated. He and his wife Marnelli have been Wilton residents since 2015 with two delightful children attending public school at Middlebrook and Miller-Driscoll. Jared is a young business professional with a successful career in the Financial and FinTech industries including Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg, State Street & Charles River. He regularly conducts seminars for industry professionals on how to leverage applied quantitative finance concepts within existing investment management frameworks.He brings energy, intelligence and parental sensibilities to the Board of Education.
Board of Finance
The Board of Finance is critically important because it exercises oversight of the town’s finances and its members recommend a budget and a mill rate to the Annual Town Meeting. We are fortunate to have so much financial talent in town and our candidates for Board of Finance reflect that. Stewart Koenigsberg's world class financial experience and Rich Santosky's negotiating and management skills make for a formidable team watching out for our tax dollars. Monty Du and Matt Raimondi bring new perspectives and energy to the Board.
Stewart Koenigsberg
Incumbent
Stewart has served on Board of Finance for four years and has also served as a Trustee of the Wilton Employees’ Pension Plan and as a member of the Investment Committee.
The former President & CEO of GE Capital Markets, Stewart has extensive experience in budgeting and financial management having spent over thirty years in a variety of financial roles at GE Capital including as a Chief Financial Officer.
During his tenure on the Board of Finance, Wilton’s school rankings and financial performance have continued to improve, while costs have been contained to an average annual increase of ~1%. He has lived in Wilton since 1989, and his three children all attended Wilton public schools.
Rich Santosky
Rich is the Principal/President of one of NYC’s largest and most active real estate design and construction firms. In a business where fiscal responsibility is crucial, he understands the difference between costs and investments, the constraints of collective bargaining agreements (union contracts) and is astute at setting demanding budgets that are realistic and achievable.
A parent of four children who attend school in Wilton, Rich advocates for investment in our schools, not only as an educational provider but also as a major contributor to our real estate values. Rich spends his free time coaching Wilton Youth Sports and is committed to making Wilton a better place.
Mangtao "Monty" Du
Monty is an engineer trained at Columbia University. He has spent the past 25 years designing and building transportation infrastructure in Connecticut, New York and worldwide. He is a Principal and member of the Board of Directors at an engineering firm headquartered in Connecticut.
Monty has been in the United States for 28 years and has lived in Wilton for seven years with his wife and son who is a student in Wilton Public Schools. As a first-generation American, Monty embraces our democracy and the civic duties that come with citizenship. He has been an active participant in many community activities relating to local and State issues.
Monty used to be an avid surf fisherman staying up all nights by the waters trying to catch the big ones but work and family duties have encroached. He still tries to be outdoors whenever possible and loves splitting his own firewood and making maple syrup.
Matt Raimondi
As a native Wiltonian (WHS ’08) who recently moved back to Wilton with his wife, Kristen, in March 2020, Matt is passionate about helping Wilton continue to grow and thrive. He is intimately familiar with the town and its history, and his career investing in private companies makes him particularly attuned to the financial intricacies of building and managing financials and budgets. Matt is running so that he can work for all Wiltonians by bringing transparency and rigor to Wilton’s finances – and to make sure that our taxpayer money is allocated appropriately.
Since moving back to Wilton, Matt joined Wilton’s Economic Development Commission (“EDC”) where he works with the Board of Selectman to support local businesses and foster a strong business community in our town.
In addition to his day job and working with the EDC, Matt serves on the boards of the Kennedy Children’s Center, which provides special education preschool services to ~600 children in Harlem and the Bronx, and of the REACH Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that mental health care reaches all children and families. At both Kennedy and REACH, Matt serves on the finance and investing committees. Additionally, Matt also sits on the board of Friends of Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, where he serves as the board liaison to the legislature.
He earned his BA degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Planning & Zoning
This year our ability to make local decisions about the density and character of our town has been under intense pressure from political professionals in Hartford. Christopher Pagliano, Jill Warren and Chris Wilson are committed to holding the line on overdevelopment and making decisions about Wilton that preserve what is unique while planning for a future where our town is accessible to new neighbors who want to raise a family, start a business, or retire with dignity.
Christopher Pagliaro
Incumbent
A 25-year resident of Wilton and award-winning nationally recognized architect, Chris has served on the Wilton Planning & Zoning Commission since 2017. He previously served the community on the Council on Public Facilities and the Building Inspector’s Board of Appeals.
Chris has been a vocal proponent of forward-thinking during the development of the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) and has spearheaded the upcoming Master Planning with a passion to improve the built environment and quality of life in our community.
Chris and his wife, Dorothy, raised two children in Wilton, have served as coaches and officers in local booster organizations, and remain active with several local charities.
Jill Warren
Incumbent
A first-year law student with a bachelor’s degree in Human Biology, Health & Society from Cornell University, Jill brings a unique blend of public policy knowledge and a passion for advocacy to Wilton.
After college, Jill worked as a paralegal for a firm that handled child lead poisoning cases, working to provide justice to often economically disadvantaged, mentally disabled children.
Jill has a deep commitment to preserving the town's small-town charm while fostering appropriate and healthy growth. As a young person, Jill has continued to advocate for greater housing diversity in town and increased affordable housing during her time on the Commission, both of which are vital to Wilton's future.
Chris Wilson
Chris is a construction executive with years of valuable experience that is sorely needed on the Planning & Zoning Commission.
He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Connecticut and New York, holds Unlimited Contractor Licenses for HVAC and Plumbing in Connecticut, and is a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction.
He is an active parishioner at Our Lady of Fatima Church (where he took his marriage vows), a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus, and served nine years on the Wilton YMCA Board of Directors. Chris and his wife Diane have lived in Wilton for over 30 years and have two grown children who attended Wilton Public Schools.
Because of the Wilson family’s deep roots in town, Chris values Wilton’s unique character and will manage the town’s growth appropriately.
Boards of Appeals
Sometimes homeowners face hardships or special circumstances that require relief from strict enforcement of zoning codes or reconsideration of tax assessments. Rather than go to court, our town government provides a way for neighbors to work together to find a solution that meets the needs of the town and the individual. This is local government at it's very best. Our team is smart, professional, and known throughout Wilton.
Justin Anderson
Zoning Board of Appeals
One of the most respected and best-known residents in town, Justin is more familiar to many as the Wilton Handyman. His professional expertise is a superb match with the responsibilities of Zoning Board of Appeals.
Though born in Connecticut, Justin grew up in England before immigrating back to the US in 1999 and then to Wilton in 2007, drawn in by the close-knit, small-town feel. Justin understands local codes and requirements. His priorities as a ZBA member will be complying with these regulations, while also helping Wiltonians in difficult circumstances.
Tara Pagano
Zoning Board of Appeals (Alternate)
Tara is the Director, Finance & Marketing for Wiser Home, a custom home builder, and has 20 years of executive level experience in marketing, sales, and business development.
A Wilton native, Tara has raised four children who have gone through Wilton’s public schools. She has previously served on the board of directors of both Trackside Teen Center and A Better Chance Wilton, and has been a camp counselor at the Wilton YMCA.
Chris Gardner
Board of Assessment Appeals
A Wilton resident since 1977, Chris helped found the Wilton Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). He was an active member of the Wilton Volunteer Ambulance Corps for 17 years and has served as constable since 1984.
After serving honorably in the USAF from 1965 to 1969, he graduated from Iona College with an MBA. Today hed owns his own business selling and servicing Automated External Defibrillators (AED).
Chris and his wife Tina raised two children who attended Wilton Public Schools.
Town Constable
Constables carry out civil law enforcement duties such as serving and executing civil processes, serving tax warrants, and in some cases work with the United States Department of Agriculture on the eradication of certain diseases. Constables are elected to two year terms.
Lianne Griswold Acosta-Rua
Incumbent
Lianne is currently serving as a Constable and Justice of the Peace for Wilton, and has been an active member of the Wilton Garden Club and a volunteer for the Family and Children’s Agency. She has served as a volunteer for Minks to Sinks since 2010.
Born and raised in Connecticut, Lianne has spent most of her adult life in Wilton with her husband of 28 years.
Lisa Pojano
Incumbent
A senior project manager with expertise in IT and digital transformation, Lisa is currently serving as Constable.
She also serves the town as Vice-Chair of the Historic District and Properties Commission.
Lisa and her husband have been Wilton residents since 2004 and have two sons who attend Wilton Public Schools.
Peter Wrampe
Peter is a professor of Data Analytics at New York University and former international business executive with Union Carbide/Praxair.
He and his wife Kathleen have lived in Wilton since 1979 where they raised two children.
Peter is the chair of the WRTC, a former board member of the Energy & Utilities Commission, and is proud of never missing one of Wilton’s Clean Up Day events.