Running for the Shelton Board of Aldermen as a bi-partisan team to put our community before partisan politics.

David Gidwani has been a resident of Shelton for more than 20 years and is currently seeking re-election to the Board of Aldermen for what would be his 3rd term. He is passionate about community service and helping others, having a proven track record of helping residents across Shelton with constituent services and navigating City Hall. He is an advocate for clean and transparent government, keeping taxes low, and for fair funding for education. He was essential to the “Vote No on Charter'' campaign during last year’s general election, having the courage to be the only Alderman to publicly speak out against the proposal. A registered Republican, David is proud to be running as part of the bi-partisan Envision Shelton team. He believes strongly in the principle of putting the people of Shelton first, before partisan politics.

David resides in Shelton’s 1st Ward with his wife of 23 years and his two teenage children, one who currently attends Shelton Public Schools and another who is a recent graduate of Shelton High School. Outside of Public Service, David has served on the Board of Directors for the Sikorsky Credit Union.

“I always want to be there for the people of Shelton, which is why I chose to run in the first place. I’m not doing this for recognition. I am doing this to help others.”

Michele Bialek is a third generation Sheltonite and 2nd Ward Aldermanic candidate. She and her husband Fred love their Coram Gardens neighborhood, where they are raising their 6 children. Michele was a successful small business owner in the heart of the downtown area for over 10 years, where she developed a deep relationship with the community in her beloved city. Michele’s vision for Shelton is one of cooperative governance, honorable and respectful growth, and care for all of its residents - especially those who cannot speak for themselves. She believes we can achieve this vision by building innovative industry partnerships to support continued grand list growth and taking advantage of infrastructure opportunities.

Michele believes that Shelton is poised to become a vibrant center for Agro and Cultural Tourism. As a representative on the Board of Aldermen, Michele will fairly and honorably represent the residents of Ward 2 and will take the time to truly understand their needs and ideas. She will bring a cooperative, inspired, and productive energy to the Aldermanic table, and will work towards realizing her vision of a Vibrant and celebrated Shelton.

Michele was an active member in the chamber for 12 years, was a founding member of the Mary Schmecker Turtle Shell Fund (an annual high school arts scholarship), was the co-founder of Soupstock Music Food and Arts Festival, and is a member of the Shelton Farmer's Market Association, She joined the Shelton Public School Community Committee in 2018 and has been a mentor for two years.

“We live on one of the most beautiful and historic waterways in the country. Let’s work together to celebrate our beautiful city’s storied history, while embracing the possibilities for our future growth.”

Matt McGee is a lifelong resident of Shelton, a graduate of Shelton Public Schools, and is currently a full time commuter student at Southern Connecticut State University studying Political Science. He is passionate about strengthening our community and is running to represent you as your Alderman from the 3rd Ward. He has been very successful as a community organizer, co-founding organizations such as SHS Students For Change and Envision Shelton-- the latter being the bi-partisan group that led the "Vote No on Charter'' campaign during last year's general election. Matt has served as Envision Shelton's Treasurer before moving into his current position as Field Director, and is immensely proud of the work Envision Shelton has done to bring people together around shared interests and common goals. He plans to use the skills and experiences he acquired while organizing these groups when serving on the Board of Aldermen.

In his free time, Matt is an AmeriCorps Volunteer at the East End NRZ Pop Up Market & Café, working to end the issue of food insecurity that plagues Bridgeport's East End community.

“Being a community leader is about bringing people together to achieve common goals. Together, we can keep taxes low, fairly fund education, and open up City Hall to truly be the people’s hall once again.”

Chris Jones is a 3rd generation Sheltonite with deep roots in Community involvement and is running for 3rd Ward Alderman. Chris, his wife Joanne, and their two children, Gabriella and Brady, reside in the Long Hill neighborhood.

Chris is a US Army Veteran and has owned and operated All Premier Hardwood Flooring for over 20 years. He is a valued member of Shelton's Sutter - Terlizzi Post 16 American Legion and has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley for over 40 years where he serves as the President of their Alumni Association. Additionally, Chris is a Veteran member of the Echo Hose H & L Co #1 and serves as one of their Trustees. He has served on the Board of Aldermen and the Planning & Zoning Commission in the past, giving him extensive experience combing through Shelton’s budget and development proposals.

Chris is a registered Republican running as an Envision Shelton candidate because he believes in working with people who produce results and have the City's best interests at heart.

“Let’s restore Shelton to be a place where you are proud to be from, and to bring our pride to a higher level.”

After 4 years of service on the Shelton Board of Education, Mandy Kilmartin has recognized that to affect meaningful and positive change in the community, change must first come to the leadership at City Hall. Fed up with the current “us vs. them” approach to governance, Mandy is running for 4th Ward Alderman to represent the un-heard and underrepresented voices of Shelton residents and families. Mandy is a tireless advocate for transparent and collaborative communication. Some of her most recent accomplishments on the BOE include spearheading the widely praised 2020 SHS Graduation Committee and helping to draft- and pass- the new Student Representative policy.

Mandy’s firm commitment to putting people ahead of party has led her to become a founding member of the bi-partisan Envision Shelton coalition, where her work on Envision Shelton’s “Vote NO on Charter” campaign last year was key to the successful defeat of the Charter Revision proposal. She also serves as a member of the BOE Finance and Policy Committees.

Outside of her community work, Mandy works as an Associate Director for Planetree International, where she coaches healthcare leaders and providers on the implementation of person-centered practices, both across the U.S. and around the world. She is a former Booth Hill School PTO Treasurer, a busy Lacrosse Mom in the Spring, a Football Mom in the fall, and has lived in Shelton with her husband Doug and their two children for 15 years.

"By working across the aisle, towards a shared community vision, we can build a stronger Shelton that works for all."

Michelle Laubin has been a resident of Shelton since 2006, a member of the Board of Apportionment & Taxation since 2018, and is now seeking to represent the 4th Ward on the Board of Aldermen.

Michelle is a graduate of Wells College and Northeastern University School of Law, and has practiced education law with the firm of Berchem Moses, P.C. in Milford, representing Connecticut school districts since 1996. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN), a member of the Shelton Democratic Town Committee (DTC), a member of the Shelton Racial Awareness and Cultural Education (RACE) Committee, and has recently expanded this work to the Valley NAACP Education Committee.

In her role as a member of the Board of Apportionment & Taxation, Michelle has been an advocate for fair funding for education and city services, as well as fiscal responsibility and accountability. She believes that these goals are best achieved by striving for a bipartisan coalition of ideas, and working with Envision Shelton is an excellent way to achieve this ideal. She worked on the 2020 campaign to oppose the Charter Revision through the Shelton DTC, and believes strongly that the Board of A&T has an important role to play in the budget process and should be strengthened, not eliminated.

“Imagine what we can do if we work together.”