School Board Fills Gissen Vacancy

On Monday, June 4, the Board of Education announced the appointment of Lillian Bittman to fill the vacancy left following the resignation of Tom Gissen from the board last month. Three candidates were considered for the position.

Board Vice Chair Lisa Schwartz said that while all three candidates were very strong, “There was a certain dynamic feeling with Lillian. She was energetic. She had done her homework and was up to speed on board issues.”

Ms Bittman brings diverse skills to the board. She began her career as a journalist, writing for a daily paper in Oklahoma. After a year there, she moved to Rochester, Minn., a city of 130,000, where she created Rochester Magazine, a monthly publication.

Her involvement with the magazine led to work as the associate managing director of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, where she was responsible for coordinating a strategic planning effort overseeing numerous task forces that led to a downtown redesign and development. One of Rochester’s largest employers, IBM, then availed itself of Ms Bittman’s services in sales and marketing.

Since coming to Newtown in 1995, she has been a stay-at-home mom for her three children, ages 7, 12, and 15. When her oldest daughter started school at Sandy Hook Elementary, Ms Bittman got involved with the Footprint Post, the school’s newspaper. She has volunteered for the paper since, creating a curriculum for the students on the editorial staff.

When Reed School opened, she offered her services to principal Donna Denniston who accepted. Ms Bittman adapted the curriculum she developed for Sandy Hook School to the fifth/sixth grade level and guides the staff who publish the Patriot Press.

She looks forward to this newest challenge, saying, “I feel I’m up to it. There’s always a learning curve. I’ve been on the beginning end of the learning curve before. I know what I need to do to get up to speed quickly.”

Board Chair Elaine McClure cited Ms Bittman’s journalism background and communication skills as well as her interest in the high school expansion project, saying, “She’s strengthening areas where the board could use strengthening.”