To the Editor:

I am writing to add my voice in support of Todd Higgins as a candidate for the Board of Education. As someone who has worked with Todd for nearly twenty years, I can think of no one better suited to serve the public interest and get hard things done.

I first met Todd in connection with my work as president of GCGNY, a nearly seventy-year-old nonprofit dedicated to providing funding to local organizations that support the elderly population with critically needed social services. At the time, our organization faced incredibly complex challenges.

Todd’s tireless stewarding of the organization was instrumental to ensuring the mission of our organization could continue and in recognition of his work, we were thrilled to provide him with the inaugural Henry Wimpfheimer Award for distinguished public service.

I subsequently sought Todd’s guidance during the COVID pandemic, when Todd cleared his desk on a moment’s notice to help lead a round-the-clock, life-saving effort to secure Emergency Use Authorization (one of the first granted during the Pandemic by the FDA) for an emergency device to split ventilators.

Todd is someone who solves hard problems and does not shy away from discussing challenging topics with sensitivity and respect. I have no doubt that Todd will make significant contributions to the Board of Education and Newtown more broadly.

Dr Peter Kahn

New Haven