To the Editor:

In the nearly five years since 12/14, Newtown has proven to the world that it is a place of extraordinary compassion and surprising resilience. Our town leaders, including outgoing First Selectman Pat Llodra, deserve praise for helping make Newtown an inspiration to other communities grappling with the aftermath of tragedy. But Newtown now needs to look forward, and for that it needs fresh thinking - of the kind Dan Rosenthal will bring as first selectman.

At a moment when our national leaders are quibbling and the White House is dubbed an "adult day care center" by a senator of the president's own party, local governance matters more than ever. While we all may feel powerless over decisions made in Washington, Pyongyang, or even Hartford, we have a very real say in what happens here, in our town, on the most important matters to our daily lives, the property values that account for the bulk of most family wealth and the education we provide to the next generation.

I had the honor of hosting Dan at a recent pretzels-and-beer gathering at my home with friends and neighbors who are more likely to call themselves independents than R's or D's. Dan is a native Newtowner, whose father and grandfather capably served the town. But while his roots run deep, and he has a noble legacy to live up to, Dan is generationally best suited to lead Newtown through the next critically important and challenging stage of its recovery.

Dan unquestionably has the compassion and empathy required to engage with the town's many constituencies. He is in a unique position to consider the best interests of seniors, like his own parents, as well as those of families with young children, like his own. But he also has the necessary experience and confidence from his successful career in financial services to take the lead in attracting new businesses and employers to invest in Newtown's future. Expanding the town's tax base will be critical to Newtown's future, in fiscal and quality of life terms.

Dan's willingness to set aside a fulfilling profession in asset management to devote his service to our community cannot be underestimated. He is not a retiree seeking a sinecure and a second pension. Government everywhere needs capable, energetic problem-solvers to step up, maybe take a pay cut, and do what's right for their community and country. Dan is the man for that task.

Rob Cox

136 Castle Hill Road, Newtown         October 16, 2017