Letter: Elect Karen Gifford To Redding Board of Finance

To The Editor:

The Town of Redding currently faces unique and challenging opportunities which will impact town finances now and for many years into the future. The successful foreclosure on the Gilbert & Bennett property and the $2.7 million share of Federal ARPA funds will both require sound financial planning and management, and an ability to consider the needs of all residents of Redding.

The Gilbert & Bennett project will almost certainly be the largest project in Redding during the lifetime of current residents. The roadblocks to completion of this project are very much financial in nature.

Karen Gifford’s resume speaks for itself, and it demonstrates expertise for the type of long-range planning that has often been talked about at Redding Civic Meetings, but which has rarely been implemented.

Karen has served as:

• Secretary of the Board of the League of Women Voters
• Deputy Treasurer of the Redding Democratic Town Committee
• Trustee of the Mark Twain Library Association (current member of its Finance Committee)

Karen has served on the boards of:

• Kaiser Permanente
• Kingswood Oxford School (emerita)
• Community Service Society of New York
• Hunter College School of Social Work

Karen’s 40 years of experience as an investment banker were in the areas of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, healthcare, and public finance. She spent 3 years as VP/Treasurer of Kaiser Permanente, and she retired as a Managing Director of Merrill Lynch.

Karen Gifford has the expertise and experience to move the Town of Redding forward as a member of the Board of Finance.

I urge you to vote for Karen next Tuesday.

Roger Van Ausdal
Orchard Drive
Candidate for Planning Commission