CT Patch Candidate Profile: Elaine Whitney For Board Of Finance

WESTPORT, CT — The 2025 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Connecticut Patch asked local candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Candidate's Name:
Elaine Whitney

What office are you seeking?
Board of Finance

What town do you live in?
Westport

Campaign Website
https://www.stollenwerckwhitney.com

Party Affiliation:
Democrat

Occupation:
Healthcare strategic planning and business development; 20+ years of experience

Family:
I am the proud mother of three wonderful young adults, Emily, Harry and Matthew Garber, ages 30, 27 & 25, and daughter of a retired Westport teacher, Louise Whitney MacCormack. My husband John and I have been Westport residents for over 25 years.

All three of our children played a range of sports and also enjoyed a wide variety of other programs and activities in our community throughout their childhoods and high school. Their various professional roles include lyricist, librettist, novelist, podcaster, financial consultant, and banker.

Some of my proudest moments have been conferring Staples High School diplomas on all three of our children, watching them play football, lacrosse and field hockey under the lights I helped to implement at Staples Stadium, and attending Candlelight performances that featured a piece that our daughter and a childhood neighbor from two doors down were commissioned to write for the Staples music program.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
Member, Westport Board of Education, Jan. 2009 - Nov. 2021 (also elected by my fellow Board members to serve as Chair (2012-2014) and Secretary 2011-2012 & 2014-2021); Commissioner, Westport Parks and Recreation Commission (2021-Present)

Why are you seeking this office?
I am running for the Board of Finance because I love our town… and because I love working with fellow volunteers to serve our community and help Westport continue to thrive and grow.

My priorities are strengthening our vibrant public services, our world-class schools, and our valued parks and recreational facilities. I am committed to serving all of our residents, from young families to seniors, and investing in and maintaining the things that make Westport so special.

I also have the skills and experience to deliver on these goals for our town.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the opportunity - and need – to plan for the next impactful round of investments in our community: the hundreds of millions of dollars in initiatives proposed in the 10-year capital forecast. This is a pivotal time for making decisions on these key investments that will impact our town for decades to come.

I will bring to the Board of Finance 16 years of experience in effectively navigating Westport budget requests and capital appropriations. I have a proven track record of getting things done on the Board of Education and Parks and Recreation Commission. I also have over 20 years of professional experience in strategic planning, business development, and management consulting, and I hold an MBA from Kellogg and a BA from Yale.

I will approach this work collaboratively and transparently by listening to community input, creatively problem solving, and balancing and effectively sequencing our investments to deliver for our town and sustain our sound financial footing for the long term.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
Westport is very fortunate to have a Board of Finance that functions effectively, collaboratively, in a nonpartisan manner, and with shared focus on long-term fiscal sustainability… as well as candidates who are committed to continuing that approach. It is important to have a mix of skills, experience, and perspectives among the seven Board members.

My personal contributions will build on my more than 12 years of experience as a Member and former Chair of the Board of Education and my nearly 4 years of experience as a Commissioner on the Parks and Recreation Commission. On the Board of Education, I led a budget that accounted for over 60% of the total Town operating budget, oversaw over 900 employees, and set educational and fiscal policies. On the Commission, I held leadership roles in the Longshore Capital Improvement Plan and the Parks Master Plan.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
In addition to the priorities noted above, I intend to explore opportunities to further enhance the rigor of our fiscal planning and oversight, in order to ensure that Westporters continue to get the services they need at appropriate and sustainable costs. I also plan to explore further tax relief for seniors, who are an important part of the fabric of our community, in a way that would confer synergistic fiscal benefits.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
A number of my key accomplishments are at the interface of the work of the Board of Education and the Board of Finance. These demonstrate my effectiveness in ensuring long-term fiscal sustainability and solving problems collaboratively. They include:
- Establishing a structure for long-term capital planning and building maintenance;
- Establishing the Board of Education Carryover Fund in partnership with the Board of Finance, to enhance both fiscal accountability and flexibility;
- Navigating the Great Recession, to maintain excellent services while making long-term structural cost realignments; and
- Restructuring both healthcare benefits and the municipal pension fund, to increase fiscal sustainability while continuing to attract and retain our valued employees.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” - Harry S. Truman

This quote has inspired me throughout my public service as well as my career. Along with one of its corollaries – “truly listen” – it has guided me in my approach to public service: find common ground, seek to understand the reasons behind any concerns or differences in perspective, embrace ideas for improving proposals, problem-solve collaboratively, and find win-wins. Westport thrives on the many contributions of its passionate, talented, and engaged citizens, and together we can make our community an even better place to live.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I plan to advocate for planning in a truly strategic manner and for creating mechanisms for proactive, transparent, and thoughtful deliberation in public forums about our town’s collective priorities and goals. This will provide a more robust framework for our consideration of individual project requests as they come before the funding bodies.