Community Corner

Meet the Democrat: Dawn A. Miceli

A look at Dawn Miceli, Democratic candidate for Southington Town Council.

"Meet the Candidates" is a new feature on Southington Patch designed to help you get to know your local candidates before you take to the polls this November. Each profile was submitted directly by the candidate.

Take a moment to review each profile so you can be informed and prepared when you go to the polls on Nov. 8.

Name:  Dawn A. Miceli
Age: 
46
Party, Position Seeking: 
Democrat, Southington Town Council

Family information:
Married for 13 years to Joseph A. Miceli, a lifelong Southington resident, who is a mathematics teacher and football coach at Plainville High School.  We have one son, Jake, who is 10, and attends Thalberg Elementary School.

Occupation:
Communications Director, Hamden Hall Country Day School.

Political Experience: 
Currently serving my first term on the Town Council.  Previously I served on the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Cable Advisory Commission.

Other Experience:
I serve as an executive director on the Southington Education Foundation and on the newly formed Southington Community Cultural Arts Center.  I am also a member of the Southington Drive-In Committee and am a Rotary Club member.  I am on the Board of Directors of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. 

Why did you run for office?
As a former journalist, I always enjoyed covering municipal politics and the City Hall beat for many communities in the state.  Having acquired a deep-seated knowledge from that in-depth investigative work, I always knew that once retired from the newsroom I would want to utilize the skills and information I had garnered as a reporter.  It was a natural fit and I also believe in giving back to your community.

If elected, what would be your primary areas of focus?
I have seen firsthand how economically beneficial it is to a municipality to have sites and attractions that pull people into a community. Whether it’s the Southington Drive-In, the Rails to Trails Linear Park, Lake Compounce, Mount Southington or our many open space parcels (to name just a few) – a community is made viable when its businesses are frequented and utilized by both residents and nonresidents. I will continue supporting projects that have appeal and thus draw people to our town, while ensuring that we have the infrastructure in place to support such endeavors.

What do you feel is the biggest issue facing Southington today?
We have several major capital expenditures over the next several years, including the renovation of the Middle Schools and other hefty road and sewer projects.  We will have to work hard to ensure that our community remains attractive to both residents and businesses by maintaining our schools and roadways while also keeping tax increases to a minimum.

What skills do you have that you could bring to the community? 
I am a doer and not afraid to get involved in order to get something accomplished. When I generated the idea to ask local civic groups to host movie nights at the Southington Drive-In, I didn’t just lend my name to the project. I jumped in with both feet! That meant that most Saturday nights over the past two years you could find me at the drive-in.  I also bring a journalist’s conviction to research all sides of a story to any issue I involve myself. My voting record proves that I look at each issue individually and make independent decisions that I feel are best for our community.

Anything else you would like to share? 
I have enjoyed my first term as a Town Councilor and look forward to continuing my work on that board.  I love the town of Southington and am always promoting it in the course of my day – no matter where that might take me. I chose to live and raise my family in this community 20 years ago and I would make the same decision today.


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