From the Candidate: Jack Sennott

Name: Jack Sennott

Age: 46

Party, position seeking: Democrat — Board of Finance

Family information: Married 19 years to Donna Virzi Sennott, five children Katherine 17, Rachel 16, Brian 13, Anna 10, Elizabeth 8. We have lived in Simsbury for the past 13 years. It is a great place to raise kids!

Occupation: Executive vice president, chief corporate strategy officer of Allied World Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE: AWH). Sennott is responsible for the global company’s corporate strategic initiatives, investor relations, rating agency relations and mergers and acquisition activity. Previously he was Allied World’s North American chief operating officer. Sennott assumed this position upon the completion of the acquisition of his previous company, Darwin Professional Underwriters, Inc. where he was one of the founding members and one of its directors. At Darwin, Sennott was the executive vice president and chief financial officer. He was instrumental in its growth from its infancy through its successful IPO and ultimately its sale to Allied World. Sennott also oversaw Darwin’s human resources and administration functions. Sennott was a director of the company from 2003 to the time of the company’s sale to Allied World and a member of its finance and investment committee.

Political experience: Board of education 2003-2011, (vice chairman 2005-2007, chairman 2007-2011); member Simsbury Democratic Town Committee.

Other experience: Certified Public Accountant. Currently a board member of the Hartford Stage Company, frequent youth sports coach (baseball, basketball, soccer), former Cub Scout Den Leader.

Statement: I am a candidate for the board of finance this November and I ask for your vote. After serving the town on the board of education for the past eight years, I would like to continue in public service for the residents of Simsbury. I believe my background as a senior financial executive for a global insurance company as well as my credentials as a Certified Public Accountant will serve the town of Simsbury well. My background includes significant experience in building businesses, dealing with capital markets on debt and equity capital raising and working with the major rating agencies that also rate our town’s debt. As part of a founding management team of Darwin Professional Underwriters, now part of a global insurance enterprise, we created a company from scratch, hiring approximately 200 people in Connecticut.

We are fortunate that the town of Simsbury has been well managed and enjoys a long track record of fiscal responsibility both in education and the municipal offices. The current economic climate does present significant challenges for us, however, and we need to be diligent in ensuring we maintain our fiscal discipline. Our town faces the prospect of a long-term low-interest rate environment and will not be able to count on investment income to offset spending. In addition, a low-interest rate environment will make it harder to meet our defined benefit plan retirement obligations. This will likely result in increased benefit costs, something we must plan for and carefully manage. I would like to add a longer-term planning perspective to our current annual budgeting process.

Separately, I think it is important that we continue to invest in our town. People move here because of the quality of our schools and the quality of life. We have a fantastic school system and town facilities that are the envy of many communities. My experience on the board of education however has shown me that we can improve our long-term planning for maintenance and improvements. We have many public buildings that each year compete for finite dollars, and I would advocate for a more holistic process with an eye towards scheduling over a longer-term period. Ideally this should be led by the boards of selectmen and education with input from the board of finance. I don’t believe that the board of finance should be the sole arbiter of which building projects get done. A coordinated management of our buildings will more evenly spread costs and benefit all residents and property owners.

Lastly, I would like to see the board of finance open up a better dialogue with the community. The board of finance is one of the few boards that do not hold a regular public audience. I support making public audience part of every board of finance meeting. Better communication leads to more transparent decision making. Transparent decision making leads to better government.

Thank you for your consideration.