I am writing to strongly endorse Hugo Alves, Lara Kelly, Matt Wexler, and Matt Campbell for the Board of Education. In the past few years I have gotten to know all 4 incredibly well.
As a graduate of New Canaan High School, Matt Wexler has not only walked a mile in your children’s shoes he’s probably run a hundred miles in them on the NCHS lacrosse field, first as a player and then as a coach for his children. Matt’s family is deeply rooted in education in New Canaan, his mom and wife Christy taught at the public schools here, and his father served as a substitute teacher. Matt grew up in a Jewish household in 1990s New Canaan and speaks glowingly of his high school experience. His understanding of what the school system does well, and how it can continually evolve and adapt to prepare our children for the future, is an incredibly unique perspective that we would be lucky to have.
Hugo Alves is, by nature, a consensus builder. “Hugo being Hugo” is something I hear a lot, and accurately describes the animated passion by which he dives into anything he does. In 2021, when asked in his New Canaanite podcast why he was running for BOE, Hugo spoke for 2 minutes about all the educational issues he began following during COVID, his deep admiration for the teachers and administration here in New Canaan, and finally answered “I want to keep things very, very local. We have a very special place here.” Hugo’s passion for his role on the BOE, which he has stated he would like to do for many terms, stands in stark contrast to his Democratic opponent, Josh Kaye, who when asked why he was running for BOE replied, “The short answer is, I was asked.”
Lara Kelly has been a transcendent leader in multiple facets of her life, from organizing gala fundraisers to Girl Scout bake sales. Whether giving speeches at a dinner with the Governor of Georgia or at a conference of Women leaders hosted by a state Representative, Lara has led from the front and by example. Her ability to organize and think about issues in three dimensions, her boundless energy, and her ability to analyze anything from budgets to bylaws will make her a great asset for the BOE.
We look for our elected representatives to be moral, to have a strong backbone to defend their convictions, and to be authentic. Without hyperbole, Matt Campbell is one of the most authentic people I have ever met. There is zero hypocrisy with him, his word is his bond and he truly lives by his values. When I first met Matt a few years ago, we discovered that we grew up as children quite close to each other in Virginia, before my family moved to Kansas. Our towns in Virginia were low income and blue-collar. The odds that Matt and I would succeed to the level where we could afford to live in New Canaan were probably less than 1%. However, neither of us felt that our realization of the American Dream was a difficult path, because no one told us we couldn’t achieve it. We were surrounded by teachers, neighbors and friends who told us that America was a place where, if you were smart and worked hard enough, you could succeed at anything. We never thought of ourselves as marginalized, and we never thought of ourselves as oppressed or held back by oppressors. Matt Campbell is the walking embodiment of the American Dream, and his life experience would be a unique perspective to add to the BOE.
Our Row B candidates radiate optimism for the human spirit. Every time the candidates have spoken publicly about a difficult topic they have advocated for greater parental involvement in the decision making process because they believe that their neighbors in New Canaan are the right people to make hard choices for their children. They’ve pushed for the right decisions to be made, even if they were unpopular. I’ve heard the candidates speak numerous times, and their core values are often repeated: diversity of thought, self-determination, relentless optimism, and belief in the American Dream. I’ve spent a lot of time with “The Matts,” Campbell and Wexler, this election season. National discourse would describe us as “Black, Jewish and Asian,” but what I find is that beyond the differences of our race and religion we find great similarities in our American experience. The shared struggle, the obstacles overcome, the common values and the goodness of the people we met along the way. We’ve seen the best of America and we’ve seen some of the worst of America, and we all came through the other side with an incredible love for our country and an undying optimism for our children. I love this country, and I love Row B. I’m voting for Hugo, Lara, Matt and Matt for BOE.
Jonathan Cheng
