On Wednesday, Alexis Voulgaris, RTM district 6 who is Currently the Moderator Pro Tem and Chair of the Health & Human Services Committee shared her intent to run for Moderator of the RTM with her fellow members
Dear RTM Colleagues,
By now you may have heard that Tom Byrne will not be seeking reelection as Moderator for the upcoming RTM term. I am excited to announce that I will be putting my name forward to be considered for Moderator for the January 2022 – December 2023 term. I hope that you will support my candidacy at our election during the January 18, 2022 RTM meeting.
I bring sixteen years of RTM experience to the job, including extensive leadership positions: four years as the Moderator Pro Tempore, ten years as chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, six years as chair of the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee, two years as chair of the Special Committee on RTM Governance and, most recently, chair of the Special Committee for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The Greenwich RTM is an extraordinary body comprised of 230 volunteers who bring their passion, perspective and expertise in service of our community. As a leader within this organization, I have strived to honor this service by conducting fair and transparent meetings, giving the floor to members and guests with a range of opinions, while maintaining an orderly process through application of established parliamentary procedures in accordance with Robert’s Rules and RTM Rules. Many members who have served with me on a committee over the years will attest to my leadership; others will have had a chance to observe it first hand when, as Moderator Pro Tempore, I was called upon in June and September 2020 to moderate a highly debated item (Education SOMR) – handling more than 30 speakers as well as one or two tricky procedural issues – over two consecutive full RTM meetings.
Members also make a significant time commitment to the RTM and expect leadership to respect that commitment by conducting efficient well prepared meetings. Members of the Health and Human Services Committee are familiar with my meticulous meeting preparation, including preparation of an agenda, scheduling candidates for interviews, ensuring that department heads are present to answer questions, organizing budget sub-committees and maintaining the committee’s webpage; others will be familiar with my detailed committee reports to the full RTM.
Much of my preparatory work as the Moderator Pro Tempore is done behind the scenes. In the weeks leading up to each full meeting, in addition to organizing the Call with the Moderator and Town Clerk, I work with the department heads and standing committee chairs to discuss specific items and answer process questions prior to the meeting. This term I took on the additional challenge of designing and developing the remote meeting format that allowed the RTM to continue its work uninterrupted through the pandemic. I am very proud of my work coordinating the efforts of the Town Clerk, the IT department, the chairs and district tabulators, that made it possible to run our meetings as efficiently as possible under severe constraints. I look forward to leading the RTM through the next phases of hybrid meetings and our return to meeting in person.
Having strong working relationships both with RTM members and external stake holders is vital for building consensus and resolving conflicts. I have extensive direct relationships with the vast majority of individual members of the RTM; Board of Estimate and Taxation; Board of Selectmen; Education; Health; Statewide representatives; department heads (especially Town Clerk, IT, Human Services, Nathaniel Witherell). I have no political party affiliation and get along equally well with people on both sides of the aisle to work on RTM initiatives as well as broader projects that concern our community.
I would be honored to serve as the next Moderator of the Greenwich RTM and would continue to uphold the traditions, values, and high standards established by the previous moderators who have guided us so well up until this point. I have a tremendous amount of respect for our 88 year old institution and not only value our past history, but also embrace the possibilities that exist to ensure that this extraordinary 230 person, non-partisan legislative body continues to thrive and grow for decades to come.
Alexis Voulgaris
RTM District #6
Current Moderator Pro Tem & Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee