Debbie Downie for Selectwoman November 2

I am honored to be currently serving as Selectwoman in Stonington. I have a long history of public service in Stonington including: eight years on the Stonington Board of Education (BOE), 14 years on the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, including serving as both Chairman and Vice Chairman of that group; serving for a number of years on the K-12 Building Committee, Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA), and Stormwater Task Force. I was also an active member of local PTO, Booster, Boy Scout, and other non-profit groups. I have lived in Stonington for 26 years. I have been married to my husband for 33 years and have three grown children who all graduated from Stonington High School. My oldest is a Captain in the Army with three young children of his own.


Professionally, I have Bachelor of Science degrees in Geology and Biology from Bucknell University and a master’s degree in Geology/Specialization in Hydrogeology from the State University of New York. I originally trained as a petroleum geologist and spent five years working as an Exploration Geologist on wildcat rigs offshore Texas. For the past 35 years I have worked as an Environmental Consultant and Project Manager. I am a Connecticut Licensed Environmental Professional (LEP) and I work with private companies and municipalities to help investigate, remediate, and promote redevelopment of contaminated properties and help clients negotiate state and federal environmental permits and regulations. I have also assisted municipalities and businesses with community relations associated with contaminated sites. For several years, I volunteered as the Community Co-Chair of the Subbase Superfund Restoration Advisory Board helping the public make sense of the technical data presented by the consultants and regulators.

As a lifelong learner, over the past two years I have attended webinars and programs associated with Climate Resiliency, Green Infrastructure, Stormwater Utilities and Regulatory Updates and reported back findings to the BOS and Town staff. I have used my experience as a Connecticut LEP to make connections with regulatory agencies to advance several local Brownfields Projects. I took an active role in writing our successful State Grant Applications for the Mystic River Boat House Park and Stillman Mill properties and continue to work towards retaining environmental consultants to begin the assessment and remediation work at those properties. Through my activities with the local Brownfield sites and outreach to Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP), I work to preserve municipal liability protection on Brownfields sites. I was selected to serve on a working group to develop new environmental regulations for reporting and cleanup of historical releases. I am honored to actively participate in the working group and represent Stonington and other smaller municipalities.

I have worked successfully with the other two Selectwomen to solicit and interview volunteers to fill openings on Boards and Commissions – we currently have the most positions filled in many years. Along with the other Selectwomen, I serve as a liaison to various town committees which allow improved communication between the BOS, Town Hall, Commissions, Committees, and the public. Over the past two years, the BOS has worked together to hire qualified staff to fill 8 open positions at Town Hall. I take an active role in the Capital Improvement (CIP) process, prioritizing projects and working to reduce the CIP before sending it to the Board of Finance (BOF). The BOS recently worked through a process for expenditures of the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds to assess needs and priorities and obtain input from the public, BOF and outside agencies. Other projects completed within the past two years – despite the challenge of COVID – including a successful, ongoing lease of the West Broad Street School, collaborating with the BOF and WPCA to pursue a critical bond for Wastewater Treatment Facilities Improvements, which resulted in the Town securing its best-ever interest rate (1.56%) and maintaining its AAA bond rating.

I believe in Public Service over Politics. I will continue to emphasize communication, transparency, and fiscal responsibility in town government. I know that I am making important, positive contributions as a Selectwoman and am running for reelection because I love this town and want to do what I can to make it even better. 

Vote For Deborah Motycka Downie for Selectwoman November 2

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