BOARD OF SELECTMAN
Sam Nestor – First Selectwoman
As First Selectwoman, Sam Nestor has shown responsible leadership, strong financial know-how, and a creative vision for Weston. A marketing expert, entrepreneur, and mom of two boys, Sam has leveraged her extensive experience to drive positive change and facilitate sound stewardship of the town. Sam has delivered on her campaign promises by prioritizing public safety, improving town roads, building Weston’s first sidewalks, and creating new community events.
Sam’s collaborative nature and relentless dedication to our town brought in numerous infrastructure and improvement projects. Thanks to her partnerships with state and federal leaders, Weston received approximately $35 million in budgetary offsets, reducing cost burdens on residents. When re-elected, Sam will continue to be an effective leader whose focus will be on continuing to deliver for Westonites.
Tony Pesco – Selectman
Dr. Anthony Pesco is an experienced financial services executive and pillar of the Weston community. Prior to embarking on a career in finance, Tony was a research scientist at AT&T Bell Laboratories. He then spent 27 years in financial services with the last 17 years at Credit Suisse where he held a number of leadership positions. Tony now spends his time as investor and advisor in the financial services sector. He has lived in Weston for 30 years with his wife, Lisa, and their two children.
Tony served with distinction on the Board of Education for 5 years, acting as board chair for 3 years. Tony’s tenure as chair was marked by a student-centric vision which guided the reinvigoration of school leadership, budget discipline that returned excess money to the town, the planning process for upgrading school facilities, and improvements to student safety. He is ready to step into the Selectman role alongside Sam Nestor to continue the strong budgetary, infrastructure and safety initiatives that they are both known for.
BOARD OF FINANCE
Michael Imber
Michael Imber has served on Weston’s Board of Finance for two years and currently serves as its Chairman. He also currently serves on the Weston Siversk Sister City Committee and has served on Weston’s Strategic-Planning Committee and the Education Strategic Advisory Committee. Michael served as a member of the Connecticut Pension Sustainability Commission where he proposed an innovative approach to solving the state’s pension underfunding problem. Michael’s pro bono work includes currently serving as the Board Chairman of the Connecticut Democracy Center in Hartford. Professionally, Michael has more than 30 years of experience as a financial and operational consultant to private and public sector clients experiencing distress. He earned a BS in Finance at the University of Illinois and an MBA from the Columbia Business School. Michael and his wife Nancy have lived in Weston since 1997 and are the proud parents of twin sons who graduated Weston High School in 2013.
Chris Bryant
For the past two years, Chris has served as the Treasurer of the Weston Intermediate School PTO and Treasurer of the Weston Memorial Day Fair. Chris is a 25-year member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, serving 3 terms as President of the New York City chapter; he also served a 3-year term as a Global Director for the not-for-profit organization. Professionally, Chris has spent nearly 30 years in the internet technology sector leading multiple businesses from start-up to successful exits. He earned a BBA in Finance at Texas A&M University and has earned Executive Certificates in Entrepreneurship from M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management and the London School of Business. Chris and his wife Elaine have lived in Weston since 2021 and have two daughters – a Junior and a 5th grader – who currently attend Weston schools.
Amy Gare
Amy has served on the Board of Finance for one term, from 2019 through 2023. Professionally, Amy is an attorney with more than 20 years of experience. She currently manages her own legal practice where she serves as external general counsel to a variety of companies. Additionally, Amy is a Vice President of the Temple Israel Board of Trustees in Weston. Amy received a BA in Political Science and Philosophy at Lehigh University and a JD from Brooklyn Law School. As a Weston resident and parent for the past 16 years, Amy has been a vocal activist in the community, focused on ensuring the school system is properly funded so that its youngest residents are given the services that they need, while fostering the overall well-being of the town. Amy lives with her husband Marc, her rising senior daughter Lindsay and puppy Willis.
Jeffrey Goldstein
Jeff Goldstein currently serves on the Board of Finance and has been active with the Weston Boy and Cub Scouts, leading fundraising endeavors. Volunteering has been an integral part of Jeff’s life, including his service to the Sigma Chi International Fraternity where he has served in several positions to provide mentorship and fundraising leadership to support other charitable organizations. Professionally, Jeff has worked for Fortune 500 companies and managed his own company until it sold in 2020, staying on to provide leadership and his experience for continued business development. Jeff earned a BS in Business Administration & Management from Rutgers University and an MBA from Villanova University. He has lived in Weston for 10 years, is a member of Temple Israel and a supporter of the many athletic teams in which his two sons participate.
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Steve Ezzes
Steve currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Education. Prior to that he was elected to the Board of Finance where he was Chairman for eight years. Steve has also been a member of the Building Committee and Facility Optimization Committee. Before moving to Weston, Steve was a member of Westport’s Board of Finance for a decade serving as Chairman for eight years. Governor Lamont appointed Steve to the Connecticut Lottery Corporation where he is a member of the Executive Committee. Steve has a career in investment banking and investment management. He was an original member of the leverage finance group at Goldman Sachs & Co. and went on to become a partner at Bass Investment Limited Partnership. Steve has served on a number of boards of directors in the United States and Australia. He earned a BA and MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles. Steve has three children including a son who teaches middle and high school in Australia.
Sharon Ferraro
Sharon has been on the executive committee of the PTO for both WMS and WHS. Prior to moving to Weston in 2016, Sharon also served on multiple town committees in Westchester and on the executive boards of her children’s PTOs in both public and private schools giving her a unique perspective. Sharon is involved in a variety of volunteer and fundraising organizations locally having served as the president of the Weston Women’s League and as a member of the Board of Education for the past two years. Sharon is a telecommunications and media professional who specialized in both traditional and new media sales. She has developed and managed large global teams of sales professionals throughout her career working for Katz Media and Yahoo!. Sharon retired from Yahoo! as the Global Director of Sales Development. She has a degree in telecommunications from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. Sharon and her husband Dana Coates have a total of six children in their blended family; five of whom attend or have attended Weston Public Schools.
Chad Hoeppner
Chad has served on the executive committee of the Hurlbutt PTO and is the founder of an education and training company designing curriculum for charter and private high schools, as well as higher education institutions like the Columbia Business School PhD program. As an advisor and consultant, he has worked with the deans of Ivy League universities, US Presidential candidates, and multiple start-up incubators, including the second most active VC firm in the U.S. He graduated phi beta kappa from Colorado College in history and philosophy and holds an MFA from NYU. Chad is the proud father of two children in the Weston Public Schools.
PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
Gus Christensen
Gus Christensen, a relative newcomer to Weston, has a very strong interest in architecture and historic preservation. He studied Architectural History at Yale; serves as a Director of the historic Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY; and, has served as a member of both the Board and Executive Committee of the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Gus is the founder of Ænor Capital LLC, a private investment firm focused on start-up and specialty real estate opportunities. He was formerly a Managing Director at Evercore Partners; he also held leadership positions in the Real Estate Group at Goldman Sachs and with the Cross Markets Proprietary Trading team at JP Morgan. Gus received his BA with Distinction from Yale University and his MBA with Honors as a Palmer Scholar from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Courtney just completed renovating the historic Rowland House on Norfield Road. Their older daughter attends WIS; their younger daughter will start kindergarten at Hurlbutt in the fall.
Michael Reiner
Michael currently serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission after serving 4+ years on the Conservation Commission. He is also an active volunteer at Lachat Town Farm, where his wife Erica serves as a Commission member. He is a member of Temple Israel in Westport and served on various committees over the years. Presently, he is an alumni board member and Investment manager of the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation at Cornell University. Michael, together with his wife, Erica, founded and co-manage Resource International, a 25 + year old product design and sourcing company serving the home, gift and stationery industries. They are the parents of two daughters, one of whom lives in Weston with her husband along with their daughter who attends Weston schools.
POLICE COMMISSION
Beth Gralnick
Beth has served on the Police Commission for the past 30 years and is currently the Chairman. She is a member of the Sidewalk Committee and has been a past volunteer supporting the WHS athletic department and Boosters Club, and the Pop Warner football program. Beth was formerly a network television producer for CBS, ABC, and CNN. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. A Weston resident since 1973, Beth has two children who are graduates of WHS.
David Mueller
David has served on multiple Town boards and commissions over the past 23 years including Board of Police Commissioners (current), Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, Planning & Zoning Commission and the Library Board. David also chaired the Town-to-Town Partnership with Lacombe, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. David works as a portfolio manager for Ashmore Investment Management. He is an active volunteer with Make A Wish, plays bassoon with the Westport Community Band and volunteers with a number of other organizations. David is married to Diana and has three adult children who all attended Weston schools.
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Jim Low
Jim has been a member of the Zoning Appeals Board since 2017. He is an attorney whose legal practice focuses on areas of business law, commercial real estate transactions, planned communities, land use & zoning issues, private financing, and due diligence matters. Previously, Jim held positions providing in-house legal services to risk management start-ups as well as established reinsurance companies including Swiss Re in the U.S. and internationally. Jim and his wife Gabriela have happily raised three children in Weston.
Ilene Richardson
Ilene has served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for the last four years and is the current Chairwoman. In addition, Ilene has served on the PTO, Norfield Children’s Center Board and the town Marketing Committee. Professionally, Ilene is one of the 1% of women who own advertising agencies in the US, running her business out of SONO. She is a single mom to two daughters, the youngest of which is entering Weston Middle School this fall.
