Sheila Riffle | Board of Finance Alternate


​Education
Bachelor of Music Education, The Ohio State University
MS School Counseling, Central Connecticut State University
Sixth-Year Degree in Educational Administration, University of Connecticut

What inspired you to run for local office?
I want to be more involved in decisions that impact my family and other taxpayers in this beautiful gem of a place we all call "home".  I held a professional position for nine years that required sensible and detailed budgeting processes and practices and I would like to share what I have learned to help our community be well-informed and prosperous. It would be an honor to represent my fellow Old Lyme residents in this capacity.​
Bio and Qualifications 
​I have had a great deal of experience participating on and leading committees throughout my 28-year education career. I understand the importance of collaborating with others around decisions that impact the sum of the stakeholders we represent. I served as a vice chair/chair of a state level Board of Control through the Pandemic and our decisions were consistently under scrutiny. In these situations I believe that open and transparent communication are PARAMOUNT to gaining widespread support in the interest of the greater good.  As a high school principal for nine years, I was responsible for preparing a large portion of the annual Board of Education budget. I am very proud of the strong, transparent, goal-focused, "start from $0 each year" process that we practiced in the district. Throughout the process I regularly met with department and team leaders to compare requests with previous years' actual spending trends. As a result, I directed reductions (and when appropriate, increases) where necessary. As an administrator I was involved in community presentations of the budget, and provided input regularly that assisted our team in developing consistent processes to which everyone was expected to adhere.​
Why should someone vote for you?
I believe in transparent, open, honest communication and I absolutely believe that we are capable of discussing opposing views and opinions without - frankly - all hell breaking loose. I am prepared to listen, learn, ask critical questions, share my experiences and knowledge of responsible budgeting and spending, appropriately challenge status quo, and fully do my part to ensure that our tax dollars are responsibly levied, collected, maintained and spent.


Previous Volunteer Activities
CIAC Board of Control - member 12 yrs., Vice Chair 3 yrs., Chair 1 yr. 
CIAC Girls' Basketball Committee - member 9 yrs., Chair 2 yrs.
Shoreline Principals' Association - member 9 yrs., Chair 4 yrs.

What do you want voters to know about you?
I care. I care about Old Lyme and all of my fellow citizens and I intend to live out my life in this wonderful community of people. I care about our youth and the way in which we continue to simultaneously maintain and grow Old Lyme as a wonderful place to live and return to as a forever home. Amongst so many colorful differences that we inevitably experience as individuals, a common thread we share is a desire to live and prosper wherever possible, as individuals and as a community. I believe that ensuring a balanced and responsible town budgeting and spending process is a critical piece to this endeavor.
What’s your favorite place in Old Lyme?
My favorite place is in our home and on/around our property. This town is simply gorgeous and beyond our home, I truly have too many favorite spots to name!​
What do you do in you spare time?
I am a musician and I enjoy playing piano in my living room, especially when we host friends and family and they will sing-a-long!  I also love to fix things and tinker with building stuff using reclaimed wood.  Doing this helps me feel close to my dad who passed away many years ago.  A former car mechanic and builder of things in his own right, he immersed me in the world of DIY to ensure that I could be as independent as possible!