​Candidate Spotlight | ​Katherine Thuma | Board of Finance Alternate
​Qualifications for Board of Finance
  • Graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelors of Engineer in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics.  
  • Design Engineer - responsibilities included a variety of project management and design-engineering  tasks, including structural and mechanical analysis and design, site inspections and  investigations, forensic studies, project tracking, client relations and supervising  department interns.  ​
  • Built and sold a profitable fitness business with multiple locations around New London county.  As owner was responsible for marketing, class & instructor scheduling, billing, payroll, website upkeep, customer service and instructor management. 
  • Built and sold a profitable essential oil business.  Created education, planned sales and marketing strategies, trained and mentored sales force.     
Katherine and her husband Ben and have enjoyed living in Old Lyme since 2009.  They love the town so much that when their family outgrew their first home on Boston Post Road in Old Lyme they would only search within the town for their next home.  Katherine and Ben now live on Smith Neck Road with our three daughters, Margaret (13), Charlotte (11) & Audrey (8).   Katherine enjoys volunteering at LYSB, with the town soccer club, which all three girls play for and has taught CCD at Christ The King Church in Old Lyme.

What is something most people don't know about you?
I worked in the ‘Entertainment Engineering’ industry, which included engineering design, certification and inspections on dozens of rock-n-roll stages and Broadway shows.  Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi and U2 were just  a few of the World Tours that I worked on.  I worked on the structural and mechanical engineering of the stages, lifts and special effects for the infamous, Justin Timberlake & Janet Jackson Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2004!  My coworkers and I were happy to report there were no ‘engineering malfunctions’ during that revealing show!
I also did the full onsite engineering inspection for the Guinness Book of World Record setting Toyota Tundra commercial in 2007.  The 5 story high, 220 foot long seesaw that the worlds largest at the time.  You can see the original Super Bowl commercial here -   Toyota Tundra SeeSaw

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When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?
When I have a block of free time, I love to grab my running shoes and get outside!  Running down by the water or up to the trails at the top of Meetinghouse are two of my favorites!  If I already worked out, then 30 minutes of free time would mean grabbing my Kindle and sitting out on the back deck looking out at the water and reading!  I find that I need to make time for movement and quiet calm to keep balance in my life.