​Candidate Spotlight | Kim Russell Thompson | Board of Finanace

​What inspired you to run for local office?
I grew up in Old Lyme, it always struck me how many of my peers’ parents, as well as my own, volunteered their time to serve on local boards and commissions. I see following local boards and commissions as part of the responsibility of living in a small town in order to make sure that Old Lyme continues to thrive. I moved back to Old Lyme almost 5 years ago after attending college in Maine and working and completing a Masters degree at Dartmouth, one thing that struck me on returning to town was that many of the same people who served on local boards and commissions were the same people who served on those boards when I was in middle and high school. I think it is especially important for young families to be represented in local government, I find the responsibilities of the Board of Finance vital to the responsible and transparent running of the town and would look forward to learning from veteran members and bringing my background in grant management and educational background that focused on healthcare finance to support that board. I think it’s time for some younger residents to sit on local boards. ​
Qualifications for the Board of Finance
  • BS in Chemistry with concentration in inorganic-biochemistry 
  • Minor in Dance with a focus on composition and performance
  • MSPH from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice with a focus on Domestic health policy, health care finance, and epidemiology and biostatistics
  • 10 years of experience as a Clinical Research Project Manager in both academic and global pharmaceutical setting, managing NIH grant funded research and multi-million dollar clinical trials, central point of contact between high-level study team and the team responsible for study execution 
  • Published research, including first author publication, in major medical journals related to improving the value and cost effectiveness of existing medical treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases 
  • President, Secretary of the Lyme-Old Lyme Junior Women's Club
  • Secretary, Board of Directors member for City Center Ballet
  • Secretary, Board of Directors member for The Mascoma Valley Dog Park Supporters
  • Member of the Lyme-Old Lyme Partnership for Social Justice
  • Former Member of the Old Lyme-Old Saybrook MOMS Club
  • personal assistant and chauffeur for my 2 children 
What do you do in your free time?
If it’s truly free time, meaning my children are being watched by someone else, I would take my dog for a run. If it’s the free time that happens after the kids are in bed, then I like to do something creative like sewing, I make many of the clothes my kids wear. 
What is your favorite place in Old Lyme?
Old Lyme has so many beautiful places to choose from, but one of my favorite places is the John Lohmann CT River Preserve right off Coult Ln. I’m lucky to be walking distance from the trailhead. My dogs LOVE when we hike here, it has a wide open field for them to sniff all the different critters or horses that have been in the preserve and river access so they can go for a quick swim before we head home. This preserve, like many in town, is an easy enough hike that my daughter, a first grader at Lyme Consolidated, has been able to walk it with us since she was around 4. She loves going down to the river to watch the dogs swim, occasionally we’ll catch glimpses of a great white heron or some osprey. We’re so lucky to have so many beautiful open spaces around town, if you haven’t checked out  the many trails maintained by the Old Lyme Open Space Commission or the Old Lyme Land Trust, I definitely recommend spending some time exploring this fall.