TEPPER BATES APPOINTED TO STONINGTON POLICE COMMISSION

Stonington — The Board of Selectwomen voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Lisa Tepper Bates, president and CEO of the United Way of Connecticut, to fill the vacancy on the Board of Police Commissioners.

Tepper Bates, who lives in the borough, will fill the vacancy created by the departure of Henri Gourd, whose term has expired.

A total of 13 residents initially had applied to fill the vacancy but five dropped out before the selectwomen interviewed the final eight last week. The eight were Rae’ven Kelly Dinwoodie, Robert Emery, Carrie McWilliams, Stephen Freitas, John Nazzaro, Patricia Coan, Lisa Tepper Bates and Monique Ferrer.

The selectwomen on Tuesday called the decision about who to appoint a tough one because they said all candidates were well qualified and would bring fresh perspectives and skill sets to the position. But they said with the increasing need for police officers to deal with mental health issues in the community, they felt Tepper Bates had the skill set needed due to her extensive work with the homeless and those dealing with mental health issues and addiction.

Tepper Bates previously has been the state’s senior coordinator for housing and transit-oriented development, the executive director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness and, before that, executive director of the Mystic Area Shelter and Hospitality.

During Tepper Bates’ tenure at the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, the state achieved the distinction of being one of the first two states recognized by the federal government for effectively ending homelessness among veterans, and saw three straight years of a decline in homeless residents.

Her husband, Scott Bates, previously served as chairman of the Board of Police Commissioners.