Sandy Goldstein named chair of Valentine’s mayoral transition team
STAMFORD — Bobby Valentine has tapped Sandy Goldstein, the former longtime head of the Stamford Downtown Special Services District, to chair his transition team if he wins November’s upcoming mayoral election.
Goldstein was the president of the Stamford DSSD for more than two decades. Before that, she was a member of the city’s Board of Representatives and the first female president of the body. A Democrat, Goldstein also ran for mayor in 1991 — the last woman to do so until this year. She lost her race to Stanley Esposito, a Republican.
Valentine’s opponent, Democratic state Rep. Caroline Simmons, is looking to become the first woman to win election to the mayor’s office.
“Bobby is well suited to lead this city into the next decade,” Goldstein said in a statement Thursday. “I’ve worked closely with Bobby for many years, and am thrilled that someone with his breadth of experience and passion for improving peoples’ lives is willing to serve as mayor of our vibrant city.”
Valentine, a former manager of Major League Baseball teams including the New York Mets, is running as an unaffiliated candidate. On Thursday, he unveiled the names of his transition team. They include four Democrats, three Republicans and one unaffiliated voter, according to a release from Valentine’s campaign.
The Democrats include Tim Abbazia, the current chairman of Stamford’s Police Commission and a former member of the Boards of Finance, Representatives and Planning; Rissa Gerych, a tax expert and the treasurer for Valentine’s campaign; Frank Melzer, the chairman of Stamford’s Fire Commission and a former city representative; and Dr. Tabitha Fortt, a family doctor and member of the city’s Health Commission. Fortt’s husband, Guy — an actor, retired firefighter and former president of the Stamford NAACP, now on a leave of absence — is volunteering on Valentine’s campaign.
The Republicans are Harry Day, the president of the boards of the Stamford Museum & Nature Center and the Stamford Land Conservation Trust; Alex Martinez, a lawyer and former Board of Education member; and Bradley Michelson Bewkes, a current city representative.
The unaffiliated member of the team is Rodney Bass, a member of the Police Commission and former principal of Turn of River Middle School.
The Stamford mayoral election will take place Nov. 2. If Valentine wins, the group announced Thursday would help with the transition from Mayor David Martin’s administration to Valentine’s. Martin lost to Simmons in the Democratic mayoral primary this month.
“As someone who has built and managed companies and teams successfully for almost four decades, I’m looking forward to recruiting and establishing a world-class group of individuals to join me in serving the people of Stamford,” Valentine said in a statement.