THANK YOU - to all Windham residents, local volunteers, and local business owners

THANK YOU – to all the Windham residents, local volunteers, and local business owners who have written letters endorsing my re-election for Selectman over the last few weeks in the Windham Independent News, Pelham-Windham News, Derry News, and Eagle Tribune. I appreciate your support and would be honored to continue serving the Windham community given your continued trust and vote in confidence.

Polls open this Saturday, March 18th, from 7AM – 8PM at the Windham High School.

Special thanks for letters written below from Ed Gallagher, Justin Paré, Bob Higgins, Mike Morin, Patrick Nysten, Paul Gosselin, Gabe Toubia, Wendy Lundquist, Mike Oldenburg, Matthew Rounds, and Gerry Blais.

Ed Gallagher:

“

Joel Desilets has immersed himself in service to the town of Windham not only serving with distinction on our Board of Selectmen but also on the planning board and several other volunteer committees in town allowing him to gain a broad understanding of how town government works and Windham’s true needs.

I have worked closely with Joel on Windham’s Economic Development Committee where he serves as our Selectman rep to the committee. In my time working with Joel I have found him extremely knowledgeable, a person who always does his homework and someone who possesses an open and accessible servant leadership operating style. He is a true independent thinker and not afraid to challenge an opinion and provide a well thought out opposing view. The dialogue he often fosters helps us arrive at better decisions and Joel always has the best interests of our town as his priority. Joel contributed significantly in developing our WEDC strategic plan and has a vision of good development to maintain the uniqueness of Windham while helping balance tax impact on residents.

Joel positions Windham well for the future as he understands technology illustrated in that he was a leading voice to modernize the town web site to streamline processes and serve our citizens. He was also innovative in promoting Windham’s first TEDx event that proved to be a positive showcase for several in our community and an overall extraordinary event. Please consider supporting Joel’s reelection to serve as our Selectman.

Ed Gallagher

”

Justin Paré:

“

Fellow Residents of Windham,

I am writing to respectfully ask that you consider joining me in supporting Joel Desilets and re-electing him to a second term as Selectman for our wonderful Town of Windham.

I have personally known Joel for the past three years, since meeting him when he first successfully ran for election as Selectmen. I have been very impressed with Joel’s energy, excitement and passion for our Town. His tireless efforts for ALL of the residents of our Town have proven to me that he truly cares about his work. I find Joel to be extremely approachable, he follows through with inquiries from and the concerns of residents and he aims to continue to improve Windham’s livability for all. Instead of going through a list of what I believe to be reasons for any resident of Windham to re-elect Joel, I would like to personally address a few points that really hit home and impressed me.

I serve on the Board of Directors at the Community Caregivers of Greater Derry, which is a non-profit that serves seven local towns including Windham with volunteer coordination for frail, elderly, temporarily or permanently disabled and those individuals recuperating from or dealing with chronic illness. While serving as Welfare Overseer for the Town if Windham, Joel has engaged all of the local human services and non-profits that serve the Town and acted as a bridge between the Town and these invaluable organizations. The staff that run Community Caregivers of Greater Derry have been so pleased and impressed with Joel’s genuine engagement, approach and support. They truly feel appreciation from the Town through Joel.

Before becoming an estate planning and probate attorney, my previous career was as an operations executive in public and non-emergency medical transportation. I remain to this day, a strong advocate for public transportation. Joel has a commitment to expand and improve transportation access to our Town which will significantly boost the quality of life for all residents, especially commuters and the non-drivers. I support Joel is his commitment to seeing these improvements through.

Within a year of becoming Selectman, Joel spearheaded the initiative for TEDxWindham. I was lucky enough to be able to attend this all-day event at Searles School and Chapel. What an amazing event it was! Joel, and all of the volunteers that they organized, produced a world class and thoroughly enjoyable TEDx event. This type of innovation and delivery of unique and educational engagement by residents of our Town is a reflection of not only Joel’s commitment to government service but civic engagement as well.

Joel and I also share the belief that local town governance should remain apolitical and that while fiscal conservatism is extremely invaluable at the local municipal level, the needs of Windham are unique and come before partisan politics. While Joel and I may not share the same political views at a national or state level, we do see eye-to-eye on most, if not all, of the needs of Windham and its residents. I believe that his service over the last three years as Selectman, especially his current year as Chair of the Board of Selectmen, have proven his commitment to keeping politics out of local governance and he has put the residents of the Town first, even if the issue or expenditure may conflict with his larger political views.

I also appreciate that our current Board of Selectmen is a reflective cross-section of our Town. I honestly would like to this remain status quo. Joel specifically brings a generational view and approach that is sorely needed in civic volunteerism in our Country, especially at the local level. I applaud him for volunteering his time and talent over the last three years despite a successful and demanding engineering/business development career. I know the time and effort that is required for all of the Selectmen to perform their duties and I all the more appreciate Joel’s willingness to serve another term.

The list goes on of reasons to support Joel, but as a fellow resident to who cares immensely about our Town and keeps abreast of the tone and tenor in it, I put my full faith and confidence in his re-election. Please join me in voting for and re-electing Joel Desilets to the Windham Board of Selectmen during the official balloting at Windham High School on March 18th.

Thank you!

Justin Paré

“

Bob Higgins:

“

Dear Fellow Windham Residents,

On March 14th please vote to re-elect Joel Desilets to the Select Board.

I have known Joel for the past three years and served for two years with him on the Windham Economic Development Committee (WEDC). He demonstrated a ready grasp and application of the fundamentals of town governance, and distinguished himself by providing detailed analysis and thoughtful approaches to serious issues such as how to expand commercial tax contribution thus reducing the burden on residential tax payers. Joel understands that there is direct correlation between improved commercial tax contribution and residential tax payers’ willingness to support the funding of needed projects such as school infrastructure.

Joel worked tirelessly with board counterparts to:

• Pass the town’s budget
• Negotiate town, police and fire union contracts
• Restructure the community development, finance and planning departments

Joel is an active listener, a strong leader, and the type of person we need to round out Windham’s leadership team. A second term will allow Joel to continue bringing youth and vigor to the board which often translates to a different and fresh perspective. We enthusiastically support the re-election of Joel Desilets as a Selectman here in Windham, and ask that you do the same.

Thank you,

Bob & Jane Higgins

“

Mike Morin:

“

Vote for Joel Desilets, Windham Selectman: Thoughtful and Intelligent Leadership

Since moving to Windham four years ago, I have had the opportunity to get to know Windham Selectman Joel Desilets. After having worked side-by-side with Joel to produce the Executive Exchange program for the Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce last year, it was readily apparent to me that his contributions will always benefit any project that he commits to.

Joel is a good listener and wise contributor, never suggesting that his ideas are better than those of other committee members. He made it clear that he likes to work as a fully-engaging team member, welcoming all perspectives.

Joel's experience, enthusiasm and relentless drive to succeed are pluses for Windham residents. He has ideas worth listening to and a temperament that brings differing approaches together.

As vice president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, I appreciate the skill it requires to blend varying ideas into a thoughtful result that makes everyone proud of the outcome. In the short time I have known him, Joel Desilets has proven he deserves a serious look. He has earned my vote.

Respectfully,

Mike Morin

“

Patrick Nysten:

“

RE-ELECT JOEL DESILETS TO THE WINDHAM BOARD OF SELECTMEN

I’m writing in support of re-electing Joel Desilets to the Windham Board of Selectmen.

During his term as a Member and Chairman of the Select Board, Joel has proven that he’s an independent thinker with the courage and fortitude to promote government accountability and transparency.

Joel is an active listener who is passionate about our community, and he’s experienced in working with other Board members and department heads in managing the Town’s budget and contracts. I truly believe that Joel has made a positive impact and has been willing to devote the time necessary to study the important issues that have come before him.

Please join me on March 18th in voting to re-elect Joel Desilets to the Windham Board of Selectmen.

Sincerely,

Patrick Nysten

“

Paul Gosselin:

“

RE-ELECT JOEL DESILETS FOR SELECTMAN

I served with Joel on the Planning Board for two years when he was the Selectman's representative. I personally witnessed his motivation, dedication, and the significant investment of time he spent working on the Master Plan, on various ordinances (most notably, Market Square and 55+ housing), and on various other Boards, Committees, and Subcommittees - from the Board of Selectmen, to the Windham Economic Development Committee (WEDC).

Instead of reacting, Windham should be proactively planning for the future we want. Joel's vision for Windham has consistently been shaped by the needs and desires of residents as laid forward in the Master Plan. Joel's engineering and business experience set him apart as a strategic member of Windham's leadership team.

This year as Chairman, and consistently throughout his term as Selectman, Joel has demonstrated natural leadership ability and established a reputation for collaboration with other Board members, thorough research, and careful consideration of all points of view in order to achieve the best result for Windham. Even when Joel and I have disagreed on an issue Joel has always been courteous in the discussions and I respect his willingness to consider all opinions before making a final decision.

Please join me in casting your vote to Re-Elect Joel Desilets at the upcoming March 18th election!

Sincerely,

Paul Gosselin

“

Gabe Toubia:

“

JOIN ME AND VOTE FOR JOEL DESILETS FOR SELECTMAN IN WINDHAM

I have known Joel Desilets for the past several years. Joel is a very intelligent and articulate person and the IDEAL candidate to serve on the Board of Selectmen. So, I am asking everyone to join me in re-electing Joel for this, one of the most important elected positions in town.

In 2015-2016, I had the distinct pleasure of working with Joel on the Planning Board. In that year, he was the Selectman’s Representative to the Planning Board and I was an Alternate member. Joel was a significant contributor to the Planning Board having brought much experience and exposure to many other projects being planned in our town. He well balances the needs of the Town with those of the various development plans and projects respecting both the guiding ordinances and property owners’ rights to develop. It is this balance that enabled him to effectively serve on the Committees for Economic Development and for Market Square. Indeed, he has strongly championed the Market Square District as well as changes to the Professional Business & Technology District to provide walkable downtown presence with restaurants, shopping, and outdoor family recreational activities.

But Joel’s hard work does not end there. His energy and intellect are boundless. His service to our town is expansive as he also served on various other committees including Energy, Land, Use, Strategic Planning, Broadband Infrastructure, 55+ Housing, Historic, Recreation, and Records Retention among several more. He has also championed the Renewable Energy purchasing consortium along with Windham's Local Energy Committee, the SNHPC, and Standard Power of America which has resulted in considerable electricity cost savings for our Town and Schools and creates offset to our electricity usage with 100% Green (REC's) for 3 years, setting a standard in partnership with over a dozen other cities and growing each year.

Joel is currently in his third year on the Board of Selectmen and currently serving as its Chair. His exposure to the various committees and their works makes him uniquely invaluable to our Town especially at this pivotal time we are entering. As a fiscal conservative, Joel’s intellect and passion for Windham makes him the ideal person to serve on the Board of Selectmen. I am very proud to support Joel. I am asking everyone to join me in voting for Joel Desilets. A vote for Joel is a vote for Windham!

Gabe Toubia,

Planning Board (Alternate Member), WSD Finance Committee.

“

Wendy Lundquist:

“

My vote for Selectman for Windham is going to Joel Desilets, I hope you will join me in that vote.

My name is Wendy Lundquist and I am a kindergarten teacher for the City of Nashua. I lived in Windham from 1985 until 1995, then moved back in 2006. My parents and I own Snow Pond Farm, the Suri Alpaca farm, here in town. I met Joel three years ago when we were having issues with the town of Windham about the placements of our farm signs. He listened to our concerns and we found him to be supportive of agriculture and small businesses. He was one of the people we spoke with that was able to give us good advice as to what we needed to do. With his help, and the help of several others, we were able to have the sign ordinance changed to allow signs for agriculture.

I am proud to support Joel Desilets; he is an outstanding candidate who is up for re-election. He is very involved in our community and is concerned about the best interests of Windham’s citizens. He is intelligent, he does his research before making any decisions, he listens to what you have to say and takes that into consideration. I believe that the decisions Joel makes he truly feels are best for our community. I have also found that he has a great sense of humor, which in dealing with people can be helpful.

I hope that you will join me in voting for Joel Desilets for re-election as Selectman in Windham!

Sincerely,

Wendy Lundquist

“

Mike Oldenburg:

“

A vote for Joel Desilets is a vote for Windham Quality of Life and Values.

Dear Windham Residents,

Joel Desilets has served Windham well as a Selectman for three years and as the Chairman this past year. He has also been active on many other committees like Planning Board, Economic Development, Land Use, Senior Housing, Recreation, Broadband Infrastructure, and others as well. In all these activities, Joel has provided strong leadership with his solid background of business and economics expertise.

Joel's primary focus has been to ensure Windham's quality of life and values are protected. His contributions to approving the development of Market Square were key for this lifestyle project that meets Town Survey needs and desires. He continues to look for ways to improve community services while using strategy to find ways to lower costs and maintain Windham values. Joel continues to stress our culture, arts, and maintaining Windham’s rural character as key priorities. School and Town needs are a continuing balance to keep taxes low and Joel can help accomplish this with his leadership, vision, strategy, and business skills.

Please join me in voting for Joel Desilets for Selectman on March 14.

Sincerely,

Mike Oldenburg

“

Matthew Rounds:

“

Re-Elect Joel Desilets for Selectman in Windham

Joel Desilets cares more about his community more than his own self-interests. He has a passion to protect what makes Windham great while at the same time has a clear vision to steer the town towards its bright future. Balancing the conflicting wants and needs of a community’s citizens is a difficult task. Joel has shown a steadfastness and courage to go against popular sentiment when necessary for the greater good. He has also shown a commitment to listen to his constituents’ opinions and do his best to accommodate everyone’s wants. Windham is lucky to have Joel and I whole-heartedly endorse him for a second term on the Board of Selectmen.

Sincerely,

Matthew Rounds

“

Gerry Blais

“

I am writing to wholeheartedly endorse Joel Desilets for re-election as Selectman in Windham, where he is currently serving as Chairman of the Board. He is a strong conservative who understands the need to manage costs while still increasing the focus on community services, public safety, arts and culture. Most recently, Joel recognized the value in redesigning Windham’s Town website and collaborated with other Selectmen to support investment in the website and also livestreaming.

A diversity of perspectives and experience helps balance a management team, and Joel’s attention to detail, research, engineering, and business acumen have proven valuable throughout his last term as Selectman. Please join me in supporting Joel Desilets for Selectman at the polls.

Respectfully,

Gerry Blais

“