Katherine L. Babson Jr.

Former Select Board Chair

Ellen F. Gibbs

Former Select Board Chair

Jack Morgan

Former Select Board Chair

David Murphy

Former Select Board Chair

Barbara Searle

Former Select Board Chair

Terri Tsagaris

Former Select Board Chair

Letter to the Townsman - February 4, 2021

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Re-elect Colette Aufranc to the Select Board

It is no exaggeration to say current events, precipitated by the pandemic, have resulted in one of the most challenging and crucial periods for local government. The time Colette has spent on the Select Board has indeed been a trial-by-fire. 

Colette has already proven her worth as an addition to the Select Board. Her diligent preparations and prior town government experience allowed her to get up to speed quickly on ongoing Select Board initiatives. During her tenure on the Select Board she has strengthened existing relationships and built new ones with town staff and with other town government members.  Colette engages fully in discussions, deliberation and decision making.

We have all had experience with Colette as an engaged citizen participating in town government.  Over the many years of our collective tenure on Select Board, Colette has frequently come to speak before the Board or at Town Meeting to advocate for matters that were important to her and her neighbors in a persistent and polite manner.  Her tenacious yet respectful approach allows her to collaborate, compromise and build relationships, all the while advocating for broad interests.

We enthusiastically and strongly endorse Colette for the Select Board. Colette has repeatedly demonstrated the hard-working and cooperative nature required to be a successful Board member. Furthermore, Colette has the very unique experience of governing during this current period of duress. At this critical time, the Select Board needs, and will benefit from, consistency and continuity.

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Matt Kelley

Former School Committee Chair

Letter to the Townsman - February 4, 2021

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Vote for Colette Aufranc for Select Board

I am writing to enthusiastically endorse Colette Aufranc for re-election to the Select Board. My endorsement is based on the qualities Colette has repeatedly shown during her time in Town government and her civic volunteering career, and in the extensive and relevant experience she brings to the table.

Colette is a patient listener, a true collaborator, and thoughtful decision maker. She is open-minded and gracious even in disagreement, qualities seemingly ever scarcer in today’s world.

Colette brings important skills to the Select Board, especially including her financial experience and acumen. Time and again in her government and civic engagement, she has applied and leveraged her background in finance, serving as Chair of the Town’s Audit Committee and as treasurer for several not-for-profit organizations. Her experience as a Select Board member, Town Meeting member, and former Audit Committee Chair has given her a solid understanding of our complex form of town government and how things get done in Wellesley. This know-how is invaluable in effectively serving as a Select Board member.

As its executive body, the Select Board plays a critical role in setting the strategic direction for the town. Colette’s experience, diligent nature, and personal style are what Wellesley needs now, as we face challenging times navigating the current pandemic and planning for the future of our town. Consistent, thoughtful, skilled and experienced leadership are key.

Please join me in voting for Colette Aufranc on March 2nd.

Aimee Bellew

Civic Volunteer

Judson Jaffe

Town Meeting Member

Niki Brinkman-Ofenloch

Civic Volunteer, Former PTO president and treasurer, Town Meeting Member

Marissa Rosenbaum

Former PTO president 

Letter to the Townsman - February 11, 2021

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Choose Colette Aufranc for Select Board!

We are writing to share our experiences working with Colette and why we firmly believe she is the right choice for the Select Board. We each met Colette in different places - as a neighbor, on the Central Council of PTOs, as a Town Meeting member, or engaged in advocacy for our public schools - and we all have benefitted from  Colette’s role as a thoughtful mentor.  Always generous with her time, she has helped us navigate the role of PTO treasurer, decipher required Town report filings, and has suggested new roles we might consider as volunteers. Colette has stayed connected and consistently offered her time, experience, friendship and encouragement to each of us, and to others, as the next generation of parents, volunteers and town government participants..  We would not hesitate to reach out to Colete with a question as she has always been supportive in our endeavors.

As parents of younger, elementary-aged children, we appreciate that Colette has stayed engaged and continued to advocate broadly for our public schools at all levels - even as her own children moved on to high school and college.  Colette has been consistently supportive of efforts to move forward plans to rebuild our elementary school infrastructure and invested significant time and energy in building public support for these initiatives.

Participation in Wellesley town government is a uniquely collaborative experience which requires skill in relationship building. Colette embodies the personal traits we need in our government leaders to encourage engagement, build trust, and generate strong support of local initiatives and actions. 

Please join us in voting for Colette Aufranc on March 2nd.  Our town government will be well served now, and in the future, from her service.

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Kevin Clark

Former Sustainable Energy Committee Transportation Working Group member

Richard Lee

Former Sustainable Energy Committee member and Transportation Working Group member

Eric Sofen

Former Sustainable Energy Committee Transportation Working Group member

Letter to The Townsman February 18th, 2021

Re-elect Colette Aufranc to continue important Sustainable Mobility initiatives

We are writing to encourage Wellesley residents to re-elect Colette Aufranc to the Select Board and allow her to continue the important work she has begun on “sustainable mobility” through her current role as Select Board representative to the Mobility Committee.  This committee was established as recommended by Wellesley's Unified Plan to ensure the town developed an integrated multimodal transportation system.

As Select Board representative to the Mobility Committee, Colette has built relationships with several town committees and employees and with important transportation focused groups such as the MBTA and MWRTA Advisory Committees, and the Massachusetts Safe Routes to Schools Program. Colette has also played an important role in defining the parameters and selecting a consultant to create a Sustainable Mobility Visioning Plan for Wellesley. Colette has worked with the Town’s executive director to prioritize projects identified through our Complete Streets working plan for grant submissions through Shared Streets, Complete Streets and other municipal grant avenues. Colette is currently very involved and working closely with the MWRTA on a micro transit pilot (curb to curb demand transit intra-Wellesley).

Not having a background in transportation, in September Colette embarked on a mission of self-education and relationship-building. As part of her due diligence, Colette took the time to reach out to each of us in order to gain perspective and learn about the needs of various modes of transport throughout Wellesley. Colette has been a reasoned advocate for Wellesley’s transportation needs and, as a result of her financial background and constructive engagement style, she was recently asked to join the MBTA Advisory Board’s Budget Committee. 

As strong advocates for more sustainable multimodal transportation in Wellesley, we enthusiastically endorse Colette Aufranc. We encourage you to re-elect her to the Select Board so she may continue this work.

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Mary Bowers

Lifelong Resident

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From Letter to the Townsman - February 11, 2020

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Re-elect Aufranc to the Select Board​

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If you voted for Colette Aufranc last September to fill the vacancy left by Jack Morgan's early retirement, you've already watched her make a difference on the Select Board.

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If you didn't vote for her in September, but wish you had, you get a chance to re-elect Colette Aufranc for her 3-year term on March 2nd.

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I was so impressed to see both on Facebook and in our Townsman, the endorsement by seven former members of the Select Board as well as Matt Kelley, a long-standing School Committee member.  Wow... never in my lifetime (and that's a lot of years!) can I recall such a strong show of support for a candidate.

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For disclosure I have been and continue to be an advisor to Colette's team and look forward to voting for her re-election for three years as a Select Board member on March 2, and I hope you'll also join with me.

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Mary Bowers

Lifelong Resident

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From Letter to the Townsman - August 20, 2020

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The timing is right for Colette Aufranc to join BOS

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If ever there was someone ready to fill a vacancy on a town board, it’s Colette Aufranc to fill the vacancy on our Board of Selectmen. Colette’s education is just what is needed at this time in our community with her background in finance.

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She’s been volunteering for so many years in Wellesley and most of them have been in the role of treasurer, as well as soliciting bids for PTOs in town, and seeking bids from software providers for PTOs.

Colette Aufranc was a neighborhood advocate re the development of Linden Square, resulting in a good outcome for the neighborhood and the town.

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Since March 2018 Colette has been a strong voice, with participation, as a Town Meeting Member.

Colette was appointed as a member to the town’s Audit Committee in March 2018, then served as Secretary and recently nominated as its chair. The Audit Committee consists of five residents appointed by town moderators with financial expertise.

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Colette Aufranc has been a Wellesley resident for 22 years and has been involved in so many boards and committees and with her personal background and experience, I’m excited to vote for her on Sept. 1 and hope you will, too. The timing is right for Colette Aufranc to be a strong addition to our Board of Selectmen!

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Mason Smith

Civic Volunteer

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Eunice Groark

Civic Volunteer

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Becca Cahaly

Civic Volunteer

From Letter to the Townsman August 20, 2020

Please join us in voting for Colette Aufranc for Board of Selectmen (BOS) at the Special Election. There is no one more qualified or better prepared for this role than Colette.

We have the pleasure of knowing Colette for years and have worked extensively with her as she served as the PTO Treasurer at Sprague Elementary School, the PTSO President at Wellesley High School and as a Town Meeting Member. In each of these roles, Colette was always prepared and extremely organized. To prepare for any meeting, Colette extensively researches issues and studies background information, seeks input from various invested parties and works collaboratively to develop solutions. Furthermore, Colette is always approachable, easy to work with, open to different perspectives, and has a great sense of humor.
 

For the past two years, Colette has been a member of the Town Audit Committee and was recently nominated as chair. The Audit Committee oversees the audit of all of the Town’s financial statements and reports. Clearly, serving on this committee has been excellent preparation for serving on the BOS.

Colette spent considerable time weighing her decision to run for the Board of Selectmen. For the past year, Colette attended or watched all of the BOS meetings. She has spent months speaking with Town leaders to understand the role and learn what is required. She has studied the issues and challenges facing Wellesley. For this reason, Colette not only brings an immense amount of experience and preparation to the BOS, but she will hit the ground running.

We cannot think of a better candidate to serve on the Board of Selectman than Colette. Please join us in voting for Colette Aufranc.

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Victoria Ostler

Former President

Wellesley Education Foundation

Maria Chase

Former President 

Wellesley Education Foundation

Connie Burton

Former President

Wellesley High School PTSO

Andra Jensen

Former President

Wellesley High School PTSO

From Letter to the Townsman - August 13, 2020

Please join us in voting to elect Colette Aufranc to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) in the special election. We had the pleasure of serving with Colette in our former roles as Presidents of the WHS PTSO and the Wellesley Education Foundation. Our work with her gives us confidence that she is an outstanding candidate who will bring a wealth of experience, poise and commitment to the position.
 

Colette is an “all-rounder” with extensive knowledge on a wide range of issues, built through her professional accounting experience and a breadth of civic volunteer leadership positions. She is sought out for advice or a leadership role in every organization she joins because of her engagement and approachable leadership style. She has two years of experience on the Town’s Audit Committee, a testament to her deep financial expertise. She is ready to be a key contributor to the BOS on day one.

As PTSO Co-President, she built a shared vision about how to strengthen the PTSO’s work to advance the goals of WPS and WHS. New connections were built between the PTSO and WEF to further our collective impact in supporting professional development and parent education. Colette draws people together to develop shared goals and as a result, achieves stronger results.
 

This year has shown that change is our only constant – as we adapt to meet the challenges of COVID-19, and also take action to address deeply entrenched societal injustices. Colette is a life-long learner and will embrace these challenges as new opportunities. She is exactly who we need at this time in our town government. She will immerse herself in issues and build connections with those affected to learn from their experience. She brings a warm and personal touch in her outreach which welcomes all sides into the discussion. Rather than rushing, she will make thoughtful, evidence-based decisions.

We hope you will elect Colette so that she can bring her passion and dedication to the Board of Selectmen for the benefit of all Wellesley residents.

Laura McDonnell

Former Audit Committee Chair

Phil Laughlin

Former Audit Committee Member

Stephen St. Thomas

Former Audit Committee Member

Peter Cory

Former Audit Committee Member

From Letter to the Townsman, August 6th, 2020

Please join us in supporting Colette Aufranc for Wellesley’s Board of Selectmen

It is with great enthusiasm and confidence that we write in support of Colette Aufranc’s candidacy for the Board of Selectmen. Our first interactions with Colette came from her engagement as a member of the Audit Committee, which oversees the audit of the Town’s financial statements and reports, and presents its findings to the Board of Selectmen. Her background as an experienced auditor served her and the Committee well as we engaged with the Town’s Financial and Executive Directors, School Business Office, Treasurer, Pension Board, Municipal Light Plant Board, IT Director, among others and the Town’s Auditors. Furthermore, as a Town Meeting Member and long term volunteer, she developed a solid understanding of Town affairs and built good relationships with key Town personnel.  

Colette engaged thoughtfully in important discussions with the auditors each year during the course of the Committee’s work. Colette was always well prepared, clearly showing she had conducted a thorough review of the meeting materials. We appreciated Colette’s immediate willingness to step in as secretary, and later chair, as these positions opened following the end of our terms on the Committee.

Colette is easy to work with, as she is always accessible, responsive, and open to others’ thoughts and ideas. She is also organized and efficient – detail oriented when needed, but equally able to see the bigger picture.  

Having a solid understanding of the Town’s financial position, being an experienced reader of the Town’s financial statements, and having a well-rounded background in finance is an asset to the Board of Selectmen in ordinary times, and will be even more helpful in the challenging days to come as we work though the financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Colette clearly has these valuable skills.

Vote for Colette Aufranc!

David Himmelberger

Former Selectman, Town Meeting Member - Precinct H

Todd Himstead

Town Meeting Member - Precinct H

From Letter to the Townsman, July 30, 2020

We are writing to enthusiastically support Colette Aufranc for Wellesley’s Board of Selectmen in the election.
 

We have had the pleasure of working with Colette outside of “official” town work, in the form of neighborhood-level advocacy and consensus-building. As in any neighborhood in town, our community adjacent to Linden Street faces occasional challenges that affect us all, such as construction, traffic, parking, commercial development, and changes to our parks and other common space.
 

Many of these challenges raise quite a bit of concern, worry, or enthusiasm among neighbors, and Colette has for many years taken a lead role in guiding us through. She researches the issues deeply and communicates the facts plainly with all interested parties. She is remarkable at seeing an issue from all sides, and dogged about finding a compromise that pleases as many stakeholders as possible.
 

Our unique town government thrives on officials who listen, collaborate, and seek consensus. We have seldom seen anyone better suited than Colette to this work on the Wellesley Board of Selectmen.

Lisa Collins

Moderator, Central Council of PTOs

Shani DeFina

Former moderator, Central Council of PTOs

Betsy Komjathy

Former moderator, Central Council of PTOs

Sarah Pedersen

Former moderator, Central Council of PTOs

From Letter to the Townsman July 23, 2020

Vote for Colette Aufranc for Wellesley’s Board of Selectmen

We are writing to share our experiences of working with Colette Aufranc in her role as the Treasurer for the Central Council of PTOs, a networking group for all PTOs in Wellesley.  When Colette stepped up to volunteer as Treasurer for Central Council, she set herself a goal of building trust between the PTOs and the School Business Office to form a better working relationship.  Colette also strived to create an efficient working group for PTO Treasurers to pool resources, share information, and create a supportive peer network.  On both fronts, Colette was incredibly successful, in large part because of her pleasant and approachable working style.  Colette succeeded in building trust with PTO Treasurers by being available and responsive, communicating continuously, and listening to the needs of the group; as a result, she was always able to take appropriate concrete action.  Colette leveraged the trust she earned with the PTO treasurers to build an effective working relationship with the School Business Office, facilitating productive semiannual working meetings.  Furthermore, Colette acted as a reliable and dependable resource for PTO Presidents in understanding not only the important work of their Treasurers, but also their shared obligations with respect to monitoring financial information.  As a result of Colette’s persistence, Central Council was able to present annually to the Town’s Advisory Committee the combined level of financial support PTOs provided to their schools and communities, something that had never before been captured and was important when considering budget decisions.

Colette was a pleasure to work with; we all felt that we could reach out to her with any questions or requests for help, and we knew our calls would be well received and thoughtfully addressed.

Please join us in voting for Colette Aufranc for the upcoming special election for the Board of Selectmen.