Meet the Candidate: Jeffrey Champagne

Name: Jeffrey Champagne

Age: 32

Party and position running for: Democratic Party Candidate, Planning & Zoning Commission (Four-Year Term)

Family Info: Moved to Tolland 18 months ago, with my wife of 7 years, Ali, and our two sons, Benjamin (4) and Joseph (18 months).

Previous Political Experience: First time seeking elected public office.

Other Experience: With over 10 years of leadership and management experience, at times with responsibility for as many as 200 employees, and revenues of over $40M annually, I believe that I can contribute significantly to the successful planning of Tolland. I have an MBA from the University of Hartford with experience in several complex industries including Alternative Energy, Medical Device, Biotech, and Advanced Materials. I have worked at Nerac for 3 years, as a Manager of Business Development. I have served as an officer in the Tolland Knights of Columbus Council for the last 3 years and have organized several local events to help with natural disaster relief. I am a member of the Rockville Fish & Game. I also have experience with Geographical Information Systems.

My experience in understanding and impacting complex business situations can be utilized by the town of Tolland to attract the right business tenants to the area. Creating attractive value propositions and developing deals with C-level executives is what I do on a daily basis.

Another experience that just became apparently valuable for the Planning & Zoning Commission, is my travel experiences to technology parks around the country. I have been to more corporate campuses than I care to admit. It is clear that certain models work and other take away from the community that they occupy. I can draw on these frequent visits to benchmark and determine: 1. why successful technology parks flourish and benefit their community, and 2. how do we recreate those positive situations here in Tolland. 

Why are you running for office?  

I am interested in helping to create a positive environment for my children to grow up in. I also believe it is my civic duty to serve and contribute my skill set to the management of the town in which we live. There are a lot of exciting ideas on the table in Tolland right now. My goal would be to make sure that we maintain the charm of a rural historic town, while we embrace economic development, protect natural resources, attract a sophisticated and educated population, and create a stimulating environment to “live, grow, and dream.” 
 
How will you work with residents to ensure that their issues are addressed as the Tolland Village Area moves forward? 

I believe the best way to hear the voices of the community is to invite them to participate. With an “open innovation” model for developing the town, there will be many perspectives and opinions. Ultimately a win-win situation must be created, which is mutually beneficial to town residents, existing local businesses, new businesses, and developers wishing to build. I have experience with marketing focus groups which can be helpful for working with Tolland residents to create a successful Village area.

There are models out there that exist which can provide guidance and vision as we develop both the Village Area and the proposed Technology Corridor. I believe that by providing examples of these models for the towns’ residents to critique and comment on, we can find the best ideas and incorporate them into Town planning. I am grateful to be a part of this Democratic Team and hope to get a chance to serve this community.