Brew is a thoughtful, dedicated man

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

To the Editor:

I am encouraging Amherst voters to support Dwight Brew on March 9 for the position of selectman. For the past 10 years, Dwight has demonstrated his commitment to Amherst as he served first on the Town of Amherst Ways and Means Committee for three years and then for seven years on the Amherst School Board, leading the Board as Chair for three of those years.

Dwight Brew has developed and implemented processes to improve both fiscal and educational accountability responsibility to the Amherst School District. He has worked to put in place solid, common sense, money-saving bidding procedures and has insisted on openness in all school district dealings. When Dwight first joined the board, he made it a priority to give the Amherst School District Ways and Means Committee direct access to administrators and department heads, thereby allowing the committee to gain the needed information about the budget and make valuable recommendations for improvements. Dwight’s leadership created a climate in which outstanding trust issues could be resolved while improving the budget process immeasurably.

Dwight Brew has also set a standard of accountability for the education of our children. As chair of the board, he has required that the board be provided with quantitative data measurement of our students’ performance, insisting that the high quality of education in Amherst be maintained and improved upon.

We are fortunate to have such a thoughtful, dedicated leader willing to serve our community.

BETTY SHANKEL

Amherst