The Democratic Town Committee (DTC) Tuesday unanimously recommended Merrill Gay, the executive director of the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, to fill the Board of Education seat being vacated by Dr. Aram Ayalon.
Merrill Gay
nbdiscovery.org
Meeting at City Hall to choose delegates to May nominating conventions, members of the DTC favored Gay who is a DTC member long active in campaigns and advocacy for school funding equity and children in the city. The City Charter requires the Common Council to fill vacancies on the 10-member Board of Education.
“From his grassroots work in New Britain and advocacy for funding equity for urban schools, Merrill Gay will be a strong and effective Democrat on the BOE, exercising oversight and independent judgment to address the many challenges the district faces in improving student achievement with scarce resources,” said DTC Chair John McNamara.
Gay previously worked for 10 years as director of the New Britain Early Childhood Collaborative. In that position he coordinated community planning that led to the creation of the Blueprint for New Britain’s Young Children.
Gay is married to Mary Richardson and is the father of two children, including a son at New Britain High School. He holds a master’s degree in community economic development from the University of Southern New Hampshire and earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Clark University.
