2001 Candidates
Rudy MarconiFirst Selectman
2001 Candidates
Rudy Marconi
Rudy Marconi was elected the First Selectman in a landslide victory in November, 1999. When he was elected, his first priority was to bring to the job a vigor and a passion for the town and the job of First Selectman which had been missing over the years. After two years, Ridgefielders of all political persuasions are applauding him for getting things done -- we're executing a detailed plan to build the schoolrooms we'll need for the next 20 years; we're aggressively protecting open space, including saving the Bennett's Pond property from overdevelopment; and most importantly, town officials are now working together with citizens and with each other in a newly-open and responsive government to keep Ridgefield Connecticut's Number One Town.
Rudy's first term has been marked by a succession of accomplishments, including: convening the first-ever "Sewer Summit" which brought dozens of town offcials and citizens together to resolve the sanitation dilemma for the new middle school, which is now rising next to RHS; getting the holiday lights back on Main Street; being the first First Selectman to host the Town's Martin Luther King Celebration; gaining consensus to create the Town's first-ever Rail-to-Trail; guiding two successive bare-bones Town budgets through to approval; welcoming celebrants to Ridgefield's Gay/Lesbian Pride events; steering the Town confidently through a public water system contamination crisis; conceiving, campaigning for, and gaining overwhelming approval for an innovative school "bundling" plan; securing important portions of the McKeon's farm property for open space, primarily with private funding; creating a lasting memorial to the Town's beloved Historian, Dick Venus; bringing to Ridgefield the town's first-ever pro sporting event - the Housatonic Valley Classic; helping secure the release from a Russian prison of Ridgefield's Fulbright Scholar, Jack Tobin; helping our town cope with the September 11 tragedy; and most recently, bringing Ridgefielder's together in a creative solution to securing the future of the Bennett's Pond property. And those are just the highlights!
For a look at how Rudy does it- how his energy, enthusiasm, and get-it-done attitude combine to help Ridgefielders work together for progress- check out Behind The Scenes With Rudy -- Our Photo Essay: A Visit With Ridgefield's First Selectman.
Rudy is a hometown success story: he was educated in the Ridgefield School system. As a young man he was a three letter athlete leading the RHS football, basketball and baseball teams. He earned a BBA from Nichols College of Business Administration. Upon graduation, he worked in the paper and printing industry from 1971 until 1986, finally returning to hometown Ridgefield with his wife and young daughter to join the family business - Nano Marconi, Inc. Rudy's Dad passed away in 1995 and Rudy carried on the company bsuiness that his uncle started over 30 years ago. "I've seen the ups and downs businesses can have," says Rudy. He explained that the family business suffered like many small companies in the early nineties, but today can boast that business is thriving.
Rudy Marconi served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for four years. While on P&Z he realized that he really enjoyed town government service. He ran successfully for the Board of Selectmen, where he served for two terms before bidding for the top position as First Selectman in 1997. Rudy lost that race by a slim margin, but vowed to try again in two years. In the meantime, he renewed his commitment to town service by becoming Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee. In 1999, he was elected with a historic 63% of the vote -- the first time in 50 years an incumbent Republican First Selectman had been overturned by a Democratic challenger.
Mr. Marconi is also an active community volunteer. He coaches sports and has donated his time and talents to building fields, constructing the barn, working with local town services and working to help St. Mary's Church with improvements among many other activities.
Rudy's wife of 19 years, Peggy Marconi, is an established businesswoman and the former owner of the highly successful Fitness Studio in Ridgefield. His daughter, Amanda, attends Ridgefield High School, her father's alma mater. His three sons are frequent visitors to Ridgefield and are often seen along the campaign trail supporting their Dad. Andrew is a professional caterer in Boston; Jason, a graduate of Vanderbilt University, is with Warburg Dillon Read in New York City, and Alexander, who recently graduated from St. Lawrence University, has embarked on a career in the environmental field.
Contact Rudy Marconi
Brought to you by the Ridgefield, Ct.
Democratic Town Committee, Susan D. Cocco, Chairman
Paid for by The Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee, Edwin C. Pearson, Treasurer
2001 Candidates