James. S. Marpe, selected today to fill a vacant Republican seat on Westport’s Board of Education, said he’s long had an interest in some sort of public service in town and when the chance came to serve on the board, he grabbed it.
James Marpe: believes in “giving back.” WN photo
“The Westport schools are the centerpiece of Westport,” he said following his unanimous election at a special board meeting in Westport’s Town Hall. “It sets the tone for the community. For me, it’s exciting to be part of that organization.”
Marpe, 58, a retired management consultant who has lived in Westport 16 years, was one of five applicants to fill the unexpired term—until November—of Mark Owades. Owades announced his resignation in January due to the press of other business. His resignation became effective at noon today.
Three of the applicants, including Marpe, were recommended by the Republican Town Committee. Two others applied directly to the board. The board interviewed all five in executive session at their request.
“I would just like to say to the five candidates who came forward what a pleasure it was to have the opportunity to speak with each of you,” said Mary Parmelee, board chair, before the vote. She said the board had met with each candidate for 45 minutes to an hour.
The opportunity to discuss educational issues with the candidates “was not just interesting it was encouraging for those of us who spend so much time on educational issues to know that there are people out there that are watching but that are also interested,” Parmelee said.
Lewis Brey, board secretary and one of three Republican members on the seven-member board, said,“We had some really outstanding candidates here. We had a total of five people who came forward with really, really great credentials.”
It was a “very difficult decision for us,” he said, and acknowledged that “we all had a different viewpoint, as we frequently do.” But he said he was hopeful the board would come to a unanimous decision today, which it did.
Brey noted that all the candidates were given the opportunity to be interviewed in public but declined. The board had come under criticism from a member of the Representative Town Meeting who said the interviews should have been held in public.
“I֒d like to encourage those who are not chosen today to stick with community service in Westport,” he said.
“If there is continuing interest in the Board of Education, this summer is the time to do that. Sometimes the nominating process goes under the radar here in Westport. So anyone who is interested, we would like to see them continue.”
Marpe, whose daughter, Samantha, is a 2002 Staples High School graduate now attending Pennsylvania State University, said, “I’m a guy who believes in giving back. This is an opportunity to do so.”
The former partner in Accenture, Ltd., which long had a contractual relationship with the former Arthur Andersen firm, retired in 2002 as head of the company’s worldwide financial services merger and acquisition practice.
During his career, he worked with a variety of corporate and public sector organizations, including the Boards of Education of Chicago and Washington, D.C., to develop business and information strategies critical to their missions and to implement those strategies.
Marpe said he had recently attended a number of Board of Education meetings since submitting his application and had watched more on television.
He said he was particularly anxious to see that “kids in the middle,” in addition to “high achievers,” get the attention they need in the school system. Westport schools have done a good job in turning out “educated learners,” Marpe said, and he wanted to see all students engage in a “lifetime of learning.”
From a fiscal point of view, he said he wanted to make sure that after spending $200 million to upgrade the physical plant of Westport schools, that the board is committed to maintaining the buildings and not let them deteriorate.
At the same time, Marpe said “taxpayers have a right to expect us to manage as best we can but not at unlimited cost.”
Marpe, who had been involved in numerous searches and interviews involving top executives during his career, said he felt there had been “good chemistry” during his interview with the board. “I felt positive about it,” he said.
He said he was well aware of the time commitment involved in joining the board—“almost to the person, people said I was crazy”—and fully intended to run for a full term in November “unless I find it worse than I expected.”
After congratulating him after the vote, Parmelee handed Marpe a packet of information in advance of tonight’s board meeting.
He accepted it with a smile and later told reporters: “I have a lot to learn. It’s like coming in in the middle of a movie.”
