Lynn Fairfield-Sonn Named Old Lyme’s 2014 Citizen of the Year

Despite bitterly cold temperatures last night, more than 75 people packed into Old Lyme’s Meeting Room at the Town Hall to hear who would be named the 2014 Citizen of the Year. The Board of Selectmen always keeps the name of the recipient a closely-guarded secret until the announcement is made, but this year that practice was made especially challenging with the cancellation of the first two scheduled dates for the meeting due to the weather.

After all the postponements, the time finally came at yesterday’s Annual Town Meeting to make the eagerly anticipated announcement. There were loud cheers and clapping when First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder announced the name of community leader and perennial volunteer Lynn-Fairfield-Sonn.

Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal then read from the citation detailing the rationale behind the award saying Fairfield-Sonn’s, “volunteer commitments are testament to her steadfast loyalty and dedication,” and that, “Through her efforts both locally and regionally, our 2014 Citizen of the Year has demonstrated those values time and time again.”

Quoting from the citation, Nosal continued, “Jim and Lynn Fairfield-Sonn searched for over a year before moving to Old Lyme in 1984. They chose their Lyme Street location so that the children they would raise here — Anne, Jimmy, and John — could walk to school and get involved.”

Nosal then stated the root cause of why Fairfield-Sonn was so deserving of the award, “Lynn wasted no time getting involved herself.”

Going on to list Fairfield-Sonn’s numerous volunteer commitments, Nosal detailed, “She has served as president of the Junior League of Greater New Haven as well as the Old Lyme Day Care (now Children’s Learning) Center, and served on the boards of the Chamber of Commerce of Southeastern Connecticut, the Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis, Janus House, and New Haven Habitat for Humanity. Lynn was a Board of Selectmen appointee to the Historic District Commission for eight years.”

Nosal continued, “To support her children’s interests, Lynn was co-president of District 18’s Friends of Music for four years, and President of the Football Booster club for six. She has twice served the Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Board as its Treasurer,” and in perhaps what was her most visible role in the local community, “served as Chair of our Board of Education for eight years.”

The citation notes, “Fairfield-Sonn’s values have been imprinted on multiple community organizations,” but highlights the Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut as the one on which her involvement has made an especially indelible mark. Fairfield-Sonn first volunteered for Child and Family in 1989 and currently serves as its Director of Development and Community Relations.

Nosal summed up the board of selectmen’s reasoning for naming Fairfield-Sonn the 2014 Citizen of the Year in these words, taken from the citation, saying the board, “Honors Lynn Fairfield-Sonn for the loyalty and dedication that have defined her impact on our community.”