Region 18 Special Election Comes to Lyme

LYME, CT – As a former Lyme representative on the Region 18 Board of Education settles into his new home in Old Lyme, Lyme voters must elect his replacement.

The town is planning a special election on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at Lyme Consolidated School to replace Democrat Gavin Lodge, who resigned on Oct. 15, according to First Selectwoman Christy Zelek. 

Democratic Registrar of Voters Dottie Wells said the Special Town Meeting will convene at 6 p.m. in the auditorium. Voting, which is open to registered voters only,  will immediately follow in the cafeteria. Polls will close when the last voter present has cast a ballot.

Democrat Jodi Lott, 52, and Republican Emma Griffith, 23, are vying for the seat. 

Lodge sent in his resignation as he was packing up and moving, he said Saturday. He wished there was a way to remain on the board as both towns are part of the region, but said it wasn’t possible according to the Region 18 bylaws. Moving was a tough call, he said, but his family needed more room.

Lodge said he has “loved every second” of his time on the board. 

He was elected in 2023, unseating Republican Mary Powell-St. Louis, who had served on the board for eight years.

“I am very sorry to have to leave, but I know that this is what needs to be done according to bylaws,” Lodge said. “This is a clean break to make space and honor the bylaws that are in place.”

The regional school board consists of two members from Lyme, including Lyme Democrat Anna James, and seven members from Old Lyme. Lodge’s resignation follows two Old Lyme vacancies filled through special elections over the past several months.

There are no Republicans on the school board currently. While most boards and commissions in individual municipalities are subject to state minority representation rules aimed at preventing either of the major political parties from holding all seats, the rules don’t apply to regional boards of education.  

Lyme Democratic Town Committee Chair John Kiker said Lott has the experience “to hit the ground running” and is very excited to take on the role. He noted she has spent 20 years working with educators and has also worked in special education classrooms and on student mental health issues.

“She’s perfect,” Kiker said. “She’s exactly the person I think Region 18 needs right now.”

Lott, who has lived in Old Lyme for 13 years and in Lyme for one year, has a son in eighth grade at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, she said Saturday. 

Currently on hiatus from the corporate world, Lott is renovating her barn into a space for therapeutic arts and special education. She spent two decades  in corporate leadership in education technology, most recently as vice president of sales at Gaggle, from 2018 to 2025. Her job with the company, which focuses on digital safety and student well-being, put her in direct contact with school superintendents, leaders and stakeholders across the country.

“I know that some of the issues that are coming up here in Region 18, and are important to me, are coming up across the country,” she said.

Among them are artificial intelligence (AI) and screen time.

“AI is not going away,” she said. “The tools are embedded in all we do.”

Educators need to look at the ways students are using AI, she said, adding that adults may need to be taught what artificial intelligence really means.

As far as screen time is concerned, Lott said the need varies between younger and older students. Younger students may not benefit from as much screen time, versus face-to-face learning, as older students. 

“School parents are right to be concerned. Chromebooks at school, phones at home. More screen time isn’t automatically better,” she said. “I think we really have to be thinking critically about the age of the students and what are they doing with those tools.”

Lott has spent a great deal of her career in mental well-being, she said. She served on the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board and volunteered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She also volunteered with the prevention coordinator for the Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau.

She started out working in special education classrooms and in therapeutic art. 

“My focus has also been on more vulnerable populations,” she said.

If she wins the board seat, she hopes to look at policies with an eye toward inclusivity and safety, so students are ready to learn. 

She said the district is a community filled with parents willing to give their time.

“This is an amazing opportunity to contribute to the excellence that is Region 18,” she said. “I would be walking into such a rich and deep foundation, really stepping into something that our town has so much pride in.”

Republican Town Committee Chair Mary Powell-St. Louis said Friday that the committee met the night before and endorsed Griffith.

A young professional, Griffith was born and raised in the district and is a product of the school system, Powell-St. Louis said, noting that she knows Griffith and her family personally. 

Griffith has an awareness of what parents in the district are looking for, according to Powell-St. Louis. 

“We think that she will really bring a dynamic and fresh perspective to the board,” Powell-St. Louis said. “We feel that she’s an excellent fit, being that she’s gone through the school system.”

Griffith has been a substitute teacher locally and was a youth member of the Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau.

Powell-St. Louis said she is looking forward to nominating Griffith at the special election and presenting her to the town. 

Griffith, who graduated from the University of Connecticut last spring, said she took on substitute teaching positions in preschool through grade five during her last semester and enjoyed being in the classroom. In August, she started working as an engineer at Electric Boat. She has lived in Lyme for 12 years and before that was in Old Lyme.

“Because I am young and went through the school system recently, I feel I can bring a different perspective,” she said.

Like her opponent, she cited AI and screen time as big concerns for local parents.

“AI, it’s not going anywhere, we’re going to have to use it as a tool now,” she said.

In terms of screen time, she said students didn’t spend as much time looking at screens when she was in school and that younger students need more hands-on learning than screen-based instruction.

She also thinks it’s crucial for parents to be involved in their children’s education and bring concerns to the board. She wants to increase opportunities for them to voice concerns and have them addressed.

Griffith said it should be easier for parents to share their concerns outside of regular board meetings, such as by having board members attend Parent Teacher Organization meetings more regularly or host informal conversations at places including the library.

“I understand not every parent has the time to attend a board meeting, but that shouldn’t mean their voice goes unheard,” she said. “I believe parents shouldn’t have to wait until they’re frustrated about something to feel comfortable approaching the board. I want to encourage open communication, meaningful follow-up and be able to address concerns before they become problems.”

Board members should be approachable and willing to listen, she said, adding that she would like to see more opportunities for open dialogue during public comment, rather than parents speaking to the board without receiving a response.

Griffith also wants the high school to prepare students for more things they will encounter in the real world. While it does a great job preparing students for college, non-college career paths and life skills should be added to the mix, she said. Subjects like finance should be taught to younger students.

“I think one of the most important things is that I’m able to bring this fresh perspective to the board,” she said. “I want to take my experiences as a student and use them to help the school system and make sure that all students have the chance to do what they want.”

Lodge, when asked if he would consider running for the school board now that he’s living in Old Lyme, said it could happen.

“I would love to stay involved as much as I can,” he said. “If the opportunity presents itself, I would be happy to.”