John Kiker (D): Incumbent Candidate for Lyme Selectman

Biography: 

John Kiker is a communications professional with more than 35 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies, Top-10 marketing communications firms, government agencies and international trade associations before he began to pursue a life of public service. His strengths include strategic thinking, marketing communications, media relations, brand management, crisis management, reputation management, advertising, promotions, employee communications and governmental affairs. He has experience handling a broad spectrum of communications challenges, including senior-management successions, acquisitions, divestitures, new-product introductions, brand enhancements, bankruptcy filings, labor negotiations and crisis management. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and master’s from Columbia University.

1. Why are you running for the Lyme Board of Selectmen, and what skills or experiences make you the right candidate for that role?

I am currently the longest-serving Selectman on the Board of Selectmen, having served the Town of Lyme in this capacity since 2017. If elected, one focus will be carrying that institutional knowledge forward for the Board, but my primary focus has and will continue to be improving the transparency of the Board and its communications with residents. 

Since I was first elected, I took the lead in revamping the Town’s website, establishing an e-blast system for reaching residents by email, distributing Town information via Facebook and launching and editing the printed Selectman’s Newsletter under former First Selectman Steve Mattson, who agreed it was a priority. If we’re elected, I will work with First Selectman Christy Zelek to reestablish a regular Board of Selectman’s newsletter, distributed via e-blast, the website and social media, to keep residents apprised of important news, issues and meeting minutes. 

My other credentials include serving as the chair of the Ledge Light Health District Board of Directors and a member of the Board of Assessment Appeals, Pension Advisory Committee and Sustainable Committee. I am a past member of the Library Board of Directors, the Lymes’ Senior Center Building Committee and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Prior to my time here in public service, my career as a senior communications professional consisted of providing ongoing strategic communications counsel to CEOs, boards of directors and senior-management teams; overseeing budgets ranging from $10 million to more than $200 million; and managing staffs from 10 to more than 60 professionals.  

My career included stints as the Vice President of Worldwide Communications for United Airlines; the Vice President-Communications for Cendant Corporation, one of the largest and most diversified collections of travel brands and distribution businesses at the time; the Executive Vice President & General Manager of Corporate Affairs for Edelman, a leading public relations agency; and Vice President for Porter Novelli, another PR agency.

I love this town and would love to continue to serve its residents as Selectman.

2. Lyme, like the other municipalities in the state, is being called upon to increase the availability of affordable housing. What is your view on the need for affordable housing in Lyme, and how should the town balance state requirements with local calls to preserve its rural nature? 

I personally am in favor of affordable housing – providing we can reach an agreement as a town on a solution that would work for Lyme. My hope is that, as a town, we can find a solution that allows us to keep our rural charm and open space – which are components of life here that we all treasure – while enabling our fire and ambulance volunteers, teachers and older residents to live here. It will be a balancing act that will demand the best thinking of the members of our Board of Finance, Planning & Zoning Commission, Affordable Housing Commission, Board of Selectmen and our 2,200 residents.

I would prefer Lyme not to be in a position where the state dictates how our town is required to provide affordable housing, and I will continue to encourage our state representatives to fight for us at the state level.  It’s possible that the state will come around to adopting a more regional focus on affordable housing, which would be a more sensible approach for rural communities like ours.

The results from the 2025 Plan of Conservation & Development survey – which were recently summarized in an October 3 LymeLine article – have provided the town with updated insights into the preferences of our residents regarding affordable housing. 

Ultimately, it will be up to our residents to review the solution or solutions our boards and commissions propose, and then vote in Town Meeting on whether they are willing to move forward and absorb any tax increases that those solutions would require. 

3. Lyme proudly relies on its volunteers to create a safe and supportive community, from fighting fires and responding to medical calls to sitting on boards and commissions. With volunteer numbers shrinking and a limited pool to pull from, what ideas do you have for encouraging more people to serve the town? 

In order to operate our town government efficiently, there are more than 140 positions that need to constantly be filled by volunteers. I recognize the importance of this need personally as, in addition to serving as Selectman, I currently volunteer to serve on four other boards and have volunteered for three other boards in the past, in addition to those. We need to continue to encourage more of our residents to contribute their time, talents and skills to better our town.

Eight years ago, it was the Lyme Democratic Town Committee that took the lead in establishing the town’s first-ever volunteer fair.  Three years ago, our committee worked closely with the Lyme Public Library Board of Directors to make a town-wide volunteer fair a biannual event at the Library. We’ve had to convince the Republican Town Committee to participate in these fairs every time.

While these fairs have been successful in recruiting and motivating residents to serve our community, there is more we need to do.  The steps I would like to see us take include:

• Notifying all residents – by email, the website and social media – when openings become available on boards and commissions as a result of members moving out of town, resigning or passing away.
• Briefing all residents on a monthly basis of volunteer opportunities that would benefit from their expertise, skills and life experience.
• Strengthening our communications with new residents to not only explain that volunteering is essential in a small town, but raising their awareness of town regulations and permits.
• Encouraging our boards and commissions to do a stronger job of onboarding new board and commission members so they can get up to speed quickly and make valuable contributions.

Where our volunteer emergency personnel are concerned, having housing that they can afford to live in is also key. See my earlier reply to the affordable housing question above.

4. In order of importance, what do you see as the top three challenges facing Lyme over the next two years? 

One: The Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance have to continue to plan financially for 10 years into the future. Adopting this long-range approach is what has enabled us to eliminate the need for a tax increase in the past seven years and it was the Democratic leadership on these two boards that made that approach a reality. One important component of this planning involves keeping a close eye on the financial needs and budgets of the school system, as those costs account for 60% of the town’s budget. Lyme’s Board of Education members – Gavin Lodge and Anna James – have done an excellent job for the town, and our school superintendent, Ian Neviaser, is committed to being transparent. But the reality is, new projects and needs will arise there that our boards and commissions will need to monitor and review.

Two: We need to stay focused on maintaining the infrastructure of our town and make sure we are ready for whatever time and Mother Nature have in store for us. Winter is hard on our roads and bridges. Our Town Crew is best in class and we need to make sure they have the best-in-class equipment to keep us safe. Our boards have done an excellent job of planning long-term for our needs and obtaining money and grants from the states to help pay for the improvements we need.

Three: We need to recruit volunteers willing to be appointed to boards and commissions, and volunteers willing to run for public office. Lyme needs to establish and train the next generation of town leaders. That’s one reason why I’m excited about Christy Zelek running for First Selectman. For the first time in a long time, Lyme has a candidate, barely into her 50s, who can serve in this position for years to come and carry our institutional knowledge forward. If the Republicans’ husband-and-wife team of Tom St. Louis and Mary Powell-St. Louis is elected, control of our Board of Selectmen will rest in the hands of a single family, which is an idea that makes many people uncomfortable.