CESARE J. “SKIP” DELVAGLIO, Jr.

Name:  Cesare “SKIP” Del Vaglio

Previous Offices Held / Community Involvement:  Economic Development Commission, Planning & Zoning Commission,  Zoning Board of Ap¬peals, THS Building Committee, Board of Assessment Appeals, Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce—Public Policy Committee and Energy Subcommittee

Marital Status:  Married to Cynthia Del Vaglio; 3 children (CJ III, Ashley and Emily)

Education:  Master’s in Corporate and Politi¬cal Communication, Fairfield University; B.A. in Government and Political Science, Fairfield University;  Attended UCONN Law School

Current Job:  President, Rollins Printing & Publishing, Inc. (Awarded "2010 Business of the Year" by The Waterbury Neighborhood Council)

Quote:  I reckon so!

Last Book Read:  Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand

Click Here to Read More about Skip

Click Here to go to our Media Page and Listen to Skip's interview on FM 97.3 WZBG

Skip’s Acceptance Speech

Thank you Thomaston Democrats for entrusting me with this wonderful opportunity to serve our town.  Thank you nominating committee for the hard work you have put into pulling together this strong ticket.

But who am I?

Certainly those who have lived in Thomaston for many, many years clearly know who is Cesare J. “Skip” DelVaglio, Jr.

I was raised in Thomaston with my three sisters and brother.  Mom still lives on Union Street, my sister Cynthia Killian works at the Thomaston Public Library and my brother Peter operates his own landscaping business.

I played Little League Baseball here.  I attended local schools (Grove Manor was Grove Street Elementary School then).  I was a member of the 1962 THS State Championship Basketball team and was graduated from Thomaston High School and from Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT.  I attended the University of Connecticut School of Law, earned a Master’s Degree at Fairfield University in Corporate and Political Communication and taught school in Hinsdale, MA.

I married Cynthia and lived on Union Street, while working as an advertising salesperson for my dad’s newspaper, The Thomaston Express. He assigned me the challenge of expanding the company’s other paper, The Connecticut Western News which was done before I headed to Manhattan to work at McGraw-Hill.

I have always been a businessman. It started in those days working for dad’s newspaper, and then running the business after his passing; then starting my own graphics, printing and mailing business.

Controlling costs, keeping an eye on expenses, fiscal responsibility were all qualities that came to play as the business grew. Now my business is in Waterbury; however, Thomaston is my hometown.

Cynthia and I returned to Thomaston after 16 years in Stamford.

Why?

Our two oldest children CJ and Ashley we raised in Stamford. We missed the small town rural attraction of Thomaston! We wanted our youngest daughter, Emily, to experience growing up in a small town, as her mom and dad had done.

I previously have served on this Town Committee, on the Zoning Board of Appeals, The Planning and Zoning Board, the High School building committee, the Assessment Review Board, and currently serve on the Economic Development Commission.

This is interesting: did you know that Thomaston, of all the towns in Connecticut has the highest percentage of people who have grown up here, become educated, found jobs, then either returned (or remained) in town?

That speaks legions about the quality of life Thomaston offers. And it is that quality of life that I want to preserve for current residents and those who will find Thomaston equally attractive.

The Thomaston in which I grew up is gone. There can be no denying that! The giants of our industries are gone! Many of the great leaders of our town have passed on. Much of our land has been taken from us! Our economy, once thriving on the heels of the brass industry, is a ghost of its former self.

Thomaston is at a crossroads. We need to face this economic and industrial stagnation. A new consensus of direction, a new approach to old, thorny, challenges has got to be undertaken and NOW. We need to redefine ourselves!!

My candidacy for First Selectman will aggressively confront the serious issues which concern the various segments of our town:

• our seniors, who want to be secure in their golden years; our home owners, who want to retain their properties;

• our working families, who are under severe financial pressures;

• our youth, who seek direction, meaning and opportunity for advancement;

• our entrepreneurs, who need economic stability to grow their businesses and create jobs;

• and our public servants, who provide invaluable services which help to make our town unique.

This candidacy will listen, yes, listen to all our people; and as your candidates, your slate voted in tonight will go door to door, and we will formulate plans of action to address the issues in the short term.

We need to pull together many of the wonderful potentials Thomaston has to offer, both her people and her other assets, making them appealing as a draw for visitors. Listening is key.

So, again, thank you Thomaston Democrats for bestowing this honor upon me. I pledge that we are in it to win it. I invite you to come along on this exciting adventure as we go forth to build a Thomaston, which we, our children and our grandchildren can be proud.