Jorja Marsden

Dear Stockbridge Neighbors,

I am running for the seat on the Stockbridge Select Board vacated by Patrick White. The election is August 26, and I am hoping you will vote for me. I will work hard, be prepared, and be beholden to no one except the citizens of Stockbridge. I welcome your thoughts and comments. I am a “borner” to Stockbridge. My parents bought a “fixer-upper” old farmhouse on the corner of Prospect Hill and Rattlesnake Mtn. Rd. in 1948 along with 53 acres of land. I attended the Plain School through 6th grade, Berkshire Country Day for 7-8, Miss Hall’s School for High School and then Connecticut College. I have additional post-grad credits.

I met my husband of 53 years working summer stock at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. We were married in 1972, living and working in and around Boston for 7 years. We moved back to the Berkshires in 1976.

I first became involved with what was happening to my beloved Town by being appointed to serve on the Ad Hoc Growth Study Committee in the early 80s. Many of the issues identified by that committee are still unresolved – housing, open space, affordability.

As a logical progression, I became a founding member of the Stockbridge Land Trust, working on what I believe to this day Is still our biggest challenge – balancing growth with land preservation.

I continue to serve on the Kampoosa Bog Stewardship Committee. My family put most of our land into a conservation restriction when Kampoosa was declared an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.

I joined the Conservation Commission – my passion – in the mid-90s. I have served since then as a member, chair and now member/secretary.

I was instrumental in the adoption of the Community Preservation Act in 2002, and have served as chair for nearly 20 years, supporting the preservation of open space, historic treasures and in assisting with affordable housing. CPC has successfully contributed with citizen approval more than 6 million dollars to the betterment of our community.

I also served on the Stockbridge Bowl Stewardship Committee, as a member and former trustee of the Laurel Hill Association, and on the Stockbridge Bowl Association.

The challenges facing our small town are daunting. How do we keep Stockbridge and still allow for growth? This gem of a town draws visitors from all over the world who recognize how very special it is, yet we are in danger of losing the thing that makes it so special if we aren’t very careful. Too much growth without an affordable component for young families and working people will, I fear, tip the scales and we will lose the unique qualities that we love.

Sally Underwood-Miller

I don’t want to protect the environment. I want to live in a world where the environment doesn’t need protecting

My name is Jorja Marsden, and I am running for Select Board. I am deeply rooted in Stockbridge and its history, having been born and raised here, attended local schools, and worked for the town for more than 31 years. Stockbridge is a special place, where I raised my family and where my son and daughter-in-law are now raising their three children. I want Stockbridge to continue to be a welcoming place for families to live, share, and enhance that experience.

I love Stockbridge and am prepared to continue my legacy of devoting time and energy to the place I love. Our community is very important to me. I am a civic-minded person with only the best interest in our whole community. Today as ever, we face significant issues we need to address locally and regionally such as affordability, shared services to enhance our Fire Department and EMS services, protecting the Stockbridge Bowl, appropriate conservation of our open space and natural resources, ensuring safe drinking water for EVERY neighborhood, and investing in the needs of our public schools to ensure a bright future for the community. By working together, we can accomplish many things. My background and local experience have prepared me to thoughtfully navigate the opportunities that lay ahead as a member of the Stockbridge Select Board.

My working career started at a young age, working at a camp in town and ushering at the Berkshire Theatre. In 1969, not far out of high school and after a short go at college, I was among the first employees of Jane and Jack Fitzpatrick after their resurrection of the Red Lion Inn – working the front desk and later serving as Head of Room Reservations and Accounts Receivables.

In 1976, a new career began at Lenox Machine, as the Cost Accounting Supervisor. I left there in 1980 to care for my newborn son. Then in 1985, I was elected Town Clerk, subsequently working as Assistant Tax Collector and Assistant Treasurer, secretary to the Planning Board and also filled in for the accountant’s office. In 1996, I was asked by the Selectboard to fill in as Secretary to their office on an interim basis, a position that eventually evolved into a full-time appointment. As the result of a Town Meeting vote in 1999, I was made “Executive Secretary,” and in 2006, the Town formally elected to change my position to Town Administrator, the first one in Town history. I proudly held this position until my retirement from full-time municipal employment in 2016. I continue to be actively engaged in town affairs, currently holding positions on the Historic Preservation Commission, Historic Committee, and the Finance Committee.

In addition to my municipal work in the community, I have also served as a Cub Scout leader and on the boards of the former Lee Visiting Nurse Association, the Williams High School Alumni Association (current treasurer), the Kiwanis Club of Lee (secretary), Riverbrook, the Norman Rockwell Museum (1985-1991 and 2014-present), and the Stockbridge Library. I also volunteer through AARP as a Tax-Aide helping seniors prepare tax documents for filing. As a lifelong member of St. Paul’s Church, I have served on the Vestry, Assistant Treasurer, Treasurer and currently serve as Sr. Warden of the Church.

My experience working in and for our town provides me with strong institutional knowledge of the community and Town government that would be crucial to my effectiveness as a member of the Select Board. The people of Stockbridge are the Town’s greatest asset and should be treated with respect and fairness whether you are a full-time resident, a second homeowner, or a visitor. We are a community with challenges, but with challenges come opportunity, and we must work together to foster those opportunities into positive outcomes. I humbly ask for your support in the special town election on August 26.