Jen Tooker Announces Bid for Westport First Selectman Spot with Andrea Moore as Second Selectwoman
Jen Tooker, former business executive, current Westport Second Selectwoman and local parent, is running for the Westport First Selectman seat in November. Press ReleaseWestport Second Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker announced today that she has launched a campaign for the Town’s highest office. Tooker currently serves as Second Selectwoman and has served in that position under First Selectman Jim Marpe since their election together in 2017. First Selectman Marpe has recently announced his intention not to run for a third term. Current Vice Chairwoman of the Westport Board of Finance, Andrea Moore, has been tapped as Jen Tooker’s Board of Selectmen running mate.
“It has been a privilege to serve Westport as your Second Selectwoman,” stated Jennifer Tooker. “This is an amazing town where we enjoy an excellent quality of life,” she added. “I've been part of the team that has worked diligently to ensure Westport is a great place to live and work. This community deserves a local government that is accessible and accountable with leadership skills, management expertise and a strategic perspective. As First Selectman, I will continue to bring these skills to Town Hall every day. It would be an honor to lead Westport, the community we all call home, and to foster an even greater sense of community and belonging for all our residents and business owners."
Among the Tooker-Moore campaign’s top priorities are: Strengthening Westport’s local economy by reopening businesses safely and promoting Westport as the best place to work, live and play in the region; Enhancing Westport’s treasured amenities, including Longshore, Baron’s South, and other public parks and recreational facilities; Building a community of belonging, safety and well being for all of Westport’s residents and business owners; Bolstering property values by ensuring steady tax rates, financial discipline, world-class schools, and excellent amenities and services; and establishing Westport as the regional leader for sustainability and environmental stewardship.
“I am so fortunate to embark on this journey with one of Westport’s most dedicated public servants, Andrea Moore,” remarked Jennifer Tooker. “Andrea is a lifelong Westporter, a tireless volunteer in our community, and a passionate advocate for educational excellence and opportunity. Her experience on both the RTM and the Board of Finance – as well as her impressive career in the financial services industry – will make her an extremely valuable member of the Board of Selectmen.”
“It is an honor to run alongside Jen Tooker, a truly accomplished leader for Westport,” said Andrea Moore. “I am continually impressed with the effective, bi-partisan way Jen solves problems and drives positive change. Westport is a truly special place to call home, and I know Jen will work every day to bring people together, represent our community with the utmost integrity, and employ a fresh perspective to meet challenges and new opportunities in the days ahead.”
About Jen Tooker:
Jennifer Tooker is currently the Second Selectwoman of Westport, a position she has held since her election in 2017. Jennifer has long been a public servant in our community. She has served as a member of the Westport Board of Finance, the Westport Board of Education and the Westport Conservation Commission.
In 2013, Jennifer left her 22-year career as an executive with Gen Re, during which time she held various leadership and management positions in the US and European reinsurance markets. Drawing on her business experience, Jennifer has created strong ties to Fairfield County’s business community, particularly in Westport. She served on the Board of Directors for the Women's Business Development Council, which provides entrepreneurial training, financial education and professional development to current and aspiring female small business owners across Connecticut.
In addition to her work with the local business community, Jennifer turned her focus to education, specifically working to close the achievement gap in our state which is one of the worst in the country. She has spent many hours working on the boards of organizations committed to high quality and affordable education for children in all communities across Connecticut. She served as a member of the Board of Directors of the State Education Resource Center and on Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Education Commission for the Diocese of Bridgeport. Most recently, she served as a Board Member of the Adam J. Lewis Academy in Bridgeport.
As Second Selectwoman, Jennifer has worked on a number of important initiatives. Focused on the social and emotional health and well-being of our community, Jennifer launched Westport Together. The mission of Westport Together is to promote the positive development of our children. This alliance between the Town and Westport Public Schools revitalized and rebranded its longstanding partnership to engage more of our community partners, strengthen programming and enhance coordination among other non-profit community agencies. Jennifer also created and hosts Westport Means Business - a series of events for the local business community. The events bring together local business owners and entrepreneurs to establish connections, exchange ideas and promote Westport as the best town in which to start and grow a successful business. Most recently, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, First Selectman Jim Marpe appointed Jennifer as Chair of the ReOpen Westport Advisory Team in May 2020. This team is tasked with helping Westport businesses open and operate safely and with confidence given the challenges created by the global pandemic.
Since the moment Jennifer moved to Westport, she has been a dedicated community volunteer. She has donated her time and talents to a number of local organizations including the Westport-Weston Family YMCA Board of Trustees, the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club, the Sunrise Rotary 21st Century Foundation Board, the Bedford Family Social Responsibility Fund Committee, and as a coach for the Westport Soccer Association. All her kids are better soccer players than she is, so she has hung up her cleats for now!
Family is so important to Jennifer. Her parents have recently moved to Westport. She and her husband, Mo Tooker, have three children; Jack, Riley and Nicole.
Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and International Studies from the University of Notre Dame.
About Andrea Moore:
Andrea Moore, Vice Chair for the Westport Board of Finance and local parent, runs for Second Selectwoman. Andrea Moore is the current Vice Chairwoman of the Westport Board of Finance. She was elected to the Board in 2017 and was selected by her fellow Board members as Vice Chair in 2019. She also serves on the Board of Finance’s audit subcommittee. Prior to this, Andrea was an elected member of Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM), representing District 9. On the RTM, Andrea served on several key committees, including the Education Committee, the Public Protection Committee, and the Library and Museum Committee.
Andrea has had a 20+ year career in the financial services industry, holding positions in institutional equity sales, equity research and investment banking with some of the world’s leading firms, including UBS, BT Deutsche Bank and Salomon Brothers.
Andrea received her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is married to Dave Moore and has three daughters: Tessa, Janna and Ella.
Andrea is a native Westport resident, a Staples High School graduate, and has deep ties to the community. She is a member of the Westport Weston Family YMCA’s Board of Trustees, has served on the Board of Directors of the National Charity League’s Westport Chapter, and is the former President of Staples Tuition Grants. Education has long been a passion of Andrea’s, and it has been the focus of her volunteer service. She has previously served as President of the Saugatuck Elementary School PTA, a Co-Chair of the Westport Public Schools’ Workshop Committee, and President of the Board of Directors of A Child’s Place preschool.
For more information, visit www.TookerMooreforSelectmen.com.