Other Town Offices

Greetings Derry Voters. 

I am running for the Derry Public Library Board of Trustees, 3-year term and would love the opportunity to tell you a little about myself.

To begin with, I have already been serving on the Board for the past several years, first as an alternate, then as an appointee by the Town Council to fill out a term vacated by a Board member's illness. I was recently involved in the Personnel Committee's recruitment of a new library director. So the Board experience is not new to me.

But even more relevant is the fact that I worked at the Derry Public Library from 1997-2020 in increasingly responsible positions - from Circulation Assistant to Acquisitions Manager to PR and IT Director. I know the library inside and out, its operations, and especially its value to the Derry community.

In this increasingly unsure world, libraries allow for unrestricted access to unbiased information. The Derry Public Library in particular also provides a wide range of programs for children and adults, book and crafting groups, a wonderful array of materials, and has a welcoming and helpful staff.  If you have not visited our local library, I urge you to do so!

I would be honored to have your vote on March 11.

Thank you,

Meryle Zusman

I have been an avid reader since my elementary school summer reading contests with my favorite librarian - Mrs. Rosenbaum. Growing up, my smaller, walkable library has now been renamed as the Christa McCauliffe neighborhood library as the local Concord NH heroine grew up on the street behind me, in Framingham, MA. 

I am currently the elected President of a condominium association that supports an annual operating budget of $289,400.  I have been the President for 6+ years; it's a much older building and have overseen three capital expenditure projects >$75K and have budgeted via a financial Reserve program, two more >$75K in the next few years. I am familiar with working with the Town, architects, hardware and service providers, the permitting and scheduling process as well as equipment assessment, the bid process and awarding contracts. 

My undergrad and graduate degrees are from Northeastern University. I have an easy time working with others – sharing ideas, brainstorming, teasing out root causes to solve problems.   I have worked for 30+ years as a sales resource [I am not an aggressive, hardcore ‘seller’] in the technology industry – my last NU coop job was at the IBM Artificial Intelligence Lab in Cambridge – “AI” is actually not new, but what we are seeing accomplished by it, today, is [both amazing and a bit scary]. 

• I understand the data center components and how everything works together. I would be considered a strong resource for conversations associated with updating technology within the library.   
•  I have been involved in the physical security side of technology - camera captured video/data and understand how to use the most up to date abilities to keep our community safe.
•  And I understand how a community earns additional grant funds via the federal E-Rate program. [E-Rate provides discounts for telecommunications, Internet access, and internal connections to eligible schools and libraries.]

Libraries play an important role in supporting a healthy community. I see a lot of activity at the library and would love to better understand who uses our library - what they use it for and why.  As well as who doesn’t use the library and why - helping to build programs to entice them in.  

Reading is an important anchor to a thriving community, and I would hope to be able to help our Derry Library become a strong hold for creative and wise minds - both young and old.  Why is Reading Important? 13 Benefits for Readers 

I am Paula Mahon d'Entremont MD, running for the one-year position as library trustee.  I am 64 years old and have lived in Derry for nearly 26 years,  I moved here from Londonderry after marrying my husband Robert d'Entremont. I was employed as a family physician in Manchester for 30 years until January 2024 when I retired.  We have one son, Raymond who lives in Durham.  

I felt at this point in my life, I should spend some time giving back to the community in the form of civic responsibilities and I LOVE the library.  Its my favorite municipal service and in Derry we are so lucky to have a nice one with so many services and offerings. Prior to my moving to Derry, I have lived in a number of interesting places that either had a tiny library (Browning Montana at the Blackfoot Reservation whose tiny library was smaller than my kitchen) and in Kenya as a Peace Corps high school teacher where there was no library at all. I know what it is like to live in a place where resources and access to information is restricted and I value the freedoms that the library provides.

In short, I hope that I can be a good steward of this great treasure we have in town and support the librarians who do such a good job for us. On a personal note, my husband and I are parishoners at St Thomas Aquinas, and enjoy ballroom dancing. I also can be found at the skating rinks of this region on whatever public ice I can get. I play the viola in the Lowell Symphony as well (which practices on a different night so it does not interfere with Library board meetings.)

The photo is from my trip to Spain last year.  My other favorite thing for me is travel and the more exotic the better. 

“The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.” Albert Einstein

An avid mom, active member of the Derry community, and involved patron of the Derry Public Library. Frequent visits and participation in library events, I witness first hand the infinite knowledge that is waiting to be discovered and rediscovered. Having served as a trustee alternate for over 4 years, I have continuously been involved in library discussions and decision making, ensuring that our tax dollars are used effectively and efficiently. 

My name is Tina Guilford and I am running for reelection to the position of Town Clerk. I have lived in Derry with my husband and our daughter since 2010. I have served on various Town committees. I have also served as Town & School District Moderator and am currently also serving as the School District Clerk. 

I enjoy being the Town Clerk and assisting our residents with some of the most important moments of their lives. From marriage licenses to birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates to voting, we do important work in the Clerk's Office to keep all records as accurate as possible.

I look forward to continuing to serve the residents of Derry for the next 3 years. 

For the past three years, I have had the privilege of serving the people of Derry as a Trustee of the Trust Funds. As a large community, Derry is fortunate to have a professional Accounting and Finance staff under the leadership of our Chief Financial Officer, Mark Fleischer. With more than $25 Million in short- and long-term investments, the town can use the Investment Services of a State approved financial advisory organization to manage our investments within the framework of the statute and our town’s investment strategy. 

When I ran for this office in 2022, I made two commitments to the voters at the candidates forum: I promised that I would study the 200 page Trustee’s Handbook that is published by the  NH Department of Justice, and I promised that I would ensure that minutes of Trustee Meetings were posted timely and would provide better transparency into the Trustee’s actions. Both of those promises have been fulfilled and working in collaboration with the other Trustees and our investment advisors we have updated the Town’s Investment Policy to ensure that it complies with state requirements. 

In addition to meeting regulatory requirements, the Trustees also have a fiduciary duty to ensure that the town’s trust funds are only spent for their intended purposes. That means that we take very seriously our obligation to award the Frank Adams Scholarship each year to a qualified recipient, to annually place flowers on the grave of a donor who left money in a fund for the Forest Hills Cemetery and asked to be remembered annually, and to ensure that expenditures from other funds are available for their intended purpose when needed. I take my role seriously and ask that you vote for me on Tuesday March 11th. 

     I am a candidate for Trustees of the Trust Funds for Derry NH election on March 11, 2025. 

• I believe I have transferable skills and experience to qualify as a Trustee of the Trust Funds. 
• As a grateful resident of Derry for thirty years, I feel called to serve. 
• I am recently retired, and in my last position of ten years, my clients were large financial      institutions. I advised and supported systems that were embedded into the customer's Critical Business Infrastructure that provide Fraud Detection, Security and meet their      compliance requirements.

As a Trustee of the Trust Funds (TTF) for Derry NH, which is directed by the NH Department of Justice, I would work as a committee of three administering (defined "manage, direct, and superintend") approximately 20 different Trust Funds. 

These funds are set up to be distributed to specific Derry departments-- School Board, Cemetery (private and perpetual care) and Library and Town Council.  TTF must disburse the funds consistently with the unique purpose and schedule of each Trust Fund while meeting the needs of these departments.  The overall goal,  as explained to me by Derry CFO Mark Fleischer, is to balance keeping the money in each fund:

• maximally invested for return yet, 
• liquid enough to be available for the scheduled disbursements as is dictated by Town Council, School Board, Library and Cemetery Trust funds

As I had the TRUST of Multi-billion-dollar US and International Financial Institutions (insurance and banks) with their confidential customer accounts, financial transactions, and internal process information. 

So, I ask that you put your trust in me and vote for me on Tuesday March 11, 2025. 

     Jim   Dietzel Councilor at Large   

Jacob Coughlan Councilor at Large   Charles Foote Councilor District 2   Randall Chase Councilor District 4   

Suzanne Rowse Taylor Library Trustee    

Lynne Townsend Taylor Library Trustee