Merrill Gay Elected School Board President

School board member Merrill Gay (D) has announced that he has been elected as the President of the New Britain Board of Education.

“Thank you to all my colleagues on the New Britain Board of Education,” Gay said online.

The elevation of Gay, a Democrat, to the school board presidency follows the victory of Democrats in the 2019 Board of Education elections. Democrats won three of the five seats up for election, and won back the school board majority for the first time in four years.

Gay was re-elected to the Board of Education, himself in November.

Nick Mercier, a Republican, was elected as Vice President of the Board. Board of Education bylaws require that the President and Vice President be of opposite parties.

Violet Sims was elected as the Board Secretary.

News of Gay’s election to lead the Board of Education has brought the school board member congratulations and praise.

“Congratulations Merrill!!,” said Chris Porcher, the 2019 Democratic candidate for Mayor.

“I know you will do an outstanding job,” said former Council Majority Leader Carlo Carlozzi, Jr. “Also THANK YOU for your willingness to take on that role and all the responsibilities that go with it. Wishing you all the best.”

Merrill Gay was the 2017 Democratic candidate for Mayor. While he was not elected as Mayor, himself, in that election, his campaign was widely credited with helping to elect Democrats to the City Council. The Council went from a 12 to 3 Republican majority to a 9 to 6 Democratic majority in that election.

Gay is a widely respected advocate for education, especially early childhood education. He is Executive Director of the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, which says that it is, “a statewide organization committed to improving outcomes in the areas of learning, health, safety and economic security, for children ages birth to eight.”