Board of Finance
Dave Demchak
David Demchak brings over four decades of strategic, operational, and financial leadership expertise to his candidacy for the Town of Granby Board of Finance. As President and Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA), David leads the state’s foremost provider of risk management and insurance solutions for cities, towns, public schools, and local public agencies, overseeing insurance and risk management programs that support nearly 90 percent of Connecticut municipalities. He also serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities’ Shared Services.
A deep understanding of municipal operations, budgeting, and financial management has defined David’s professional background. His leadership in insurance and risk management has given him firsthand experience collaborating with local government leaders statewide on issues including public safety, infrastructure, and fiscal sustainability.
A proud Granby resident since 1997, David has a long record of civic involvement and community leadership. He has previously served on the Granby Board of Finance and the Granby Bridge Committee, contributing to the town’s long-term fiscal and infrastructure planning. David is in his 27th year as a firefighter and was the past President of the Lost Acres Fire Department, where he served for two decades. He was also a Board Member of the Granby Ambulance Association and a Board Member of the Friends of Holcomb Farm. Currently, he serves as Vice Chair of the Farmington Valley YMCA Advisory Council.
David’s commitment to public service reflects his belief in realistic, responsible budgeting and long-term fiscal stability. He advocates for thoughtful, transparent financial planning that keeps Granby affordable while maintaining the high-quality services residents value.
He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of New Haven, an Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation from The Institutes, and Police Officer Certification from the Golden West Criminal Justice Training Center in Huntington Beach, California.
David and his wife have proudly called Granby home for nearly three decades, where they continue to support the community’s strong tradition of collaboration, service, and civic pride
Kent McCord
I moved to Granby as a newlywed with my partner-in-life, Kim, in 1997. Kim and I were charmed by Granby’s rural landscape and neighborly, intimate community. We raised three beautiful children, Becca, Shannon, and Katrina, who have all flown the coop, making their way in this wondrous and sometimes frightening world. Some parents may recognize me as their child’s youth soccer or lacrosse coach, or perhaps from my role with the Marquis of Granby junior fyfe and drum corps, where I served as treasurer and self-appointed “funmeister” for nearly a decade, planning and leading summer trips to east coast historical destinations and ultimately to Edinburgh, Scotland where the corps performed on High Street. (Kim had the truly demanding job of serving as Director of the corps). More recently I serve on the Conservation Commission in town, leading the town’s Solarize Granby campaign in 2017, and helping the Commission achieve Sustainable CT certification for the town in 2023. I also volunteer as a property steward for the Granby Land Trust.
Professionally, I have built a career in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Trained as an engineer at M.I.T., I have served in a variety of roles from product management and development engineering, to sales and marketing. I currently work at FuelCell Energy in Danbury, where I lead a team that works with clients to design low-emissions, high-efficiency onsite power generation solutions that save utility expenses, reduce emissions and carbon footprint, and increase the reliability of electricity for the facility. I also teach a course at Tunxis Community College on renewable and alternative energy systems.
I am honored to be considered for the Board of Finance, where I believe I can bring new ideas and an analytical, forward-looking approach, while working collaboratively with the experienced leadership of the Town. I am generally fiscally conservative, while recognizing the need to invest strategically for future advantage. My priorities include finding ways to increase the Town’s revenue by attracting business and pursuing alternative sources of funding and revenue, reducing costs by finding efficiencies in operations, with a particular emphasis on energy efficiency, and ensuring that our school system continues to excel and act as the foundation of wealth in our community. We must be pro-active and creative to ensure Granby will continue to thrive as the world around us undergoes dynamic change.
Toby Proctor
My wife, Darcy, and I moved to Granby over a decade ago in order to raise our two children in a community that values high quality education and offers a family-friendly rural setting. A consummate “joiner,” I have enjoyed volunteering on many Granby boards and teams across the town, to include serving as Assistant Treasurer on the Granby Education Foundation, chairing the School Building Committee and most recently became a member of the Granby Celebrates America’s 250th Committee and Granby’s Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T). I have also been active in Valley Lodge Freemasons in Simsbury, I’ve acted in musicals with the Simsbury Theater Guild and I sing with the Tapestry Singers and Trinity Church Choir in Tariffville. As an avid amateur genealogist, I love all things history and enjoy playing trivia at local restaurants and board games with my family. I am also very passionate about Veterans’ issues and look to increase Granby veterans’ engagement in civic life.
I am originally from Princeton, New Jersey, and went to Union College in Schenectady New York to earn an Electrical Engineering degree while participating in Navy ROTC at RPI. I was commissioned as an officer in the US Navy and served in combat as a Naval Flight Officer during both Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Professionally, I earned my MBA from UMass Amherst and have held various Financial Analyst and Program Finance positions in various businesses.
Politically, I am a staunch independent. I am running as an unaffiliated candidate. I have been loudly critical of the entrenched two-party system nationally and the system’s propensity to create divisiveness, but I am pragmatic enough to see its value and need at a non-partisan local level. Therefore, I am extremely grateful to the Granby Democrats for their endorsement. I believe the opportunity the Granby Democrats have taken by endorsing an unaffiliated candidate speaks to their willingness and record of listening to and acting on behalf of the majority of Granby’s registered voters, regardless of their affiliation. I am also cross endorsed by the Forward Party and seeking the endorsement of the Independent Veterans of America.
If elected to the Board of Finance, I want to explore creative ways to minimize the upward pressures of increasing costs on the overall tax burden of Granby residents. In an environment where Granby will be receiving fewer federal and state dollars, now more than ever, we need to look at ways to manage the tax burden on the local property owners, seek business and industrial tax base growth while protecting Granby’s bucolic rural culture and excellent schools. As a strong fiscal conservative, I maintain we need to support and enhance quality education (70% of the town budget) to keep attracting young tax-paying families and uphold our property values, while exploring creative cost-savings and innovative non-tax revenue raising in order to maintain critical and expected services. Granby is known state-wide as a well run town, fiscally. However, we can not continue to look at the tax burden issue on a year to year basis. We need to begin to explore longer term strategies that will set the town up for better revenue generations and cost efficiencies in the future years. As a corporate financial analyst and budget planner, these are the types of activities I have done in my professional life over the last 15+ years. I really look forward to engaging and requesting inputs from all Granby residents on this challenging fiscal puzzle.