TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATES
RICHARD BAILEY
Richard “Rich” Bailey, is currently serving as Minority Leader of the Town Council. He is a life-long resident of Wethersfield, has a long and distinguished career in public service to the town.
He served in the Wethersfield Public Works Department for 34 years, retiring as an Assistant Director. Bailey also spent 35 years with the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department, serving 17 years as Chief Officer, seven years as Assistant Chief and 10 as Chief of the Department.
He was also a volunteer girls soccer coach with the Wethersfield school system and then town leagues among numerous other community activities.
SHELLEY CARBONE
Shelley has served our community as a Town Council for the past three years. Appointed to the Council in June 2022, she had previously served on the Youth Advisory Board, the Historic District Commission, and the Shade Tree Commission.
Shelley comes from a family of first responders, and strongly supports our police, fire and EMS. She has been an active member of the community, especially in town sports. Her family owns a business and comes from a long line of entrepreneurs. She knows the challenges and benefits that come with hard work and dedication.
She and her husband, John, have been married 25 years and have four children. She has been a registered nurse for 30 years. She hopes to be of great value and service to her community in this role and contribute to our town in a positive and meaningful way.
BRIANNA TIMBRO
Timbro was born and raised in Middletown, CT to young, working-class parents, and was blessed with an upbringing that included a strong influence from her grandparents. Most of Brianna’s childhood was spent between two generations whose common denominator was a strong belief in American and family values.
Brianna went on to receive her Secondary History Teaching Degree, Teaching Certificate, and Masters of Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University. While Brianna loved teaching History, she had three wonderful children of her own (ages seven, six, and three) with her husband, Kevin, and decided to put her career on hold so she could spend more time with them. During her time away from teaching, Brianna acquired her Real Estate License and practiced Real Estate part-time for the last five years.
Brianna worked as the Legislative Aide for a State Senator Lisa Seminara in Hartford. This role equips her with extensive knowledge of the legislative process, public policy, and community relations. She was sat on the Wethersfield Economic Development and Improvement Commission.
JULIE COSTELLO
Julie Costello is a graduate of the Quinnipiac University School of Law and has been a practicing attorney for 20 years and has dedicated her career to public service. She spent eleven years as a public defender, took on many pro-bono cases while in private practice and just recently accepted a position as Staff Attorney at the Hartford Probate Court.
Julie and her husband Matt moved to Wethersfield in 2016 and became motivated to get involved and run for Town Council after the town’s decisions over revaluation coupled with a tax increase.
This is Julie’s first time running for public office. She sees herself as a common sense candidate and has spent a career negotiating with judges and prosecutors who don’t agree with her. Despite this, she has seen successful outcomes because of her willingness to listen to all sides. Julie knows there is always more than one side to a story and it is important to take the time to hear it. Julie will bring this common-sense approach to the Town Council.
PAT PENTALOW
Patrick Pentalow is a lifelong Wethersfield resident who grew up attending local schools and later returned to serve two terms on the Town Council. He also served as Hartford’s Director of Economic Development, where he worked to attract investment and strengthen neighborhoods through strong public-private partnerships. Public service runs in his family—his father, Tom, is also running for Council this year. Beyond his professional work, Patrick is passionate about fitness, mentoring young people, and spending time with family. He is running again because he believes Wethersfield should remain a town where families can thrive, neighbors support one another, and future generations are proud to call it home.
TOM PENTALOW
Thomas (Tom) Pentalow has lived in Wethersfield since 1985 and has been married to his high school sweetheart, Jackie, for over 40 years. They have raised two successful sons and is running for Town Council with his oldest son, Patrick.
Tom dedicated over 20 years serving the Town of Wethersfield as a police officer, where he ended up holding various roles including patrolman, detective, juvenile officer, sergeant, and hostage negotiator for a regional Swat team. He was also one of original DARE officers in Wethersfield and loves to see the kids (who are now adults) he taught around town.
He actively participated in youth organizations with the police department and that continued through retirement and is driven by the importance of education and the ability to reach people on different levels. He believes that political labels are less important than doing what is right for the town and will focus on practical service and advancing the community's interests. He believes in opening a dialogue on what is happening locally and not arguing about what happens on the national level.
BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES
CHARLES CAREY
Charles has been serving on the Wethersfield Board of Education since 2019, including a four-year term as Chair from 2019 to 2023. He also served on the Board from 2011 to 2015, where he chaired the Finance Committee and focused on making the budget process both transparent and fiscally responsible.
Charles Carey brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the educational system to his role on the Board of Education. He has lived in Wethersfield for almost his entire life and the last 18 years with his wife Wendy. He is a a dedicated parent of three—two graduates of Wethersfield High School and one currently in 8th grade.
He currently works as the Business Manager for Clinton Public Schools. Charles holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Central Connecticut State University, a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Southern Connecticut State University, a Masters of Business Administration from University of Phoenix and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from CCSU. He is also certified as a superintendent in the state of Connecticut.
BILL DAVIDSON
Bill Davidson is a candidate for the Board of Ed. He comes from a bipartisan political family from New York where public service was an early value taught to him by republican and democratic family members.
With his wife and daughter, he moved to Wethersfield in 2021 where he’s been involved with the Wethersfield RTC and serves as an alternate commissioner on the Zoning Board of Appeals and Secretary of the Library Board of Directors. Bill was also the Republican candidate in 2024 for State Representative.
Bill has a degree in history with a minor in art history from the University of New Hampshire and has had a 15+ year career in logistics and trade compliance for different biotech and specialty chemical companies.
AMANDA DREW
Amanda has been a litigation paralegal for over 20 years at a Hartford law firm. She is married to her husband, Bill, who is a Captain in an area fire department and is the proud mother to two school age girls, Kellie (Grade 12) & Abigail (Grade 6).
Previously she served on the Wethersfield BOE and chaired the Finance and HR Committees. She has always been vocal and believes in common sense when applying policies. Amanda also volunteers as Chair of SafeGrad, Secretary of WHS Running Boosters, Social Media Rep for WHS PTSA, Secretary for the Wethersfield Education Foundation and is a member of the Advisory School Building Committee. She also has been involved in the Library Board, WSPC, and Treasurers of both the Charles Wright PTO and SDMS PAC.
She is always active and believes in giving back to her community.
JAMES F. REILLY
Reilly is seeking his second term on the Board of Education. He has served as Chairman of the board’s Policy and Planning Committee and member of the Facilities and Maintenance, Finance and Information Management and Human Resource Committee. Prior to his service on the BOE, Jim was on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
A Wethersfield native and graduate of the Wethersfield Public Schools, Jim is a parent of three school-age children, and is committed to supporting our teachers, administrators, and staff as they seek to make our schools even better. As an experienced corporate accountant, Jim appreciates making the hard but necessary choices to oversee resources wisely and efficiently.
Jim’s professional background includes tax accountant positions at local and international companies, including his current position at Eversource Energy, and a member of the Finance Committee of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Hartford.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Central Connecticut State University and a Masters of Science degree in Taxation at the University of Hartford.
Jim and his wife, Jennifer, a public-school science teacher in East Hampton are the proud parents of Peter, 16, Sophia, 14, and Carolyn, 7.