MEET THE CANDIDATES
ELAINE WHITNEY
Currently Secretary and a former Chair of the Board of Education, Elaine leads in a collaborative, nonpartisan manner and has an eight-year track record of getting things done on behalf of our town’s children. She is passionate about ensuring the excellence of our schools and preparing each one of our students to reach his or her full potential.
Throughout Elaine’s tenure, she has worked tirelessly to proactively improve our educational programs. Simultaneously, she has put the schools on sound financial footing for the long term in challenging economic times. Together with her colleagues, she has achieved substantial, recurring savings in non-classroom operating costs, and she works collaboratively and effectively with other elected officials and community members to manage our valuable resources. Recognized for her professionalism and innovative solutions, Elaine was selected by leaders statewide to help guide other Boards of Education, serving as an executive officer of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education.
Professionally, Elaine is a strategic planner in the healthcare field. She also brings extensive management consulting experience to her work on the Board. Elaine is a graduate of Yale University and has an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
The daughter of a former Westport teacher, a Connecticut native, and a 17-year resident of Westport, Elaine has been an active leader in our community. In addition to her Board service, she has been Co-President of the Long Lots PTA, a member of the Westport Rotary Club, and a Girl Scout leader.
Elaine and her husband, John Garber, have three children: Emily (Staples ’13), Harry (Staples ’16) and Matthew (Staples ’18).
CANDI SAVIN
Appointed to the Board of Education in October of 2016, Candi Savin hit the ground running. She quickly emerged as a leading voice in support of the protection and advancement of Westport’s excellent educational programs. Candi’s service has been marked by her ready availability and openness to fellow parents, her thoughtful review and questioning of all expenditures, her diligent outreach to Westport’s funding bodies, and her principled public stands on issues that affect Westport’s kids.
Candi began her career as a New York City prosecutor. After moving to Westport in 2002, she built a thriving real estate law practice. A graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and Duke University School of Law, Candi puts her legal training to use on the Board of Education, applying careful analysis to all matters that come before the Board and clear-eyed negotiating skills to the Board’s many contract negotiations.
Candi has been an active leader in the Westport community. Since 2010, she has served for seven consecutive years as the co-chair of Booked for the Evening, the Westport Library’s signature fundraiser. She has served on the Board of the Conservative Synagogue, where she helped lead the search for a new rabbi, and on the board of the Westport Chapter of Hadassah. Candi has served in a variety of PTA positions over the years and has served as both the Finance Chair and Vice Chair of the Democratic Town Committee.
A Connecticut native, Candi lives in Westport with her husband Daniel Gross and their children Aliza (Staples ’16) and Ethan (Staples ’20).
