The 2025 Municipal Election

Henry Tirrell – First Selectman

Henry currently serves as a Selectman and has lived in Norfolk for 37 years.

He and his partner Robin have two children, Charlie, who is 6 and in the 1 st grade

at Botelle, and Josie, who is 1. Henry is eager to continue working for the

residents of Norfolk and helping the community thrive.

Leo Colwell – Selectman

Leo has spent most of his life in Norfolk and worn various hats over the

years – firefighter with the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department for 25 years,

member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, and Selectman for 14 years.

Leo has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to the town of Norfolk and has been

recognized as Volunteer of the Year twice.

Deborah Nelson – Town Clerk

Debbie was born and raised in Connecticut and moved to Norfolk in 2020.

She became the Assistant Town Clerk in May 2021, passed the Town Clerk

Certification Exam in 2024 and was appointed as Town Clerk in October 2024.

She also is a member of the Town Website Committee and the Pension Committee.

Debbie is looking forward to being elected and greeting everyone who visits the

office of the Town Clerk with a friendly smile and a helping hand.

Chelsea DeWitt – Town Treasurer

Chelsea has served as Town Treasurer since 2023. She has lived and worked

in Norfolk for 45 years, and been at Town Hall most mornings, Monday-Friday, for

the last 22 years. Chelsea’s three daughters all attended Botelle School and

Regional High School. Over the year, she has volunteered teaching Religious

Education at the Catholic Church and was a Girl Scout Leader for two different

troops.

Grant Mudge – Board of Finance

Grant currently serves on the Board of Finance and is seeking reelection for

another term. He is very active in the community, serving on the ambulance squad

and volunteering for a number of organizations including the Lions Club and the

Land Trust.

Bart Wenrich – Board of Finance Alternate

Bart, a Norfolk resident and television producer, has been involved in

several community-based efforts and currently serves as an alternate on the

Planning & Zoning Commission, bringing financial and organizational experience

from his career into a focus on responsible budgeting and town planning.

Walter Godlewski – Board of Assessment Appeals and

Zoning Board of Appeals, Alternate

Walter has chaired the Board of Assessment Appeals for the last five years

and served on the Zoning Board of Appeals since 2021. He also serves on the

Board of Education and is active in the community, helping lead the Community

Association and the Land Trust, among other organizations.

John DeShazo – Board of Education

John has deep family ties to Norfolk and was first elected to the Board of

Education in 2019. You’ve probably seen him behind around town sound boards

as he frequently volunteers his sound and lighting expertise for events in Norfolk.

Jeremy Withnell – Board of Education

Jeremy and his wife Alicia moved to Norfolk 9 years ago and have a son

who is a second grader at Botelle. Jeremy is a librarian at Connecticut State

Community College in Winsted and is running as a way to serve the Norfolk

community which has been so welcoming to his family.

Christopher Schaut – Planning and Zoning Commission

Chris has lived in Norfolk since 2017, joined the Planning and Zoning

Commission in 2019 and has been serving as chair since January 2025. A city

planner by background, Chris has a Masters in Urban Planning and works as an

analyst in the land use division of a real estate development practice group for a

major Hartford law firm.

Wiley Wood – Planning and Zoning Commission

Wiley has served on Planning and Zoning Commission since 2021 and is

seeking reelection for a second term. He has also served as an editor and writer for

Norfolk Now and is a past member of the ambulance squad.

Steve Landes – Planning and Zoning Commission

Steve is also seeking reelection to the Planning and Zoning Commission. He

is a retired attorney, and he and his wife Bonnie have been full-time Norfolk

residents for the last decade.

Chris Peterson – Zoning Board of Appeals

Chris has served on the Zoning Board of Appeals since 2019. A longtime

Norfolk resident and cabinet maker, Chris is a past member of the ambulance

squad.