Ed Mead
Hello Members of the IHSM. My name is Ed Mead. I’m a charter member of our Club, and I’m seeking the Vice President position, which I currently hold.

In the past, I have been your Club’s President twice, first from 2009 to 2011 and second from 2014 to 2016. I have also held other notable board positions, including Vice President and Sergeant at Arms. Currently, I’m our Club’s Liquor Permittee and the liaison to all city and state agencies, making myself accessible at all hours as needed. Additionally, I am the Co-chairman of the House and Building Committee which has overseen the completion of many projects this past year, which includes refinishing of our beautiful hard floors, sheetrocking and painting our two clubhouse walls, removing trees in the parking lot, installing the white fencing in our parking lot, installing vanity cabinets and repairing the tiles in both bathroom, repairing and maintaining our ice machine, installing drains in the bar sinks, coordinating the building of new front and back porches as well as installing steps for our rental property and helping install the bar’s brand new tap system.

I am seeking the position of Vice President, so I may continue the responsibilities and successes we have shown this past year. I believe my past position and experience will continue to support the President and Executive Board in moving the Club forward in a beneficial and rewarding way for our members.

Slainte
Ed Mead

Erin Regnier

I am honored to accept this nomination for IHSM Vice President. I am energized to potentially rejoin the Board. My family, husband Mike and our two young adult children, and I have been members since 2018. We enjoy being members and participating in the IHSM events and traditions.
I served as IHSM Treasurer (2022-2024), the Irish Festival Committee, Bylaws Committee, and volunteered for various other Club activities. I was grateful for the warm support I received from members when I was asked to fill the open Treasurer position in 2022. Being part of the Board was fulfilling, knowing I was helping to strengthen our Club for the future.
Professionally, I am a past IT project manager and chief operating officer for two large companies. In 2022, I began my own management consulting firm. My volunteer leadership experience includes serving my sorority as Director of Alumnae (focused on volunteer recruitment and retention), Standards Board Chair (ensuring policy compliance), and chapter advisor (mentoring collegiate women). My professional and volunteer profile can be found on LinkedIn.
If given the opportunity, I look forward to serving our membership and will work tirelessly to continue the Club mission to share our Irish heritage with family, friends, supporters, and our community.
- Erin

Noeleen Nelson
I am honored to have been nominated for the position as President for the board for a second term. Since becoming a charter member of the Irish Heritage Society of Milford, I have had the opportunity to promote Irish culture through various roles that I have immersed myself in. I am one of the founders of The Tara Theatre Company and to date we have produced 15 Irish plays that provide our dedicated audiences with a glimpse of Irish humor, songs, and drama.

I am a proud past president of Slainte which is our non-profit charitable organization which provides scholarships for students and donates to local charities. Our fundraisers have proved hugely beneficial for our recipients and also for our supporters who have enjoyed a wide variety of performances with several of the artists being of Irish descent.
I have been a proud supporter of the Irish Festival and each September have volunteered in whatever capacity was needed from assisting with the raffles and bartending at the beer tent. I am currently a bar manager for the club and also serve as a volunteer bartender on a regular basis.
As previously stated I feel humbled to have been selected as one of the nominees for the upcoming board and have learned a great deal about the board as Vice President the past two years. When elected President, I will continue to work to the best of my ability to promote Irish culture, to assist the board to the best of my ability and most importantly be mindful that I am a representative for all members of the Irish Heritage Society of Milford.
Go Raibh Mile Maith Agat
Noeleen Nelson

Scott Willey
I am honored to be nominated for the position of Treasurer for the 2024-2025 term.
I have been an IHSM member since 2014. While I always volunteer at the Irish Festival and the Oyster Festival, and I have made many great friends in the IHSM, work demands had previously kept me from getting as involved as I would have liked. I have recently “semi-retired,” and I would like to invest some of my newly-found free time in contributing to the IHSM. Given my background in accounting and finance, I believe that serving as Treasurer is where I can add the most value.
My qualifications for the position of Treasurer are:
 Treasurer of IHSM last year.
 Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from UConn (Go Huskies!).
 Certified Public Accountant.
 Extensive experience as a Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller for
several large corporations.
 Experience as Treasurer of non-profit organizations, including Milford
International Little League, Foran High Booster Club and several local political
campaigns.
I currently serve as coach of the Foran High School girls tennis team, and I also work
part-time as a consultant for several companies. I am a life-long Milford resident and have been married to my wife Cathleen (Murphy) for 38 years. We have 4 children and 2 grandchildren.

Amy Lacey

I am honored to have been nominated for the position of IHSM Secretary. I have been a member of the Irish Heritage Society of Milford since the clubhouse opened and have volunteered and participated in several club activities. I so enjoy being involved in all things Irish!

I am incredibly grateful to have been voted the IHSM President from 2022 to 2024. And, too, I was equally honored to be named the 2020 Irish Woman of the Year. It was truly a memorable moment in my life. I enjoy being involved in many aspects of the IHSM, from co-chairing the Irish Festival to bartending to supporting the Communications Committee. As Secretary of the IHSM Board of Directors, I will support the fine work of the board to further the growth of our beautiful club. Besides volunteering at the IHSM, my other interests include traveling, fifing for The Spirit of Black Rock Fife and Drum Corps, researching family genealogy…and, since 2020, Irish golfing!

I am employed by the Fairfield Board of Education, and I have taught at Stratfield Elementary School for the past 25 years. I am currently a K-5 Math Resource Teacher, where I support K-5 students with direct instruction in mathematics, and teach Accelerated Math to advanced 4th and 5th graders. In addition, I support teachers in mathematics through professional development, tiered intervention, and coaching. Additionally, I have been the Coordinator for Camp Invention’s Summer Camp in Fairfield for the past 9 years. I not only love to teach math and science, but I also enjoy learning and teaching technology.

My Irish Heritage: Offaly, Laois, and Dublin. I can’t wait to visit Ireland to continue researching more about my Irish Heritage!

Dave Fuller
David “Dave” Fuller is a lifelong Stratford resident who has Irish lineage to Meath, Dublin and Antrim Counties on both sides of his family. He still has family in Meath to this very day and enjoyed several Sunday roasts in Ireland with cousins and extended family and friends.

David received a bachelor’s from Adelphi University in New York, and a Masters from Fairfield University, and works in web, digital, print and event based marketing. He has also served as a town Councilman and Zoning Commissioner in Stratford and is involved with both alumni associations at Adelphi and Fairfield Universities. He enjoys travel, hiking, golf, baseball, hockey and watching rugby and hurling.

Sue Maxham
I am honored to accept my nomination for parliamentarian. I joined the IHSM in 2015, when meetings were still held at Costa Azura. I have been active in Tara Theater since 2016, first acting and then directing. I have volunteered for events such as the Irish Festival, Oyster Festival, membership renewal drive, and cornhole and golf tournaments. I am a regular at Trivia and general membership meetings and would like to take this opportunity to become more involved. By day I am a Director of User Assistance for Dassault Systemes, a French software company, where I manage a global team of technical/user experience writers. I have 2 grown children, 1 grandson, and a granddaughter on the way!

Dana Garrow
Hi my name is Dana Garrow and I am running for the position of Second Year Trustee. I have been a member of the club for 10 years. As many of you know I am one of the regular volunteer bartenders at the club. I have been active with the club for many years. I have volunteered at the Irish festival for many years at the children’s tent, the beer tent & clean up. I have also volunteered at the beer tent at the Oyster festival. I have been a member of the children’s & family committee, The activities committee as well as generally volunteering when I can. I love being Irish and since joining the IHSM I have learned so much more about my heritage. I started working in retail and food service in high school and continue to do so. I worked for Macy’s department store for 21 years as a senior merchandise manager until 2018 and I’ve been a bartender at 99 Restaurant and Pub for 5 years. I believe I have the interest and willingness to serve on the board as a Trustee and be an active member in continuing the future of this club.

Sheila Danehy

Hello. My name is Sheila Danehy, and I am running for the IHSM Board position of 1st Year Trustee.
I am a Milford resident and live just up the street with my husband, Glenn Chizmazia, and our children Jack (21) and Helen (17). I also work for the City of Milford as a Deputy Assessor.
I am a proud and very active member of the IHSM. Past and present positions I have held include the following:

Past Board member as Membership Chair
Current Chair and past member of the IHSM Raffle Committee for the annual Milford Irish Festival
Current Chair of the William McNamara Memorial Scholarship Committee
Current member of the By-Laws Committee
Current and past member of the cast of Tara Theatre’s annual play production
Past Chair and member of Tara Theatre’s Committee in charge of ticket sales
Past member of the Activities Committee
Past Member of the Irish History Project Committee.

In addition to the above, my husband Glenn and I regularly host Thursday’s Trivia Night.

I would be honored to serve on the upcoming IHSM Board as 2nd Year Trustee. Thank you.

Patti Shea
I am honored to have been nominated as Board Trustee and look forward to continuing to serve in that capacity. I am very connected to my Irish Heritage and upon moving to Milford 12 years ago, was thrilled to find such a vibrant and welcoming Irish Club here. I have been active in the Cultural Committee, the Genealogy Committee and the Festival Committees, and served as Co-Chair of the Festival from 2018-2020. I previously served as Vice-President on the IHSM Board and am currently serving on the Sláinte Board. I also enjoy participating in the Irish Book Club and weekly Irish Step dancing. For the past 5 years, I have been chairing the Club’s co-ed golf league “Golfing with the Greens”. In my spare time I play tennis and am a fused and stained glass hobbyist. I am a retired attorney. My husband, Peter Lovell, and I have two adult children and a bernedoodle grand-dog.

Gary Peterson

I was born and raised in Stamford, CT, the third child in a family of seven. Growing up in a large Irish Catholic family had its ups and downs but I survived it. I completed my education graduating from Stamford High School in 1974.

In 1975, I enlisted in the U.S.A.F. as a Security Specialist and ended up being stationed at RAF Lakenheath England for a couple of years and then was stationed in Travis A.F.B Fairfield CA. I received an Honorable Discharge in 1979.

In February 1980 I started training in Stamford Special Police Academy and became a sworn officer in August of 1980. I became a Park Police Officer and was appointed Supervisor of Park Police the following year. I served with the unit for the next 20 years. I then transferred to the Parking Authority for the next 23 years retiring as the Parking Operations Supervisor in 2023.

I married Carol in 1981 and we raised three children. We moved to Stratford in 1994. We became members of the Irish Heritage Society of Milford in March 2023. Since joining I have been active in set ups for the Golf Tournament in 2023 along with the Irish Festival. I became a Bartender the same year.

In 2024 I was involved in the Tara Theatre acting in a show and as stage crew for a few shows. I was also on the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee last year as well as this year.

In 2025 Jerry Hodges and I started the Dart Club together and have moved up from two dart boards to three dart boards due to the amount of members enjoying this event. I will be involved with the Irish Festival this year again as Security along with anything else that needs to be done.

This year I decided to run for the Board of Trustees position of first year Trustee. I hope I will receive the votes for this position. Thank you.