By Curt Peterson
Robert Hecker has been appointed to take Steve Finneron’s seat on the Killington Select Board. The announcement came after an executive session Monday night May 13. The position lasts until next Town Meeting Day vote, when voters will choose the person to fulfill the remaining year of Finneron’s term.
Hecker was one of four candidates who submitted a qualified letter of interest to the town manager. The others were Andrew Gieda, Bill Vines and Patrick Cushing. Each had an opportunity to speak to the board Monday night.
Hecker, who has been on the Planning Commission for nine months, told the Mountain Times he is looking forward to contributing to the town as a selectman in any way appropriate.
“I just want to help,” he said. “I have no agenda, and I’m not an influencer.”
At 50, Hecker decided to end his 21-year career with ADP in New Jersey and moved to Killington in 2021. He and his wife Tiffany have four children, and he’s started a small construction company called Peak Construction, LLC, which he says, is more fun than the corporate rat race. His wife works as an administrator at Woodstock Elementary School.
The new selectman will be sworn in by Town Clerk Lucrecia Wonsor before the next Select Board meeting in two weeks.
Hecker said he is no longer serving on the Planning Commission.
“We’re the newbies in town,” he said Monday night introducing himself to the board and the residents in attendance. His career and educational backgound is mainly in business and corporate strategy and leadership. He holds an MBA with a focus in entrepreneurship.
“I think I can really contribute here as part of the Select Board,” he concluded.
After years of service to the town, including his recent stint as Select Board chair, Finneron, 72, vacated his seat for health reasons.
“Chris and I were pleased that five candidates were interested in the interim position on the board,” Selectman Jim Haff said in an interview Tuesday. “We chose Hecker because we think he’ll bring a fresh perspective to town.”
“This town is changing and it’s really great to see folks with energy stepping up…I hope that the enthusiasm continues,” Haff said after executive session Monday night.
Haff, who was just re-elected to a three-year term in March, stated that he’s 63 years old and doesn’t know if he’s going to see another term.
Next Town Meeting, March 3, 2025, there will be two Select Board seats up for vote. Chris Karr’s 3-year seat and the remainder of Finneron’s term (1-year) afterwhich the three-year term schedule will resume.
