The East Hampton Village Lions is pleased to announce that Ms. Gail Hamm, public servant and former State Legislator, is the recipient of East Hampton’s 2013 Citizen of the Year Award. Ms. Hamm was chosen for her decades of unselfish service to both the local community and our state. For over 20 years, Ms. Hamm has served the town of East Hampton and surrounding communities in numerous ways. She has served on the Democratic Town Committee and various town Boards. In 1991, Gail was elected to the East Hampton Board of Education. She was chair of their Personnel Committee where she shared her time and legal talents helping the town negotiate all union contracts. Ms. Hamm served as Chair of the Board of Education from 1995-1998. During that time the board provided for increased rigor for students which led to increased student test scores. Gail Hamm worked diligently as state representative for the 34th Assembly District of East Hampton and Middletown since first elected in 1998. She is most thrilled to have worked on the state’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women which paved the way to the nation’s first Family and Medical Leave Act. While legislator, Ms. Hamm represented her local constituents well. She likes to tell the story of how, as a freshman legislator, she got a call and proposed a bill to eliminate sales tax on caskets which was passed early on in her first session, something that never happens. She has helped to provide funding to maintain many of East Hampton’s jewels such as: the historic Comstock Covered Bridge over Salmon River, and one of our largest inland water bodies--Lake Pocotopaug. She also helped with funding for the town’s Chatham Historical Society, and the Joseph N. Goff House—a restored Greek revival house, turned museum and multi-cultural center. She and her husband Alan Hurst are passionate Rotarians, making a difference at the local, District and International levels. During the Rotary’s polio eradication initiative, both Gail and her husband Alan spent Thanksgiving 2006 in Niger, immunizing children against polio; and their “Thanksgiving dinner” was a granola bar! Gail has also used her legal expertise to serve as the Rotary’s District Student Protection Officer--she insures adequate training and protection are provided to the youth served by Rotary for such programs such as the International Youth Exchange and Interact Clubs. Gail is a Life member of the Chatham Historical Society, Middlesex Land Trust, and Friends of the East Hampton Library. In February of this year Gail was also honored at the Humanitarian Awards Program for the Eastern Connecticut District (23-C) of Lions Clubs International. Each year Lions Clubs in Eastern Connecticut ask their clubs to honor individuals for their outstanding service to their communities. East Hampton Village was proud to nominate Ms. Hamm for their humanitarian of the year and Gail was one of nine award recipients to be recognized that evening. Past Director of Lions International, Jimmy Ross was on hand to honor these individuals. Gail Hamm’s name will be added to the Citizen of the Year plaque at the East Hampton Public Library. Previous years’ recipients include Joan Youngs 2012, Red McKinney 2011, JoAnn Ewing 2010, Donald Ingraham 2009, Dennis Erickson 2008, Cindy Baloga 2007, Ray Krupa, 2006, Eugene Hubbard, 2005, Joseph Becker, 2004, Frederick Everett, 2003, Monica Murray, 2002, Ronald Christopher, 2001, Emma Prince, 2000, Gladys Smith, 1999, and Charles Nichols, 1998.
