A new member for the New Year—Scott Murphy (D) is the new appointee to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) following Joan Walker’s Nov. 14 announcement that she is stepping down for personal reasons.

The official approval of Murphy’s appointment was made at the Dec. 19 BOS meeting. The BOS is a five-member board in which all members serve two-year terms. The resignation of a board member does not trigger a special election and the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) selected Murphy to serve as Democrat Walker’s replacement for the remainder of the term, which expires Nov. 1, 2017.

Murphy served eight years as Little League president, is currently chair of the Madison Field Committee, and served as vice-chair of the Salt Meadow Park Development Committee for three years. In addition, Murphy, who is the cousin of U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, has been involved with the Boy Scouts and serves as a deacon at the North Madison Congregational Church.

“Given my experience working with these various communities I feel that I can make a larger impact and really help the town and really be a voice of the constituents in Madison,” he said.

Murphy said he is looking forward to being involved with projects such as the library renovation, the future of Academy School, and the completion of the downtown project.

“I have a ton of passion about our town and I care about our town and that is why I am doing this,” he said.

At the meeting, members of the BOS welcomed Murphy and said they looked forward to working with him.

“You know what you are getting yourself into,” said Walker. “It is a hard job, but it is a wonderful job… Welcome and thank you for your service in advance.”

Following Murphy’s appointment, Walker’s resignation from the board was officially accepted and members of the BOS thanked her for her service. Fellow Democratic Selectman Al Goldberg reflected on her time in office.

“…She has the quality of paying attention to detail which makes sure that we get it done right,” he said. “She has the energy, enthusiasm, and passion which persuades others to get involved, and finally she has the friendliness, cheerfulness, and optimism which inspires all of us to work for an even better tomorrow. Joan, you have made a difference in the life of this town and you have made a difference in the lives of the people of this town and for that we all celebrate you and thank you.”

Walker thanked the citizens of Madison for allowing her to serve as their selectmen for five years.

“I just know that hopefully this is a hiatus and I might be in the audience with public comment someday,” she said.

Murphy will be a seated member of the BOS at its next meeting on Monday, Jan. 9.