On July 8, Kip Koons and three other candidates for the two Darien Board of Selectmen seats up for election this year answered questions and spoke before the Republican Town Committee. He made his application and prepared remarks available to Darienite.com.
Kip
Kip Koons, a candidate for a seat on the Board of Selectmen.
Koons and Spencer McIlmurray were each endorsed by the town committee.
Two candidates who did not get the endorsement — Selectman Susan Marks (running for re-election) and Joe Warren (a former selectman) have filed petitions to challenge the endorsed candidates at the Republican Town Caucus, open to all registered Republicans in town.
The town GOP caucus takes place Monday, July 27, at 7 p.m. in Town Hall Auditorium, 2 Renshaw Road. Organizers of the event suggest that those attending get to the auditorium by 6:30 p.m. Those who want to vote should bring “photo identification,” such as a driver’s license or passport.
Here’s Koons’ July 8 statement, as prepared, and information from his application (no other candidate had prepared remarks available):
OPENING REMARKS TO THE REPUBLICAN TOWN COMMITTEE
I wish to thank the Committee for allowing my application to be considered at this late date and in particular thank Karen Armour for allowing me to provide handouts of the application rather than mandating the usual electronic filing.
You are all probably wondering what motivated me to seek a position on the Board of Selectman, and why now.
It really began on August 1, 2013 when an article written by Jim Powell appeared in Forbes titled:
HOW DID RICH CONNECTICUT MORPH INTO ONE OF AMERICA’S WORST PERFORMING ECONOMIES?
This article triggered many discussions with my friends about the future of Connecticut, and many of these friends decided eventually to join the migration out of the state. I considered the same path since we had (and continue to have) one party rule, and the tax increases and negative business climate seemed destined to continue. However, with three children and eight grandchildren living in Fairfield County, it became clear I wasn’t leaving soon.
Then this spring, the State legislature began considering the Transit Corridor Bill sponsored by Senator Duff who passed the buck claiming it was a “Governor’s Bill”. As originally proposed this bill would have granted 11 political “appointees” the power to control the development of at least 1.6 square miles of our town’s most important commercial areas (including my family’s parking lot) using the power of eminent domain and unlimited bonding authority, if needed, without having to consult with the town in advance.
This unprecedented act of hubris was soundly criticized by Jim Cameron in the Darien Times as “The Governor’s Land Grab”, and eventually the bill died. But in our State, bills put forth by the Governor or the Democratic leaders are like zombies as they often come back to life again and again.
Most incredible to me was that our former First Selectman, Evonne Klein, strongly endorsed this Transit Corridor Bill from her position in the State bureaucracy as Commissioner of the Department of Housing.
I talked to Terrie and Jayme shortly after the Duff & Leone presentation to the Board of Selectman in April expressing my disbelief in what they were sponsoring and their lack of understanding of what was really contained in the bills. In early May Jayme asked me if I would consider running for a seat on the Board, but I declined at that time.
Then in early June there was the State budget fiasco and another major tax increase….once again a huge invitation sent out by the state’s Democratic leadership to leave Connecticut all as originally described in the 2013 Forbes article. When I learned who the candidates for the Board of Selectman were, I finally decided to put my name forward.
I am doing so because I want to assure that my family has a future here. I am doing so because having lived here for over 68 years, I am very much a part of this town and its people and have many close ties and fond memories. Darien has been good to me and my family.
But today the Town needs to be proactive and as unified a possible against the threats posed by an unfettered governor and legislature. Additionally, Darien residents are entitled to fair value for their tax dollar. I would hope to assist Jayme Stevenson and the rest of the Selectmen in accomplishing those objectives.
Harry Truman allegedly said it best – “Any jackass can kick a barn down, but it takes a carpenter to build one”. I choose to be carpenter.
EXCERPTS FROM KOONS’ APPLICATION
Full Name: Charles A. Koons (“Kip”)
Street Address: 75 Maywood Road
Voting District: District 1
Years in Darien: 68
Years a Republican: 30+
Have you been convicted of a felony? No
Position Applying For: Board of Selectmen
Employment Information:
- Company Name: Maywood Advisors LLC
- Position: Managing Partner
- Responsibility: Senior Financial Advisor principally to a private capital fund providing junior debt and structured equity to small and mid-size companies.
Education: (school and degree earned)
- The Choate School — Diploma Cum Laude 1961 Cornell University — B.A. Economics 1965
- Cornell University — B.A., economics, 1965
- George Washington University Law School — J.D. 1969
- Harvard Business School — Executive Marketing Program
Family:
- Wife: Jill Hoglund Koons
- Children: Charles Koons III, Christine Koons Lavin, Jonathan Hoglund
Describe why are you interested in the position: To assist our First Selectman, Jayme Stevenson, in maintaining a lean, accountable and responsible Republican form of government in Darien while supporting programs and initiatives that are responsive to the changing needs of the citizens.
To protect the town from continuing attempts by the State to wrest away our local control and self-determination whether through taxing policies, unnecessary and costly mandates or legislation aimed squarely at controlling our development processes.
What are the most important issues facing the committee, board or position: Fiscal restraint coupled with a continuing search for operating cost efficiencies resulting in limited tax increases.
Maintaining local rule by pushing back against unfunded State mandates and joining with the members of West COG in this effort when possible.
Supporting the three significant commercial/residential development plans that are currently being refined to insure that they enhance the services to the community while maintaining Darien’s small town character.
What solutions or changes do you recommend to address the issue(s): Continue and build on the collaborative efforts promoted by First Selectmen Stevenson covering board members other town boards and employees.
Incentivize private developers to provide affordable housing solutions that cover a broad range of housing needs.
Continue the Mock Budget Exercise in next year’s budget cycle.
List current and past volunteer service in town:
- President, Chairman of the Finance Committee and Nominating Committee Darien YMCA (1986 – 1992)
- Vice Chairman, Chairman of the Finance Committee and Board Member Darien Red Cross (1993 — 2002)
- President, Treasurer and Board Member Wee Burn Country Club (2001-2008)
- Former Coach and Referee for Darien Youth Hockey (7 years)
List current and past volunteer service in outside of town:
Family Centers Inc. — An umbrella social service agency serving over 25,000 clients annually primarily in Greenwich, Stamford, Darien and New Canaan with an annual budget of over $12 million.
Board Member since 1990. Past Vice Chairman and past Chairman of the Merger Task Force Committee and Nominating Committee.
Currently Chair of the Audit Committee, long term member of the Finance Committee, and recipient of the Helen Gratz Rockefeller Outstanding Volunteerism Award – 2013
List special skills and qualifications applicable to position (i.e., marketing, website design, treasury, event planning, campaigning, etc.):
QUALIFICATIONS: Leadership & Judgement; Working With and Through Others; Listening; Motivating; Patience (most of the time)
SKILLS: Finance & Accounting; Budgeting & Strategic Planning; Legal & Banking
List any other special considerations regarding your application: I respectfully request the RTC’s endorsement of my candidacy.
EXCERPTS FROM KOONS’ RESUME
Profile
A senior level executive with over 45 years experience participating directly in the key strategic and operational decisions affecting both large publicly held corporations and small private companies. Specific skills in managing acquisitions and divestitures, post merger integration, business restructuring, strategic planning and turnaround experience.
A proven record of:
- developing creative strategic alternatives for the corporation and its business units by focusing on the key factors that generate and sustain profitability
- leading teams of business managers and outside pmfessionals in negotiating and executing acquisitions
- and divestitures, planning and managing post merger integrations, managing special projects and coordinating the issuance of an IPO
- communicating strategic issues, alternatives and business forecasts to owners, boards of directors, lenders, debt rating agencies and security analysts
MAYWOOD ADVISORS LLC, Darien, CT — Managing Partner — 1997 to present
Providing financial consulting services specializing in business planning, financial analysis and modeling, acquisitions (evaluation, negotiation and execution), post merger integration, and assessing strategic alternatives. Recent assignments include:
- Acting as a Senior Advisor since 2007 to a private capital fund that provides junior debt and stmctured equity to small and medium sized companies. Specialize in monitoring and restructuring under-perfonning investments including loan resets, reorganizations in bankruptcy and liquidations of collateral.
- Assisting the largest manufacturer of lead acid batteries in acquiring a $1 billion competitor by leading the management team in identifying and evaluating cost savings, negotiating the purchase agreement along with in house and outside counsel, assisting the investment bankers with board reviews, coordinating a global due diligence effort, developing forecasts and cost savings analyses and pæsenting them to management and lenders. In conjunction with PriceWaterhouse developed and managed the post merger integration program.
- Assisting a privately held provider of employee benefits establish an employee benefits advisory program (medical insurance, 401K, etc.) for a large security corporation being acquired by one of the provider’s clients. Services included reviewing the purchase agreement and underlying financial documents, obtaining legal and actuarial advice and assisting in negotiations with the seller’s benefits specialists.
AMERICAN MAIZE-PRODUCTS COMPANY, Stamford, CT — Vice President of Corporate Development & Planning — 1977 to 1996
As a key member of the CEO’ s Corporate Management Committee, participated in the major strategic and operational decisions affecting a $600 million publicly held colporation involved in agriprocessing, manufacturing and marketing of tobacco products and building materials retailing.
Lead responsibility for organizing and managing teams to evaluate, negotiate and execute acquisitions and divestitures including a partial spin-off (an IPO) of the corporation’s fastest gmwing subsidiary. With each transaction, developed and presented to the board the strategic and financial rationale for final approval. Transaction sizes ranged from $2 million to $425 million.
Created and presented reviews of strategic options to the board of directors that were instrumental in refocusing the corporation on its core business through both reacquiring the public shares of American Fructose Corporation (a majority owned subsidiary) and exiting the retailing business segment.
Played a key role along with investment bankers and outside counsel in developing alternatives to maximize shareholder value in the face of litigation over control of the corporation. The result was the sale of American Maize to Eridania Begin-Say, a multibillion-dollar European agro-industrial company.
LETOT INCORPORATED, Fairfield, CT — Chief Executive Officer — 1975 to 1977
Hired as a troubleshooter by the venture capital owners of a small telecommunications equipment manufacturer for the lodging industry. Principal responsibilities were to evaluate the problems facing the business, and either to take steps to return the business to profitability or to liquidate. The business was returned to positive cash flow by improving existing products, renegotiating contracts with suppliers, developing new products, and establishing a new independent sales force. Recommended to investment group that the business be sold, as the growth potential of the company’s product category did not meet their venture capital targets.
CHEMICAL BANK, New York, NY — Commercial Lending Officer – Corporate Banking Division — 1970 to 1974 […]
Editor’s note: In transferring information from Koons’ emailed documents, some typographical errors occurred for technical reasons. We tried to catch them all, but we may have missed some. If a typo is present, please assume it occurred that way.