Toni Boucher
Encyclopedia
Toni Boucher is a Republican politician currently representing the 26th senatorial district in the Connecticut State Senate.
Boucher was elected to represent the 26th Senatorial District in 2008, after having served as the State Representative from the 143rd Assembly District for 12 years. The 26th Senatorial District includes the communities of Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton.
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Currently in the State Senate, Senator Boucher serves as an Deputy Minority Leader. Senator Boucher is the Senate Ranking Member of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, Education Committee and of its Higher Education Committee. She also serves as a member of the General Assembly’s Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee where she is ranking member of the Finance sub committee for Transportation. She has been an outspoken critic of marijuana law reform.
. She was first elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in November 1996 from the 143rd District, which includes the eastern portion of Norwalk and most of Wilton. The district also previously included New Canaan.
While serving as a member of the Transportation Committee as a State Representative, she worked to protect and improve the Danbury Branch line and helped lead the way on traffic relief initiatives for Southwestern Connecticut, especially with respect to rail service. In addition, she worked to stop the development of a Super Highway on route 7.
Boucher holds an MBA from UCONN Business School, and is the founder and former owner of a small business and a former member of corporate management for two Fortune 50 firms. She also co-founded and served on the Board of Directors of a marketing design agency in San Diego, California which specializes in clients working in biogenetic, aerospace and leading edge computer applications.
Boucher has served as a member of the Connecticut State Board of Education
, where she was chair of the state’s policy and long-range planning committees.
From 1986 to 1994, she also served on the Wilton Board of Education, during which time she served as both the board’s chair and secretary. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Wilton Education Foundation and five school/community based planning teams; the Quality and Integrated Education Local Planning Committee and the Foreign Language Task Force (1978-92). She was active in the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education and the National Association of State Boards of Education; Wilton YMCA Expansion Fund; Board of the Wilton Youth Council's Project 94, 96 and 2000; Technology Task Force (1993-present); Gifted Task Force (1988-90); and the Wilton Parent-Teacher Associations. Early in her career, she worked as a translator and secondary education language teacher. She is fluent in Spanish and Italian.
Boucher was elected to represent the 26th Senatorial District in 2008, after having served as the State Representative from the 143rd Assembly District for 12 years. The 26th Senatorial District includes the communities of Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton.
State Senator
In the 2008 election, Boucher won the senatorial 26th district seat following her six terms in Connecticut House of RepresentativesConnecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
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Currently in the State Senate, Senator Boucher serves as an Deputy Minority Leader. Senator Boucher is the Senate Ranking Member of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, Education Committee and of its Higher Education Committee. She also serves as a member of the General Assembly’s Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee where she is ranking member of the Finance sub committee for Transportation. She has been an outspoken critic of marijuana law reform.
State Representative
Prior to her election to the Connecticut state senate, Boucher served six terms in her in the Connecticut House of RepresentativesConnecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
. She was first elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in November 1996 from the 143rd District, which includes the eastern portion of Norwalk and most of Wilton. The district also previously included New Canaan.
While serving as a member of the Transportation Committee as a State Representative, she worked to protect and improve the Danbury Branch line and helped lead the way on traffic relief initiatives for Southwestern Connecticut, especially with respect to rail service. In addition, she worked to stop the development of a Super Highway on route 7.
Work experience
Boucher holds series 7 and series 63 licenses and is the director of the Commonfund Institute, the educational and research arm of Commonfund, a $38-billion nonprofit fund manager for 1,900 educational, nonprofit and health care institutions started by the Ford Foundation in 1971. In December 2008, she co-authored a publication on Ethics and the Nonprofit.Boucher holds an MBA from UCONN Business School, and is the founder and former owner of a small business and a former member of corporate management for two Fortune 50 firms. She also co-founded and served on the Board of Directors of a marketing design agency in San Diego, California which specializes in clients working in biogenetic, aerospace and leading edge computer applications.
Public service experience prior to the General Assembly
Prior to her first term as a State Representative, Boucher served on the Wilton Board of Selectmen and the town of Wilton’s Council on Public Facilities and Insurance Committees. She was also active in the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. In the past, she has served as an advisory board member of the New Canaan Nature Center and as a member of the Our Lady of Fatima Fundraising Steering Committee, Greystone Estates Association Board of Directors, Advisory Board of New Canaan Cares, Wilton League of Women Voters, Wilton Historical Society, Board of Directors of the Wilton Chapter of the AFS, and Friends of the Wilton Library.Boucher has served as a member of the Connecticut State Board of Education
Connecticut State Board of Education
The Connecticut State Board of Education is the governing body of the Connecticut State Department of Education, the state education agency of Connecticut...
, where she was chair of the state’s policy and long-range planning committees.
From 1986 to 1994, she also served on the Wilton Board of Education, during which time she served as both the board’s chair and secretary. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Wilton Education Foundation and five school/community based planning teams; the Quality and Integrated Education Local Planning Committee and the Foreign Language Task Force (1978-92). She was active in the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education and the National Association of State Boards of Education; Wilton YMCA Expansion Fund; Board of the Wilton Youth Council's Project 94, 96 and 2000; Technology Task Force (1993-present); Gifted Task Force (1988-90); and the Wilton Parent-Teacher Associations. Early in her career, she worked as a translator and secondary education language teacher. She is fluent in Spanish and Italian.
Awards
- 2006: Art Advocate of the Year Award, Connecticut Art Teachers Association
- 2006: The Business Council of Fairfield County (SACIA) Community Leader Award
- 2007-2008: UNCONN Advocate Award
- 2008: Connecticut Arts Advocate Award, Ct Arts Educators Association
- 2008: Music Education Advocate Award, CMEA
- 2009: Environmental Champion, Connecticut League of Conservation Voters
- 2009: Woman of the Year, Fairfield County Homebuilders Association
- 2009: Children’s Champion, Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance
- 2009-2010: General Assembly Voting & Attendance Record - 100%
- 2010: Ambassador Award, Council of Italian American Organizations (CIAO)
- 2010: Tip of the Hat Award, Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN)