Nickerson Announces Intention to Leave Office at End of Term

East Lyme First Selectman Mark Nickerson

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EAST LYME — First Selectman Mark Nickerson announced that he will not run for another term next November and will leave the office after finishing his seventh year.

Nickerson, who has served six years as First Selectman of East Lyme after being appointed to the position to replace Paul Formica after he was first elected to the State Senate in 2014, announced his decision in a letter included in the Friday Nov. 27 edition of the monthly East Lyme Parks and Recreation publication EVENTS Magazine.

“I have cherished this time as our town’s leader. Being the First Selectman of such a dynamic town is a humbling experience,” Nickerson wrote. “We live in an amazing town. Together we have accomplished so much during the past 6 years; there has been so many successes. But the job takes its toll too. Mistakes and second guesses bring on sleepless nights. The concern and worry that comes with managing a town full of dedicated employees, hundreds of volunteers, and countless organizations is overwhelming at times. The positives outweigh the negatives 100:1, but it’s the difficult days (and nights) that are strenuous and stressful.”

After he was appointed to finish Formica’s term, East Lyme voters re-elected Nickerson for three full, two-year terms, most recently in 2019. The chief government position in East Lyme will be up for another vote in November 2021.

Nickerson wrote that he planned to spend more quality time with his family after finishing his term, but said he would continue to serve in another capacity, “perhaps a larger role in the regional community or maybe quietly on a local non-profit board…or maybe both.”