Board of Finance - Candidate
MATTHEW TOBIN
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Matthew grew up in Maryland, where his father was the County Attorney and his mother a stay-at-home mom who raised 5 children. In high school, he excelled as a wrestler and in his studies, graduating as Salutatorian. Matt attended the United States Naval Academy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied Civil Engineering and played Rugby.
As a Civil Engineer, Matt worked on projects for the United States Navy, Port of Houston, Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, and the Smithsonian Institute where he worked building a research facility on Barro Colorado Island located in Lake Gatun in the Panama Canal. Matt led major construction projects and oversaw each project budget. He currently works for O&G Industries in Torrington as an Engineering Manager in the Power Division, where he heads up the engineering teams responsible for building fossil fuel power plants and alternative energy power systems in southern New England.
In 1977, Matt moved to the Litchfield area. His wife is a 4th generation Litchfield/Northfield native and together they raised a son, who followed in his grandfather's footsteps and became a lawyer. Matt volunteers as an Educational Counselor for MIT and helped draft Litchfield's Equity Statement for SustainableCT, where his efforts were focused on affordable housing.
A lifelong naturalist and outdoorsman, Matt enjoys backpacking, hiking, running, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. He has competed as a triathlete and has proudly run the Litchfield Hills Road Race about 30 times. He was the scrum half for the Litchfield Hills Rugby Club. Matt is a frequent backpacker on the Appalachian Trail. Matt is a blue ribbon winning gardener and a fierce combatant of the many invasive plants and insects now found in Litchfield which threaten our native flora. Matt has served on the Litchfield Board of Finance since 2021.
STEPHAN KRUCKER
Board of Finance - Candidate
Stephan’s story began in Suffern, New York, the son of immigrant parents, who instilled in him the values of family, education, community and hard work. His mother was a stay-at-home mom, and his father was a computer programmer, working a union job for the utility company. Stephan showed an aptitude for business at the early age of 13. He mowed lawns, shoveled snow and lifeguarded at the community pool while he was in high school and college. At a young age Stephan also learned to serve and give back to others, by volunteering in the pediatric unit of the local hospital and teaching children how to swim.
He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Healthcare Administration. Stephan’s professional career, included leading teams at two of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies, providing breakthroughs in healthcare that changed patients’ lives. He continues to teach healthcare professionals, ways patients can live healthier lives and provide access to medicines that are safe, effective and affordable. Stephan is no stranger to managing finances as he is responsible for leading a $380 Million business unit and is effective at driving revenue growth, while effectively managing business expenses.
In 2017 Stephan and his husband Norman moved to Litchfield. At first it was to escape NYC and their desire to renovate a historic home. The town drew them in because of its rich history, tradition, and the beauty it exudes both naturally and from the people living there. The people were so welcoming, warm, and open, that Litchfield is now the town and community they call home.
Stephan is an active member of the Litchfield community. Currently he is the Sr. Burgess for the Litchfield Borough, having been elected in 2023. He also serves as the leader/chair of the the Litchfield Republican Town Committee.
Board of Finance Alternate - Candidate
TOM TERHAAR
Tom was born in Michigan and early in his life moved to Mississippi. After graduating high school he went to college in Indiana, the University of Notre Dame where he received a BS in Mechanical Engineering.
Tom's first job out of college was with Otis Elevator, spending five years in Chicago and Iowa. He received an MBA from the University of Chicago, while working. In 1979 he came to Connecticut working for parent company - United Technologies. Later he joined a small engineering consulting firm located in Avon, CT. In 1982, Tom pursued a JD from the University of Connecticut and was a member of the Connecticut Bar until he retired.
Before retiring in 2018, Tom taught high school science - first at Harding High School in Bridgeport and later at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury.
Tom married his wife Karen in 1987 and lived in West Hartford for a year before moving to Litchfield in 1988, raising three children - two boys and a girl. We are proud parents of West Point and ROTC graduates.
Currently Tom walks, reads and travels for pleasure. To keep busy he volunteers at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and for the Food Rescue.
Tom is a small government conservative. I often feel governments (local, state and federal), with the best of intentions, try to do too much when we’d be better off if the governments did less.