Just as Ken Gross was a thoughtful, responsible, helpful steward in his service roles at the Camden Public Library for 20 years, Ken Gross will be an able steward on the Camden Select Board — serving us all, as a seaside community, as we discuss and decide together the path forward on issues critical to us, our children, and theirs.

I thank Ken for his energy and commitment to our community, and I am proud to support his candidacy for Camden Select Board and to encourage you to support Ken as well. We need his positive leadership style: an excellent listener, a focus on the facts behind the task and the issues, and a vision seeking to better our community.

I have known Ken Gross almost 14 years, chiefly from his role serving at the Camden Public Library.

As a member of our community, I consistently found Ken helpful, considerate, and resourceful in our interactions whether he was serving as adult program director, serving as Assistant Library Director, working as Director of the Walsh History Center, or overseeing building renovation and repair projects. He worked hard to listen to our needs so the library could best serve us all, and make its programs, like the art fairs, a success. He always rolled his shirt sleeves up and worked to get the job done.

After a few years, I was asked to serve on the library board for two terms, and chaired the Finance Committee among other tasks. When Ken presented projects and made recommendations, they were invariably well researched and carefully developed, with “what if” scenarios covered. He had all our respect in his leadership work. In addition, his careful community work on the Megunticook Dam options, but one example of many, also shows his fact-based and listening style.

Our town website describes the role of our Select Board as “the executive body that interprets, processes, and sets the policies of the town and chooses the course of action between town meetings, has ultimate administrative responsibility to see that the governmental policies are carried out (but must deal with administration solely through the town manager), and appoints and supervises the Town Manager.”

Ken has an excellent knowledge of our community, current and historical. He is also well experienced in interpreting, processing, and setting policies as a key leader/Assistant Director of our public library, among his other roles.

Ken Gross excelled as an effective hard-working leader at our library and will excel as an effective hard-working Select Board member. Please join in supporting Ken to be on our Select Board, serving all.

Claudia Griffiths lives in Camden