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MEET AUDREY BLONDIN
AUDREY'S AGENDA
- Enacting public financing of campaigns
Connecticut's Campaign Finance laws must be reformed.
- Promoting small business
Small business is the backbone of Connecticut's economy creating 85% of
the jobs in Connecticut, providing the most opprotunities for the
state's workforce.
- Administering a uniform code of ethics
A uniform code of ethics should be adopted by all Connecticut
municipalities. There is no room for ethically-challenged ways of past
administrations.
- Returning trust and confidence to elections
Connecticut must adopt Electronic Voting Machines with Verified Voter
Paper Trails that are Hava (Helping America Vote Act) and ADA
(Americans with Disabilites Act) compiliant.
- Inspiring our youth politically
We must get our youth involved in the political process: Our youth are the
future.
- Providing grass roots leadership
Serving locally for 10 years on the Litchfield board of selectmen and
as the DSCC member for the 30th Senatorial District.
BIOGRAPHY
Audrey Blondin was born in New Haven, CT, grew up in West Haven
and Orange and has lived in the Northwest Corner for 25 years. Married
to Torrington Optometrist Dr. Matthew Blondin for 29 years, they
have 3 children, Nicholas, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wesleyan
University and a student at the University of Connecticut School
of Medicine, Joseph, a third-generation student at the University
of Notre Dame and Rose, a student at St. Paul Catholic High School
in Bristol.
She is an Attorney who has practiced law in Torrington for 25 years
in the areas of real estate, bankruptcy, wills & probate and
for the last 3 years she has served as the Connecticut Director
of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. From
1993-2003, she served as a member of the Litchfield Board of Selectman
and is currently the Democratic State Central Committeewoman from
the 30th District, serving 15 towns in the Northwest Corner. |
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Every January, she and her husband lead a service mission to San
Juan del Sur, Nicaragua through VOSH-Connecticut(Volunteer
Optometric Services to Humanity). VOSH-Connecticut was founded by
them in 2001, and each year provides eye examinations and eye glasses
to thousands of needy local residents.
PROFESSIONAL RESUME
Education:
Temple University School of Law, Philadelphia, PA
Juris Doctor Degree, August, 1979
Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT
B.S. Degree, Magna Cum Laude, May, 1975
Languages spoken: Some Spanish
Professional Experience:
1980 to Present: Attorney - Law Offices of Audrey B. Blondin
General practice of law.
Founder, Torrington's oldest woman-owned law firm. Areas of practice
include real estate, bankruptcy, wills and estate planning. Office
has served as counsel for many banks and mortgage companies, providing
representation on residential closings, including FHA, CHFA, and
VA loan programs, commercial closings, foreclosures and loan work-out.
Office has served as court-appointed Committee on numerous foreclosure
sales over the past twenty years.
Lender representation includes Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., Fleet
Bank, First Union, Litchfield Bancorp, Torrington Savings Bank,
Thomaston Savings Bank, Webster Bank, Citibank, Northwest Community
Bank, American Bank of CT, People's Bank, Northeast Mortgage, Metro
Mortgage Corp., Norcom Mortgage, Village Mortgage Company, New Milford
Savings Bank, Salisbury Bank & Trust Company, First National
Bank of Litchfield, Naugatuck Savings Bank, Newtown Savings Bank,
Bank of America, Washington Mutual, Principal Residential Mortgage,
Norwest Mortgage, H & R Block Mortgage, Columbia National, Inc.,
GMAC, The McCue Mortgage Company, Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corporation.
Licensed title insurance agent for Connecticut Attorneys Title
Insurance Company.
Professional Activities:
Selectman - Town of Litchfield - 1993 to 2003:
Elected position to five-person Board of Selectmen. Participated
in all aspects of local town government, including budget process
and preparation, labor negotiations, hiring of personnel, community
involvement and interaction with various town departments and local
boards and commissions, including Public Works, Park and Recreation
and Board of Finance. Served as Chairman of the Litchfield Courthouse
Committee. Also served as Moderator for Town Meetings. Obtained
designation of Litchfield as a Millennium Community by organizing
the purchase and sealing of a town time capsule. Developed concept
and assisted Recycling Committee in formation and implementation
of the Litchfield Book Exchange at the town recycling center. Served
as the longest-serving Democratic woman member of the Litchfield
Board of Selectmen.
Public Information Officer - Town of Litchfield - 2002 to
2004:
Appointed by First Selectman and Board of Selectmen as part of the
Town Emergency Management Plan. Revised Town Emergency Management
Plan and participated in state-sponsored Emergency Management courses.
Performed official Public Information Officer duties during town-wide
ice storm related State of Emergency from November 17-20, 2002.
Democratic State Central Committeewoman-30th District 2002
to present:
Elected from the 30th State Senatorial District as member of 76
person statewide Democratic organization. Responsibilities include
providing assistance to the Democratic Party on the state level,
candidate recruitment and organization, fundraising, media briefing
on local and state Democratic candidates and issues.
Connecticut State Chairman - NACBA - 2002 to 2005:
Appointed by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
Board of Directors to serve as State Chairman for Connecticut. Duties
include promoting and developing NACBA membership among Connecticut
bankruptcy attorneys, as well as assisting and contributing to the
issues advocated by NACBA on behalf of current bankruptcy law and
clients. Also performed lobbying duties on behalf of NACBA in Washington,
D.C. 1999-2005. Met with members and staffs of the House of Representatives
and United States Senate in Washington, D.C. on behalf of the National
Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys to advocate for fair
and responsible bankruptcy reform legislation.
VOSH-Connecticut(Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity)
Co-founder with husband, Dr. Matthew Blondin, in 2001 of VOSH-Connecticut.
VOSH-Connecticut is the Connecticut chapter of VOSH-International,
an international organization providing eye care services to residents
of third world countries. Currently serving as Secretary/Treasurer
of VOSH-Connecticut
Missions to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua-1999, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, Upcoming 2006
As a member of VOSH, assisted in providing eye examinations and
eyeglasses to over 10,000 area residents per year without access
to eye care of any kind. Served as Director of Mission Clinic in
2001, 2002, 2003 2004 & 2005 supervising over 100 volunteers, optometrists,
optometry students, opticians, assistants and local support staff
providing eye care services to several thousand local Nicaraguan
residents each year. The next mission will be held in 2006.
Democratic National Convention Delegate -2000, Alternate
Delegate-2004
Served as a member of the Connecticut delegation to the 2000 and
2004 Democratic National Conventions. Provided legal representation
on behalf of the Democratic National Committee for a gender balance
challenge to the Connecticut delegation in 2000. Served as a Connecticut
counsel for the Gore 2000 campaign, and as the 5th Congressional
District Coordinator Kerry for President 2004.
Eisenhauer People to People Mission-Beijing, China 1999
Member of first delegation of women attorneys to visit mainland
China. Presenter of "Town Meeting Form of Government"
at Northwestern University of Law and Politics, Xi'an, China.
Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Award Recipient 2003
State recognition as one of 100 "Outstanding Women of Connecticut".
Speaking Programs:
National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
Annual National Meeting
Program Panel Member 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Litchfield County Board of Realtors - 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Torrington, CT
Legal Issues for Realtors - Legal Roundtable Panel Member
American Legion Auxiliary-Laurel Girl's State 2002, 2003,
2004, 2005-Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, CT. - Presentation:
"Public Service on the Local and State Level"
Yale Women's Campaign School - 2001, New Haven, CT
Presentation:- "Running for Municipal Office- Help from the
Party - Campaign Plan"
Computer Expertise:
Law Offices are completely computerized with Dell Computers and
Compaq Presario Computers, Laptop Computers and Hewlett Packard
LaserJet printers. Program expertise includes Microsoft Windows
XP, Microsoft Office 2000, including Microsoft Word 2000, Collier
Top Form 5, EZ-Filing, CATIC PolPrep 3.15, CATIC HUD-Prep 3.15,
Quicken 2002 for Windows (Trustee and Office Bank Accounts), America
Online 7.0, DSL, Zoom Fax Modem, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Outlook,
AOL and Yahoo e-mail.
Professional Organizations and Activities:
American Bar Association
Connecticut Bar Association (Section member-Commercial Law and Bankruptcy)
Litchfield County Bar Association
Litchfield County Board of REALTORS, Inc.
American Bankruptcy Institute
James W. Cooper Fellow - Lifetime Member
Justice of the Peace
Publications:
Various political, legal, optometric, opinion and other articles,
including Connecticut Bar Journal, Connecticut Law Tribune, Optometric
Economics, The Connecticut REALTOR and the Register Citizen, Litchfield
Enquirer, Litchfield County Times, Republican-American and the Hartford
Courant.
Licensure:
Admitted to Connecticut Bar, May 19, 1980
Admitted to U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut,
August, 1980
Admitted to the Supreme Court of the U.S., January 9, 1984
Admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, June 12, 1984
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