Michael J. Freda, who has served as North Haven's minority member of the Board of Selectmen, announced today that he is a candidate for the office of First Selectman in the general election of November 2009. Freda is expected to be endorsed by the Republican Town Committee at its convention to be held in July.

A successful executive with more than 25 years of experience in the private sector in executive management, Freda is confident that his qualifications, financial expertise, communication skills and leadership experience can benefit the North Haven community.

After a year of service on the Board of Selectmen and observing the "contradictory policies and management style of the current administration," Freda has decided to turn his disappointment into productivity and offer to serve the North Haven public full time in the future.

"Our First Selectwoman ran a campaign focusing in on promises that have gone undelivered and there has not been the level of open government that was promised," Freda explained. "There has been a steady effort to reduce public participation in our government, while the morale in town government has reached an all time low."

"I am also concerned that I continue to hear complaints about her inability to respond in a timely fashion to the inquiries and needs of the public and local businesses."

"Despite her declarations to do so, she did not fire the former finance director," Freda continued. "She did not pursue a zero-based budgeting process. She did not hire a paid economic development professional, criticized that in the past, and she did not pursue tax relief for senior citizens."

"In the course of this campaign, I will remind her of her promises not delivered to the North Haven electorate. At the same time, I will set forth an agenda of honest, open, innovative and independent policies that include all and uphold the dignity and character of the town and its hard working people."

The former president and CEO of ESM/BTM in New England, one of the leading regional sales and marketing agencies on the east coast from 1995 to 2008, Freda was also the president of several other companies in conjunction with that position, including president and CEO of CBS Marketing in Pennsylvania.

He sold both companies in September 2008 and is currently the regional vice president for a larger national sales and marketing agency. Freda was also the president of CMC and regional president for Advantage Sales and Marketing from 1999 to 2004 in conjunction with his position as president/ CEO of ESM/BTM in New England during those years.

In 1996, Freda was named as one of the top executives in a publication entitled "International Who's Who of Professionals." He was chairman of various leadership committees as part of the NFBA and GMR, two of the leading associations of the consumer products industry, and has served as a panel discussion moderator and featured speaker for Lipton and the New England Wholesale Food Distributors in 2000.

A former advisory board member for Lipton/ Unilever, Dowbrands, a division of Dow Chemical, Rich Products and Chef America, a division of Nestle, Freda has served on the Board of Selectmen since December 2007 and for one year previously as a member of the Board of Finance.

He currently is on the Board of Directors for Olivio Products, a Lee Iacocca company based in Boston, and is also an advisory board member for Ferrero, USA and Bozzutos, IGA and was instrumental in bringing Bozzutos to its current home in North Haven.

Freda promises a spirited and professional campaign, focusing in on the issues that are important to the North Haven voters, particularly in these difficult economic times.

Freda and his wife, Shirley, reside at 90 Highland Park Road. Their three children, all of whom were educated in the North Haven school system, are Michelle, 26, Shari, 24, and Michael, 20.