What political machinations could this set off? From State Treasurer Shawn Wooden:
For the past 10 years, I’ve been honored to serve my city, as Hartford City Council President and, my state, as Treasurer. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to improve the lives of Connecticut families. During my time as Treasurer, we’ve divested from civilian gun manufacturers, restructured the teachers’ pension fund to ensure long-term sustainability, secured major credit rating upgrades for the first time in over two decades, paid down our pension fund liabilities on an accelerated basis, saved taxpayers millions of dollars through bond refundings and passed the first in the nation Baby Bonds program to lift children out of poverty. I’m honored that my colleagues across the country have elected me to serve as President of the bi-partisan National Association of State Treasurers and that I recently led a bi-partisan coalition of 38 state treasurers to support divestment of securities of Russian companies. These and other accomplishments have only strengthened my love of public service as well as my appreciation of the impact we can have by being in the public arena.
But, as every public servant knows, service often comes with a price. As a father, I’ve sacrificed countless hours, missing everything from basketball games and track meets to family dinners. With one of my sons going to college soon and the other right behind him, I’ve decided not to seek re-election as Treasurer. Like other working families, mine too faces the day-to-day pressures of family life. Things like juggling financial resources to pay for college or making the time needed to teach children life’s most important lessons aren’t always easy in public life. As the proud father of you two young Black boys, I know that, today, the best thing I can do is put my own ambitions aside and put them first.
For the remainder of my time in office, I intend to continue to focus on the important work of this office with the same passion I had when I took the oath of office. While I won’t be on the ballot this fall, my hope is to continue my public service in the future. In the meantime, I will keep looking for ways to help the state and the people who have given me so much. I offer my sincere thanks to the people of Connecticut who have given me the honor of a lifetime to serve as your 83rd State Treasurer.
When you take stock of where you are in life, conclude that you have accomplished some of the things you intended to address, yet missed out on others because like everyone else you have only the same 24/7 as your fellow citizens. Seeking balance across your planning horizon, causes some folks to step away from current responsibilities knowing that there has been “honor” in past service, freed up hours in the near future to work on recently missed opportunities within a family that alas may not offer themselves once again, and also recognizing that future public service will not offer only locked doors in the future, but perhaps a more open and fitting space for talents in future years. In the meantime Shawn Wooden, thank you for your sense of both family time and public service. Time will tell.