Board Member Biographies

Susan DePretis
Co-Chairperson

Susan was appointed to the Torrington Board of Education in October 2020 and later elected in November, 2021.

Susan is a Torrington native, attended Torrington schools and raised her 4 children in Torrington.

Until her retirement in July, 2020 Susan was employed by The Hartford Financial Group for 33 years. During her tenure with The Hartford she held various roles including Claim Specialist, Operations Consultant; IT Business Analyst, Process Owner and Project Manager.

Susan is also on the board of directors for Friendly Hands Food Bank and served as the Treasurer for the Torrington Woman’s Club & on the Torrington Little League Board of Directors for 3 terms.

Contact: [email protected]



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Edward Corey
Co-Chairperson


Mr. Corey was elected to the Board of Education in November 2017 and re-elected in 2021. He is a fifth generation Torrington resident and a graduate of Oliver Wolcott Technical School in Torrington. Prior to becoming Co-Chair of the Board in January 2024, Ed served as a member of the budget, facilities, personnel, and grievance committees.

Ed is currently a marketing data and paid media consultant with extensive experience in public policy & advocacy campaigns. He is a volunteer for Friendly Hands Food Bank and enjoys serving the community however he can. When not working or at a Board of Education meeting, Ed can be found hiking and foraging, playing board or video games, or reading a book with his cat, Crowley.




Contact: [email protected]
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Glenn Burger
Vice-Chairperson 

Mr. Burger was appointed to the Torrington Board of Education in February of 2022 and currently chairs the Facilities & Technology sub-committee.  Glenn is a lifelong resident of Torrington where he raised his 2 children who both attended Torrington Public Schools.

Glenn is a Bryant University graduate with a BS in Business Administration.  He has worked in the Security and Construction market for the past 25 years in various sales, product, and project management roles.  He is currently employed with a commercial security system integrator out of Southington focusing on the construction bid market for municipal and commercial contracts as well as leading design build projects for prospective commercial clients.

Glenn has a passion for athletics and played college baseball while at Bryant University.  Following his passion, he has volunteered his time in youth sports programs in Torrington, mainly with Torrington Little League Softball where he was also a board member for 4 terms.   He and his family are still active participants in the local youth sports programs.

On his spare time, you may will find him watching his kids play sports, bowling a game of duckpin or playing a casual round of golf.

“Being a Torrington Native and where I have raised my children, I would like to utilize my educational background along with my business experience to give back to the community where I grew up.  My focus is improving the educational experience for the children of Torrington today and advancing the district for the future generation.”  

Contact: [email protected]




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Ellen Hoehne
Secretary

Ms. Hoehne was elected to the Board in November, 2009 and re-elected on November, 2017.  She attended Torrington Public Elementary schools and Torrington High School and is currently employed as a Business Office Associate and Accounts Payable Specialist at Renbrook School in West Hartford. She and her husband, Michael, along with her two children and four grandchildren all reside in Torrington.

Contact:[email protected]


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John Kissko


John Kissko was born in Torrington and educated in the Torrington Public Schools. He earned BA and MA degrees from the University of Connecticut in Storrs and did further work at the University of Scranton and Southern Connecticut State University. He taught history and economics at Litchfield High School for 36 years and has also served on the adjunct faculties of the University of Connecticut and Naugatuck Valley Community College. He was first elected to the Board of Education in 2011. He is a widower with four sons, four daughters-in-law, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His great-grandson attends TMS. He is the current President of the Board of Directors of EdAdvance and serves on the Policy Council of the local Head Start / Early Head Start program. He enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and sometimes likes the peace and quiet of being left alone.

Contact: [email protected]




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Gary Eucalitto


Mr. Eucalitto was appointed to the Torrington Board of Education in September of 2018 and re-elected in 2023.








Contact: [email protected]

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Jeffrey Putnam

Mr. Putnam was appointed to the Torrington Board of Education in January 2023.  Jeff was born and raised in Torrington and is therefore a product of the Torrington Public schools.  After graduating from Torrington High School, he went on to complete 2 years at the now closed University of Connecticut Torrington branch and finished his bachelor's degree at Central Connecticut State University in 2001.

Jeff started his local business in his senior year at Torrington High in a cooperative work experience class.  26 years later Jeff continues to run this same business here in Torrington.   In 2010 he started a family of his own and has two school age children in the district. 

Jeff has been an active member of his children’s school PTO’s as well as a coach of several local sports teams over the years.  Most recently he coaches girls’ softball and flag football.

Jeff also helped organize the effort to get the new Torrington High/Middle school through referendum in 2020 and again in 2021.  Joining the board of education was the next logical step in continuing the work of ensuring the Torrington Public Schools are a positive experience for all students, families, and taxpayers.


Contact: [email protected] 
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Patrick Cronin

Mr. Cronin is a dedicated member of the Torrington community committed to ensuring a brighter future for our schools and students. With a background in food sales and distribution, he looks to bring a fresh perspective to the Board of Education. His two decades of extensive experience in food distribution have equipped him with valuable skills in budget management, leadership, and community engagement.

He firmly believes that a diverse range of perspectives is essential for a well-rounded and effective board. He is a strong advocate for transparency, accountability, and open communication within our school district.

His commitment to lifelong learning make him a valuable addition to the Board of Education, where he is eager to contribute his skills, fresh insights, and commitment to improving the education for all students.

Contact: [email protected]


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Kristen Conway


Kristen was elected to the Board of Education in November 2023. She was born and raised in Torrington and attended Torrington Public Schools and is currently raising her two school-aged children in Torrington.

Kristen is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America as well as the University of Connecticut, where she earned a BA. Her background is in restaurant and corporate food service management but currently works for the State of Connecticut as the Rapid Response Team Coordinator, dealing mostly with foodborne illness outbreaks and investigations.

Kristen is also an active member of the Torrington community. Her volunteer work includes Girl Scout leader for 4 years, Team Mom and Coach for Torrington Warriors Cheer, Assistant Coach and Team Mom for Torrington Youth Soccer.

Kristen has also been very active in Torrington Schools, serving 2 years as PTO Secretary at Torringford, 2 years as PTO Vice-President at Forbes, 2 years as PTO President at Forbes and is Currently the PTO Secretary at Torrington Middle School. She has also served on the ad-hoc committee for the redistricting of schools and the Portrait of a Graduate committee.




Contact: k[email protected]


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William Knight 

Mr. Knight was re-elected on the Torrington Board of Education on December of 2023.


Contact: [email protected] 
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