The 5th Annual Eileen Daily Community Awards Dinner

Help us celebrate the legacy of the late Senator by joining us at our
fifth annual Eileen Daily Community Awards Dinner on
​Wednesday September 30th (6 pm) at the Clinton Country Club.
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The Westbrook Democratic Town Committee invites you to join us for an evening of friendship, gratitude, and community celebration as we honor two extraordinary long-time Westbrook residents, Martha and Bill Neale, for their decades of volunteer service, civic leadership, and commitment to our community.

About Our Honorees
​Martha Neale has been a dedicated advocate for education, literacy, and civic engagement throughout her life. While attending Quaker lower and middle schools outside of Philadelphia, she first became aware of the importance of treating others with respect, speaking for those without a voice, and living a life of integrity. An early and influential experience was participating in the 1969 March on Washington protesting the Vietnam War, which reinforced her commitment to social responsibility and community involvement. Since moving to Westbrook, Martha has contributed through years of involvement with local schools, the Westbrook Public Library, where she has served in a leadership role, and Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore, supporting adult learners across the region. She has also dedicated her time to the Park and Recreation Board, the Garden Club, and her church community. 

Bill Neale has played a significant role in shaping Westbrook's growth and future through his leadership on the Planning Commission, including service as Vice Chair and work on the town's Plan of Conservation and Development, as well as his involvement in affordable housing initiatives. He has also been active in land preservation through the Westbrook Land Conservation Trust and in regional and civic organizations. Bill's commitment to public service reflects a family tradition of civic engagement and social progress.

Bill's mother, Susan W. Neale, was hired by Estelle Griswold to open Connecticut's first Planned Parenthood clinic after the Supreme Court's landmark 1965 decision striking down the state's ban on birth control. Her pioneering work expanded access to reproductive healthcare and helped advance women's rights throughout Connecticut. 

Together, Martha and Bill have been committed environmental stewards, working to protect Westbrook's natural resources and advocating for policies that preserve open space, promote sustainability, and encourage responsible growth. Through their leadership, volunteerism, and dedication to the public good, they have helped make Westbrook a stronger, more vibrant community and exemplify the spirit of service recognized by the Eileen Daily Community Awards.

Special Guests
We are honored to welcome Attorney General William Tong and Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, who will be joining us to help celebrate Bill and Martha's contributions to our community.

Tickets
$75 Per person for adults.
Donate here for tickets: https://daycampaign.com/Event/2026EDDinner

Program Book Advertising
Support Bill and Martha, or advertise your business, in our program book. Ad space is available in full page ($150), half page ($75), and quarter page ($50) sizes. Purchase or donate for an ad here: daycampaign.com/Event/2026EDDinnerAdBook
Checks may also be made payable to WDTC and mailed to PO Box 417, Westbrook, CT 06498.
Questions? Text or call (860) 245-2342 or email [email protected].

Remembering the Late Senator Eileen Daily

Eileen Meade Daily was a dynamo! She played many roles: wife, mother, sibling, neighbor, and friend among them. Each one performed with energy, wit, candor, and compassion. Fiercely proud of her Dorchester roots, Eileen brought the energy of Boston politics to Westbrook when she and Jim arrived in the 1970’s. It wasn’t long before she was elected to the Board of Education in 1976 and her passionate service to her new community began.
 
Her recognition began to grow over the course of the six-year BOE term. She received the nomination for First Selectman from the Democratic Town Committee in 1983. Being a Democrat here in those days lent new meaning to the word minority. No Democrat had secured the First Selectman’s job since the 1920’s. Eileen knew how to run a successful race. No ordinary campaigner, she and an enthusiastic group of neighbors and friends blitzed the town and carried the day in November.
 
Her practical, common-sense approach made her a highly successful and productive leader for our small, Shoreline town. Eileen was also Westbrook’s best advocate when state funds were on the table. She became a knowledgeable voice when dealing with leaders of surrounding communities. The next step seemed logical.
 
In 1992, Eileen Daily became state Senator for the 33rd District. Representing a huge area with 12 towns all the way from Clinton to Colchester and East Hampton. Senator Daily served ten terms and rose to be chair of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. Her influence in Hartford was legendary. Her ability to make things happen– renowned. Simple, direct and supremely prepared, Eileen delivered results for not only the 33rd, but for Connecticut, too.
 
Senator Daily retired in 2012 but would be active as the Governor William A. O’Neill Chair in Public Policy and Practical Politics at Central Connecticut State University. After a long battle with cancer, Eileen Daily passed away in 2015.

More on Eileen

Eileen Daily - Ballotpedia
 
Eileen M. Daily (March 3, 1943 - July 29, 2015) is a former Democratic member of the Connecticut State Senate, representing District 33 from 1993 to 2013. She was Assistant Minority Leader from 1995 to 1996, Assistant President from 1997 to 1998 and Senate Deputy President Pro Tempore. Daily passed away from cancer on July 29, 2015.[1]
Daily was on the Board of Education for the City of Westbrook from 1976 to 1983, First Selectman for the City of Westbrook from 1983 to 1989 and on the Board of Selectmen for the City of Westbrook from 1989 to 1991.
 
Biography
Daily earned her B.A. from Northeastern University in 1966 and attended the Barney School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Hartford and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Her professional experience included working as a Service Representative for Connecticut Blue Cross from 1964 to 1969, Sales Manager for PK Association from 1981 to 1983 and Executive Assistant for the State of Connecticut Department of Revenue Services from 1990 to 1992.
​
Former Sen. Eileen Daily, long a force in state finance, dies at 72 (ctmirror.org)
 
“I’ve never met anyone that I admired more than Eileen Daily,” Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, said. “She had just an extraordinary sense of serenity and purpose. When we lost our focus, Eileen would often be the one to draw us back to our purpose, to do the right thing for the people of Connecticut.”
 
Daily became good friends with Gina McCarthy, who was Connecticut’s commissioner of environmental protection in the mid-2000s, and now serves as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
 
“I not only admired her, but I was a little in fear of her,” said Guilford Democrat Patricia Widlitz, a former representative who co-chaired finance with Daily from 2011 through 2014. “She was a strong chair and she ran the committee well.”
 
Rep. Vincent J. Candelora of R-North Branford, a veteran member of the finance committee, also noted Daily’s ability to reach across the political aisle.
 
“For decades, she was a tenacious fighter for her constituents and a committee chair who wielded enormous respect among colleagues – and she did it with a smile on her face,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said. “Eileen was one of the toughest elected officials in the state, yet her jovial disposition always made those around her feel at ease.  She represented the best of public service and politics.  She was tough, loyal, hardworking, knew the issues, and her word was always her bond.  This is a loss for all of us.”
 
Eileen Daily Obituary - Old Saybrook, CT (dignitymemorial.com