Jim Marpe: There Is Life After Town Hall

When their terms are up, first selectpersons leave Town Hall.

Many leave Westport entirely.

Most recently, Doug Wood headed to Oregon. Joe Arcudi moved to South Dakota. Diane Farrell scooted off to Washington, and now lives in Easton.

Gordon Joseloff was an exception. A Staples High School graduate, whose family had owned Post Road property — including the Fine Arts Theater, now Barnes & Noble — since the mid-1900s, he continued to publish his popular WestportNow news site.

Another exception is Jim Marpe.He stepped down in 2021, after 2 successful terms.

Jim Marpe, at the 2021 Memorial Day parade. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)

But he did not step away. He still contributes to the town. He uses his skill set — and his experience — in a variety of ways.

Just about the only difference: “I don’t have to sit through meetings till midnight,” he jokes.

This retirement is actually Marpe’s second. He enjoyed a long career as a partner with what is now Accenture.

He and his wife Mary Ellen moved to Westport in 1989, drawn by the schools, beauty, amenities, and similarity to their previous homes in Copenhagen and on Chicago’s North Shore.

Marpe volunteered for the construction of the first Compo Beach playground. But not until he retired from Accenture in 2002, in his late 50s, did he have time to get heavily involved in other activities.

He joined the Y’s Men, and chaired the Stamford Symphony Orchestra board. A vacancy arose on the Board of Education, and he got the appointment. He was elected to the seat in the next cycle, and soon became chair.

Jim Marpe, at a 2009 Board of Education meeting.

“I’m a firm believer that being retired doesn’t mean you only play golf and go to bed early,” Marpe says.

When Joseloff retired in 2013 after 2 terms, Marpe saw another way to make an impact on the communtiy.

“As much as my professional carer meant to me, being 1st selectman was a truly great honor,” he says.

It’s a highly visible position. Critiques are quick, and constant. But Westporters were comfortable with him, and 4 years later he won re-election.

His biggest challenge was the pandemic.

“There was no playbook for that,” he notes. “But I’m proud of the way our staff performed. We helped get people outdoors, and they’re still there.”

Marpe also steered the town through several natural disasters — including Tropical Storm Isaias, which struck just a few months after COVID.

Tropical Storm Isaias was one of several weather-related disasters Jim Marpe dealt with. (Photo/John Kantor)

Four years ago, he decided not to run again.

“I knew it was time to give space to fresh thinking and younger blood,” Marpe says.

“I’m the same age as the current president, and younger than the previous one. I wasn’t worried about nuclear codes, or the war in Ukraine. But it was time to move on.”

Now, he notes, “I’m liviing my best life. And it’s a result of being 1st selectman.

“I met and got to know people in a way I wouldn’t have otherwise. They came from all walks of life. They’ve enriched my life, socially and intellectually.”

People still seek Marpe’s advice. “I’m not sure how long that will last. But I’m happy to give back my thoughts — without the hassle of a midnight RTM meeting.”

From left: Former 1st selectpersons Jim Marpe and Marty Hauhuth, and current 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker.

Three years ago, he teamed up with Steve Parrish and Westport Library director Bill Harmer to start the Common Ground Initiative. The forum for public discourse on topical issues is a way to encourage respectful, constructive dialogue, and tackle challenging, controversial topics.

Recently he collaborated with Staples junior Jake Shufro, on a parallel intergenerational discussion group called Bridge Builders.

“I try to hang out with people of all ages,” Marpe notes. “Too many people my age just want to see people our age. If you don’t see young people, you get old pretty quickly.”

From left: Jim Marpe, Jake Shufro, Sienna Schwartz and Tucker Mays, at last month’s Bridge Builders meeting.

Marpe is also on the Y’s Men board of directors. The near-600 member group, all in their 60s or older, is “amazing,” he says. “Executives, lawyers, physicians, entrepreneuers — people who were very successful in their careers. The speakers alone are worth the price, but there are so many other activities.”

Marpe is responsible for the grouup’s community service activities. “We’re not the Rotary Club” — another group he’s active with — “but we give back on cleanup days, the Library book sale, VFW blood drives … that sort of thing.”

As 1st selectman, Marpe got to know Ned Lamont well. The governor has appointed him to the Contracting Standards Board, established in the wake of Governor John Rowland’s contracting scandals to oversee all state procurement.

He has turned his former work as a Board of Ed chair, and as a member of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, into mentorship. He now works closely with new Board of Ed chairs around the state, helping them navigate their complex jobs.

He offers advice to his former 2nd selectwoman — and successor — Jen Tooker. “But only when asked,” he emphasizes. “I don’t show up at Town Hall on my own.”

The former 1st selectman is a frequent attendee at fundraisers, Library talks, Westport Country Playhouse productions, and many other events.

On June 1, he’ll join Congressman Jim Himes, and TV journalists Alisyn Camerota and Rebecca Surran on a Library panel exploring media coverage of the first 100 days of the Trump administration.

“That’s the beauty of Westport,” he says. “If you’re bored in Westport, you’re just not trying.”

Of course, there are grandchildren. Their daughter, son-in-law and their kids live with Marpe and his wife. Having them nearby — seeing their events, taking them to the pediatrician — is one of the joys of retirement from Town Hall.

Jim Marpe and his grandson Charlie, at last year’s Soundview Stroll. (Photo/Dan Woog)

Marpe does not stay solely in Westport. He and Mary Ellen travel often. They head to Tuscany this summer, and have a Japan cruise planned for the fall.

“You can’t be afraid of change. You have to always explore new opportunities,” Marpe advises.

“When one door opens, you need the courage to step through. Moving to Denmark was a scary door. But for me, life has been much more interesting as a result.

The Town Hall door closed 4 years ago. Jim Marpe walked through many more in his second retirement, and very enjoyable third act.

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