1st Woman Mayor of South Windsor
1975
Sandy and Larry Bender moved to South Windsor, where they built a house on Greenfield Drive in the late 1960s. It wasn’t long before she got involved in Town government.
“I was on the Environmental Commission, I remember, Open Space. We put together the Open Space plan back then, and the Economic Development Commission.”
Her energy and enthusiasm led to her being suggested for the Town Council.
“I was nominated by Abe Glassman, Ed. Lassman, an attorney, and [Vinnie] Callahan. And the joke was, it sounded like a law firm—Glassman, Lassman, and Callahan. And so these three fellas were just terrific.” -Sandra Bender
Sandy was elected to the Town Council as a Democrat in 1971; returned in 1973, when she became deputy mayor, and again in 1975, the year she was elevated to the position of mayor, the first woman to serve in that capacity in South Windsor. Her husband did not live to witness her achievement, as he had died the year before. During her term as Mayor, referenda for the building of a public library and a new firehouse in town were passed.
After her term as Mayor, Sandy went on to further heights in banking, politics, academia and art. She rose to the position of executive VP at Connecticut Bank & Trust, ran for Lieutenant Governor with Bruce Morrison in 1990, and after her marriage to Howard Fromson, went on to receive an MA and Phd at UConn. Her artistry has led to beautiful creations in felted clothing and in jewelry. Truly a renaissance woman!