A Vision for Thoughtful, Resident-Focused Development by Providing:
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Responsive Leadership: Prioritize meaningful engagement with the community to ensure future developments reflects the town’s values and evolving needs.
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Prevent Increased Congestion and Impact to Parking: Strengthen and modernize regulations to manage impact as new projects emerge.
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Affordable Housing Solutions: Take initiative to craft a proactive and a forward-thinking plan that delivers real options for affordable living in Westport.
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Preserving Westport’s Identity: Guide future development to harmonize with the town’s distinctive beauty, charm, and architectural style.
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Zoning Reform with Purpose: Revise outdated or misaligned text amendments to better reflect Westport’s long-term vision and community priorities.
About Michele
Michele Paquette brings over two decades of executive leadership and strategic vision to her candidacy. Originally from Michigan, Michele moved to the East Coast more than 25 years ago to advance her career in biotechnology, where she rose to become an executive – earning 10 awards for excellence in leadership and innovation.
Now retired and a proud Westport resident for the past nine years, runs a consulting practice and is deeply invested in service. She mentors a local teenager through a Norwalk-based program, supports women in her industry through professional guidance
and advocacy while also being a strategic advisor to executives.
She brings deep experience and a lifelong commitment to learning. She holds a BA in Finance from Michigan State University, with substantial coursework in accounting, and
earned her CPA early in her career. Her professional journey spans more than 30 years in the biotechnology sector, where she embraced a wide range of roles to expand her
expertise and impact.
Her most recent leadership positions include:
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Global Rare Disease Development and Commercial Lead at Taked Pharmaceuticals, overseeing a $2 billion franchise across three business units
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Senior Vice President and Interim General Manager at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, leading a billion-dollar business
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Vice President, Global Rare Disease Development & Commercial Lead and U.S. Rare Neurology Marketing Lead at Mallinckrodt, where she guided the integration of a billion-dollar asset and team following acquisition
Throughout her career, Michele has led defining a vision, strategic planning, operational execution, tackled complex challenges within regulatory environments, and driven organizational transformation. She’s known for aligning diverse stakeholders, navigating financial restructuring, and fostering growth—all with transparency, adaptability, and a
results-oriented mindset.
In addition to her professional experience, Michele has personal investment experience in land use, though she holds no business interests in land use or related industries in Westport. This ensures her civic involvement is grounded in impartiality and integrity – focused solely on what’s best for the community.
Michele is married, has three stepchildren, and enjoys skiing, hiking, pickleball, and spending summers immersed in Westport. She believes in building bridges – between people, ideas, and communities—and is ready to bring listening and the spirit of collaboration to public service.