Conroy will leave GAC at end of term; county seeking applications to fill post

GILFORD — Belknap County put out a call for applications to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Gunstock Area Commission Friday. The term occupied in the interim by Denise Conroy since August 2022 will expire at the end of November. 

Conroy will not reapply for a full, five-year term on the GAC, she told The Daily Sun. 

“I run my own business, I’m a solopreneur,” Conroy said, noting that her work involves a lot of travel. “I don’t feel like I can give the amount of dedication and effort I want to give.” 

Conroy was appointed to fill the remaining time in the term of former Commissioner Gary Kiedaisch, who resigned alongside Gunstock’s management team in July of last year. Conroy was selected by the Belknap County Delegation for the GAC because of her corporate finance background, and while on the commission she has been an active participant in budget and financial discussions. 

For that reason, GAC Chair Doug Lambert said he’s disappointed to see her go. 

“Denise stepped in and stepped up at a crucial time. She was integral in bringing a sense of normalcy back,” Lambert said. He added that he was aware that Conroy had some difficulty regularly attending meetings and that, for that reason, she would not reapply to the GAC. He emphasized that “she’s been a great member of the team.”

In what will be 16 months on the GAC, Conroy said she has enjoyed getting to know her fellow commissioners, and spoke highly of each of them, noting that each member brings a distinct and complementary skill set to the commission. 

“I’m impressed with the folks that are assembled. It’s really nice to have a group who really know what they’re doing,” Conroy said. She added that, while commissioners are aware that they represent a wide range of the political spectrum — even lightheartedly referring to herself as its current “token Democrat” — they have formed a productive partnership by steering the commission clear of political entanglements. 

“It’s all business,” she said. 

The five members of the Gunstock Area Commission are appointed from a pool of applicants by the 18 state representatives on the County Delegation. The delegation has not yet scheduled a meeting to appoint Conroy’s successor, but applications are due Friday, Oct. 20. 

Replacements for commissioners who resign or are removed in the middle of a term complete the remainder of the original term. One other member of the GAC occupies an interim position: the term of Terry Stewart of Alton Bay, appointed in January, expires next year.