File Photo
Former Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto, in a 2017 photo.
DERBY — Former Mayor Anita Dugatto was appointed to the Board of Aldermen and Alderwomen Thursday (Jan. 14).
She takes the place of First Ward Alderman Thomas Donofrio, a Democrat who resigned in a letter dated Dec. 11.
Donofrio moved out of his ward, but still lives in Derby, and is planning to run for mayor. Donofrio first won election to the Board in November 2017.
The seat, which has a two-year term, is up for re-election in November.
“I love this city and I will be happy to serve Derby in this capacity,” Dugatto, a Democrat, said in an email to The Valley Indy. “I intend to do my part to return Derby to the pathway of prosperity.”
Dugatto, a dentist, served two terms as Derby’s mayor before losing to Rich Dziekan, a Republican, in November 2017. She is the first female mayor in Derby’s history.
Prior to being elected mayor, Dugatto served on the Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation, an elected board. She was born and raised in Derby, one of six children of parents who immigrated from Italy. She put herself through dental school at age 38, and is the owner of Sunflower Dental Care on Elizabeth Street.
During the meeting, Second Ward Alderman Ron Sill put forth Dugatto’s name to the Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen.
Mayor Dziekan welcomed Alderwoman Dugatto to the board and said he was looking forward to working with her.
