By JOHN FLOWERS

LINCOLN - Members of the Addison County Democratic Committee have elected Lincoln resident Paul Forlenza to serve as chairperson of the group.

Forlenza, 59, succeeds outgoing Chairperson Susan Bennett of New Haven. Bennett recently moved out of the county.

"I'm happy to do it," said Forlenza, a retired IBM executive, who last year ran for one of two state Senate seats representing Addison County and Brandon. He finished out of the running in the September Democratic primary.

Forlenza vowed to continue the work initiated by Bennett and past Chairman Spence Putnam of Weybridge. Specifically, he wants to strengthen the Democratic base in Addison County towns, identify prospective candidates for future Vermont House and Senate races, and support incumbent Democrats.

He also plans to aggressively raise funds to promote Democratic candidates and priorities, such as universal health care. He's currently lobbying for that issue in Montpelier, on behalf of the nonprofit group Vermont Health Care for All.

Forlenza, who now runs a photography business from his studio in Lincoln, said he has no plans to seek office himself, at this point.

"I really want to focus on helping the party ," Forlenza said.

Committee members also elected Craig Bingham, of East Middlebury, to serve as vice chairman; Dorothy Mammen, of Middlebury, to serve as treasurer; and Bob Johnson, of Middlebury, to serve as assistant treasurer.