Election 2020: Mendham Twp. School Board Candidate Rich Gondek

NEW JERSEY - In a few short weeks what is expected to be one of the most charged elections in modern history is set to take place and Patch has asked local candidates to share their thoughts before the Nov. 3 election.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the county clerk. The responses received will be published between now and the general election. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) can contact Russ.Crespolini@patch.com. What you see below are their answers with mild style edits.

• Name: Richard ("Rich") Gondek
• Previous elective office, if any: (n/a if you don't have one) Currently on the Mendham Township School District Board of Education
• Education: Dual MS from Webster University: Training and Development, Information Systems; Bachelors from Fordham University: Business Administration
• Occupation: Technology Strategist (Presidio, Inc)
• Fun Fact: After working for 3 years as an EMT for a volunteer ambulance corps in the Bronx during college (Fordham U), my first job was as a Field Medical Officer in a front-line US Army Airborne Infantry battalion in Central America.
• What inspires you: In any school district it is incredibly inspiring to see the energy, enthusiasm, and dedication that our teachers and staff bring every day. As a Board Member it inspires me to put in the time and effort to make sure that I am doing everything I can to support them and the Mendham Township community.

Why are you seeking a seat on the school board?

I am running for re-election for the seat on the School Board. The last three years have been a great experience and have reinforced to me not only the quality of the administrators, teachers, and staff of the District, but also the importance of a School Board that operates without personal agenda, but rather to support the comprehensive District goals.

The single most pressing issue facing our school district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing the District is the refinement and execution of the re-opening plan in the evolving COVID climate. The reason for this is that it impacts every aspect of District operation: short and long term financials and budgeting, personnel, student and staff safety, policy, and curriculum. While our District has a solid plan for reopening, we will be working diligently throughout the year to measure successes and issues, and evaluate changes needed to adapt to changes ranging from public health to the number of families opting in or out of remote learning. We will need to do all of this under the umbrella of responsible long term decision-making across all of the impacted areas.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking to serve on the school board? If unopposed, describe the issues that define your campaign platform.

I am running for re-election, and with that I bring significant experience in the issues that our District is facing, the work we have completed so far, and long term goal alignment. In addition to formal training and board activities, I have also additionally volunteered to assist in other Board and District projects focused on financial planning and safety.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you will be effective on the school board?

After serving as an Active Duty Army officer, I moved into technology, and have worked for over 20 years as a consultant, c-level executive, board member, and now a strategist. Year in and year out I have worked with hundreds of companies, both teaching and learning along the way the best ways to adapt to changes in technology. While certainly unexpected, I have been able to leverage this background as a team member on the District's reopening task force. As a current school board member, I have participated in formal committees focusing on policy, personnel, and curriculum, and task forces that took on challenges around District revenue generation, community engagement and communication, and this past summer, the safe re-opening of the schools.

Recovering from COVID-19 is going to put a significant financial strain on the schools. With so much of our tax dollars going to support them. But cuts will still be needed. Where do you see room for budget improvement? What things will you go to the mat to defend?

The quality of the teachers and class size are the greatest determining factors that influence the quality of education that we can deliver to our students. COVID-19 caused the District to re-look all of our physical spaces and expand our classroom count to accommodate distancing requirements. The District as a result then adopted a number of creative solutions to safely deliver music, art, library, technology, and physical education. As we move forward we may be able to leverage some of these techniques to reduce costs in future years, while transitioning others back to more traditional models, as appropriate. Our District has also developed very mature solutions for revenue generation, which help to offset increases in costs while also ensuring financial reliability in areas such as transportation, which has proven to be a critical constraint and success factor in a safe return to in-person instruction.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put into focus the issue of mandatory vaccinations. If such a movement gains traction, where do you stand on the issue for your community?

The most important perspective that I feel that I maintain on this is that we are VERY early in the process, and we all need to keep in mind that it may not be a quick process - we cannot rush it. The school district already has policies around vaccination requirements and exceptions for established and proven vaccines. For those vaccines, and especially influenza, we need to be very diligent this year, even more so than in previous years, at the community and District levels. The COVID-19 impact on children is still very much unknown, and a COVID-19 vaccine impact is even more unknown. While our District will be working, as we always do, with local/county and state health officials on all issues around COVID-19 safety and the continued operation of in-person learning, my perspective is that we will need to very carefully examine any issue of vaccination through the lens of child safety before we look to update District policy on this topic.

Since the change to this year's election was announced by Murphy, there have been many questions about how the process will work. Below is some further reading on the Nov. 3 election process:

• Here's How NJ's Mail-In General Election Will Work: What To Know

A primarily vote-by-mail election means a lot of changes to election day. See what you can expect this November.

• What's A NJ Provisional Ballot? How Does It Work? Patch Found Out

Those not needing an ADA compliant booth will need a provisional ballot to vote in-person. Here is what that will look like.

• Do Mail-In Ballots Force NJ Voters To Lie? Here's The Answer

There was language on the primary ballots asked voters certify they requested the ballot, even if they didn't.

• How Are Election Signatures Verified In NJ? Patch Found Out

Voters wondering how their signatures are checked before the upcoming election can see the process for themselves.

• How To Register, Track Your General Election Vote Online In NJ

Need to register for the upcoming election? Want to track your vote once you do? Read on to learn how.

• Key 2020 Voting Deadlines In New Jersey

Here is a recap of important dates to remember with upcoming election, all in one place.

• NJ: Get A Wrong Or Duplicate Ballot? It Is Probably Your Fault

Confusion and concern has reigned as ballots arrive, here Patch got some answers from a county clerk.

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