Hillsdale Council Election Profile: Chris Camp

HILLSDALE, NJ — Chris Camp, in his own words, on why he's running for a seat on the Borough Council.

Age (as of Election Day)

37

Town of Residence

Hillsdale

Congressional seat sought

Hillsdale Council

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

My wife Erin, and son Colin who is 7 months old

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelor of Science from Marist College, Information Technology

Occupation

Senior Manager of Revenue Assurance at SiriusXM + Pandora (8 years)
Former Software Engineer – Homeland Security at CSRA Inc. (7 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Have never held public office.

Campaign website

http://fb.com/HillsdalesVoice

Why are you seeking elective office?

We originally moved to Hillsdale to live closer to family and for the community. Now that I’m a new father I feel I have even more of a vested interest in this town and its future.

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

The single most pressing issue facing Hillsdale is our borough’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and how we are going to deal with the aftermath. Despite holding successful fundraisers this past year our first responders and OEM services are strained for resources as is evident from social media posts made by these organizations in town. Hillsdale needs to be prepared to make emergency appropriations to protect our volunteers who put themselves on the front lines for our community and the surrounding areas.

We also can’t ignore the effects COVID-19 has had on our local businesses. The failure of the current council to champion a Chamber of Commerce has left business owners without a way to advocate their collective interests as we move into the cold winter months. We need a council liaison to communicate with business leaders and share their interests to the borough and residents.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Previously in my professional career I helped some of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country better track their investigations related to homeland security. Currently, I contextualize massive sets of data and leverage process improvements to increase profits, revenues and cash flow for the largest audio entertainment company in the world. These experiences in both public safety and finance at the highest scale makes me uniquely qualified to apply these skills to the local level.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

• Return transparency in spending to the Council, and be accountable to our residents
• Community pride, strength and togetherness during these unprecedented times
• Innovation and sustainable business growth during COVID-19 pandemic and recovery
• Stop the in-fighting that currently exists on Council
• Support the public’s desire for the creation of Diversity & Inclusion committee

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My professional accomplishments prove that I am more than capable to handle the job. I have pushed for new technologies in data visualization and analytics at my company which, in just the last two years, lead to me heading an audit process that has recovered $35M+ in billed revenue along with the addition of 300K+ new subscribers and thousands of hours/year saved by creating more efficient processes.

While working with law enforcement and homeland security I was a trusted with some of the nation’s most sensitive information, holding a Top Secret government security clearance. I had a hand in standardizing investigations across areas like narcotics and firearms, the protection of confidential informants and gang intelligence tracking.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Nobody is perfect. Always acknowledge and own your mistakes as it’s the only way to improve and move forward. Doing so will allow you to gain the respect of your peers.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

For fun, I’m an avid long distance runner who ran competitively for a Division 1 school in college. I especially enjoy running for a good cause. This past summer I ran 579 miles 58 days to support the NJ Food Bank and CASA for Children.