Erick has four children and two step-children currently in Old Lyme schools. He has coached, served on the Little League BoD and in the Volunteer Fire Dept, and been involved in CS and MS PTOs. He is an Engineering Supervisor at EB, and is a Commander in the Navy Reserves. He is the Vice President of the Electric Boat Management Association. He developed a free tutoring program for MS and HS students. His work, Navy, and community experiences have given him the leadership, management, and social skills required to foster teamwork and achieve success on the Board of Education.
Why are you running for the Region 18 Board of Education?
I want to help meet the challenge of doing what is required to keep our schools top-notch and highly rated despite competing budget concerns, national educational directives, and declining enrollment. Keeping our schools a vibrant and stimulating learning environment will require continued innovative and creative solutions that are fiscally responsible going forward.
I have been actively involved in our town’s schools for the past 5 years; first on Center School PTO, and for the past two years on the Middle School PTO (currently the Co-President). I was also recently a part of the selection committee that evaluated candidates for the Middle School Assistant Principal. I currently have four children in our schools (4th, 7th, 10th and 12th grades), as well as two step-children, which I think is important as all decisions the Board of Education makes can have an immediate impact on our students, and I think a current parent would be the most engaged with that process.
I also consider our children’s education to be of utmost importance as a strong foundation for the continued well-being of our state and our nation. My 26 years of U.S. Navy submarine officer experience, combined with my 15 years of project management and supervisory experience at Electric Boat also provide a solid foundation for making deliberate and considered decisions in the best interests of our town.
I am an open-minded and approachable consensus builder. I am genuinely interested in hearing the perspectives and ideas of others, and I respect differing points of views. As an approachable candidate, I feel parents and members of the community will be comfortable engaging me with their concerns and thoughts about our schools and educational programs.
Why should someone vote for you?
Our small town is dependent on our volunteers! In the past, I have coached soccer and little league teams for 12 years, and supported our local Cub Scout pack for 5. Most recently I have been active on the Center and Middle School PTOs for the past 5 years, and am currently Co-President of the Middle School PTO.
When you are considering who to vote for on November 3rd for the three open seats, keep this in mind:
A Balanced Board Builds Better Budgets. And makes Better Decisions!
What do I mean by a balanced board? Right now, all 7 of the Old Lyme Board of Education seats are filled by Democrats. Any decision-making entity benefits from a broad spectrum of membership; multiple narratives provide multiple perspectives which form a more complete view of reality, and from which often come more balanced and well-thought decisions. Voting for Stacy and I will help ensure that two of the seven seats provide that alternative perspective going forward.
In addition, Stacy and I both have children in our schools, and it is my opinion that this provides a different and necessary perspective from which to make the important decisions going forward. The ongoing issues we will have to steer our way through successfully include making the most of our school budget in light of declining enrollments; keeping the quality of Old Lyme education top-notch in a world where the very nature of education is in flux; and maintaining awareness, education and prevention efforts against student drug use.
Again – voting for Stacy and I on the Republican ticket supports a better-balanced Board of Education. And a Balanced Board Builds Better Budgets, and makes Better Decisions!