Brookfield Candidate Profile: Bob Belden For Board of Education

BROOKFIELD, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Brookfield and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Brookfield Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Republican Bob Belden, 64, is running for re-election to the Board of Education, where he currently sits as vice-chairman, formerly as chairman. He has previously served as chairman on the Board of Finance, secretary on the Brookfield Retirement Benefits Committee, and with the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut.

Belden earned his bachelor's degree at Dartmouth College, and his MBA at Harvard Business School. He works as a vice president at IBM.

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

The most important thing facing our school system over the few years is building a new elementary school. The new school project is still in its infancy – needing to yet go through the detailed design phase, the approvals and funding from the state, and the actual building process. This is a project that will set the stage for Brookfield education for the next 30-50 years, so needs to be done right. In addition, because this is such a large investment for our town, the annual budget process will otherwise be constrained so as to not overburden our taxpayers. The schools will need to navigate carefully, balancing needs for investments with understanding the constraints of the taxpaying public.

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

I am currently an incumbent leader on the Board of Education. Elected in 2015, I served my first 2 years as Chairman of the BOE, and the second two years as Vice-Chairman. My experience on the BOE, plus my prior leadership experiences on both the Board of Finance and at the Regional YMCA, uniquely position me to bring experience and depth of background to the Board.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Improving the building blocks of education has been an important focus for the existing board and will continue to be so for the coming years. When I speak of “building blocks,” I refer to improving our curriculum, improving our teaching tools (textbooks, technology, etc) and extending/focusing the ongoing training our teaching staff receives. Focus over the past four years has been primarily at the elementary school level, and it will shift rapidly to the middle and high school.

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

Leadership in Town Organizations, in local charities, at my work.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

"Take the high road"