Orange Candidate Profile: Ken Vitelli For Orange Board Of Ed

ORANGE, CT — Election day in Orange is drawing closer, and to help residents make an informed decision on Nov. 5, Orange Patch asked candidates for various elected offices to answer questions about their campaigns and the issues in town.

Ken Vitelli, 50, is a Republican who is running for the Orange Board of Education. He has two young children in the Orange school system.

Vitelli is in Engineering and Program Management at Sikorsky Aircraft, where he has worked for more than 28 years.

He holds a Bachelor Science in Accounting; a Master of Business Administration; a Master of Science, Computer and Information Science; and is a Certified Program Management Professional (PMI).

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

Among my top concerns are state cuts to funding and regionalization of K-6. I plan to focus on ensuring our kids have everything they need to be prepared for 7th grade and beyond. I believe our community is in the best position to make decisions for our kids. As a taxpayer I want to balance my tax burden with my wish to provided everything our kids need including policy, people and technology.

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

I am fortunate to be part of a strong and experienced team and hope to continue their good work. I hope to bring my 28 years of experience planning, budgeting, decision making and problem solving to the board… along with open ears.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

If you spend enough time planning for tomorrow... you will spend less time worrying about it.

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

As a candidate for the Orange Board of Education, I am focused on educational excellence. We moved our family to Orange primarily because of the school system. I want Orange to continue to be a desirable place where your kids can thrive. I will work to make sure that we retain top educators, administrators and encourage parents to stay involved. Our children should be safe, happy and challenged to reach their potential academically.