Candidate Profile: Jonathan Paradiso​, Ridgefield Board of Education

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Ridgefield and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Ridgefield Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Jonathan Paradiso, 47, is running for election to the Ridgefield Board of Education as a Democrat.

Education.

I received both a bachelor's degree and an MBA from the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University.

What is your occupation?

I am the Head of Finance at a staffing technology company. I have worked for the last twenty years as an accountant and Finance leader, specializing in scaling high-growth technology start-ups in Fairfield County and New York City.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

My wife Ellen and I have two young children, aged 7 and 3.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

No

Why are you seeking this office?

I moved to Ridgefield with my family because we fell in love with everything that makes our town special: the open spaces, the many cultural institutions, the small town feel, and the long tradition of excellence in our public schools. I personally believe that every citizen should ask themselves how they can use their talents and knowledge to contribute to our beloved community. As the father of two young children, I plan on spending the coming decades looking for opportunities to do just that. I am eager to serve as your representative and to collaborate with my fellow board members to lift Ridgefield ever higher.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is the lack of a clear policy around class size limits, specifically at the elementary level. In creating this much-needed policy, I will collaborate with district administration to explore best practices and innovative approaches to establish true equity across our six elementary schools, so that the school you attend doesn’t solely dictate the size of your class. I will seek feedback from all parties, including parents and teachers, to develop both a policy that will have an immediate impact, and a long term strategic plan so that our schools can maintain their culture of excellence as our town grows and evolves. Over the course of the budget process, I will work closely with the administration to provide timely and transparent information to parents regarding expected class sizes next year.

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

Aside from my unique professional experience, I am the only Board of Education candidate this year that is married to a district employee. I would be proud to join the longstanding tradition of RPS Board members married to teachers and other employees in our district, including Ken Sjoberg (2019-2022), Doug Silver (2015-2020) and Scott Mason (2003-2007, 2013-2016) to name the most recent examples. My wife Ellen’s tireless dedication to her students throughout her fifteen years of experience as an educator in New York City, Westchester, and most recently at Ridgebury Elementary School, is an inspiration to me. Her students are now her neighbors, and the mutual delight I witness when we run into RES students standing in line at Deborah Anne’s or the Prospector is a window into our schools that makes me incredibly proud of our teachers and uniquely connected to the school community.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

The Board's public review and approval of the school budget is a critical moment to ensure that all taxpayers, especially parents of children in our schools, are provided a clear understanding of how school operations will be impacted. The board, and particularly the Finance committee, must have the trust of the community to speak on their behalf, without personal bias, to assess the impact of a proposed budget on class size, teacher recruiting & retention, and curricular excellence. I have spent the last twenty years of my professional life as an accountant and Finance leader ensuring that budgets reflect the priorities of all stakeholders and are presented in an engaging and easy to understand manner. As a member of the Board of Education, I plan to use that experience to partner with the district administration to “level up” the budget process, and help our community make prudent investments in the education of our children.

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

My two decades of professional experience as a Finance leader at technology start-ups means I have a great deal of experience in budgeting, financial reporting, and leading diverse teams of people from around the world through rapid and transformative growth. The most rewarding moments in my job arise when I partner with colleagues and other stakeholders to solve difficult problems and provide clarity to the decision-making process using data. I am excited to bring the same spirit of collaboration and innovation to the Board of Education.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Ralph Waldo Emerson