Ridgefield Election 2021 Profile: Stavros Natsopoulos

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The state Municipal Election is Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Patch contacted candidates to answer questions about their campaigns.

Republican Stavros Natsopoulos, 43, is running for Board of Education in Ridgefield.

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

One of the biggest issues that is front and center for parents today is the toll Covid has taken on in person education. While everyone is trying their best I do think there is room for improvement. If I have the honor to be elected I will strive to influence policies and decisions that will take our schools back to pre-Covid days and always within guidelines established by state law.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Before deciding on an issue I weigh pros and cons for all stakeholders, and most importantly for those impacted the most. I do not operate on the basis of "this feels good, so it must be right". I intend to listen to parents and tax payers very closely, and to provide them the means to voice their concerns and solve problems together with them.

Accomplishments:

My experience comes from the corporate world, which may not be directly linked to school boards, however it does provide me with transferrable and applicable skills such as:
- root cause analysis
- decision making through metrics and data analytics
- long term problem solving, and but also identifying "quick wins"
- sound financial understanding

Other issues:

Maintain local control, as much as possible, on all aspects that concern Ridgefield. This is our town and we know what works best for us, and we don't need Hartford to decide for us.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

Maintain educational standards, but also try to improve where we can.

It's a polarizing political climate, but let's keep politics out of education. It will benefit us all.

Let's educate our kids how to think, and NOT what to think