Patch Candidate Profile: Kimberly Tovar, Derby Board of Education

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

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

Democrat Kimberly Tovar, 34, is a Derby resident running for the Board of Education.

Education

Derby High School Alumni

What is your occupation?

AR Specialist for the Los Angeles County Medical Centers, 7 months. Previously Bradley Elementary School Crossing Gaurd for numerous years, and also managed a car rental and towing agency.

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

Husband, Junior Tovar. Been together since 10/18/2004. Daughter, Natalia Tovar, age 17, senior at DHS this year. Captain of the DHS Cheer team, Winter and Spring Track and Field athlete, and also coaches Derby Pop Warner Cheer. Son, Gabe Tovar, age 14, Freshman at DHS. On the DHS Football team, wrestles, is a Track and Field athlete, and also coaches for Derby Pop Warner Football.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

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

No

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I hold Derby Schools and Athletics very close to my heart. As a life long Derby girl I have so much Pride for this little town and find great pleasure sharing the culture of what it means to be a Derby Red Raider with today’s youth and new comers, hoping that one day they too will have that same burning Pride I cherish. To be a Derby Red Raider is not simply the title you get as a resident in town, it is so much more. It is the passion, drive, and heart to do what is right. It is the ready and willingness to fight and defend your own with the utmost pride and grit. But most importantly, it is the Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Enthusiasm one inhibits- P.R.I.D.E. It is the ever changing evolvement that it takes to get the job done and do right by one another in todays society. I can help bring back the Derby Red Raider Pride to our school systems. The youth of today are tomorrows leaders. There’s no better leader than a Derby Red Raider.

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

evolvement.

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

The difference between myself and others is that I don’t just say what I’d like to see happen, I make every effort to do what is right and needed to make the necessary change. I am a firm believer that you must “Be the change, to see the Change” and that is my plan every step of the way. I am accountable, and have no problem accepting ownership. I acknowledge that our town, especially our students and families that make up our school district, are made up of a completely different generation of individuals from what it did in the past. With that being said, the way we handled things in the past do not work for the current world we live in. Instead of spending time and energy on reflecting on those times, we need to evolve and say what do we need to do and how are we going to do it? If there’s a will, there’s a way. And I’m ready to help find the way for our students and families.

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

Kimberly has volunteered for over 25 years for Derby Pop Warner as a coach, board member, and now past president. She currently is the DHS PTO president and has assisted in the redevelopment and current management of the DHS Booster Club. She has found herself busy with assisting the Derby Athletic Hall of Fame Committee, the Abarella Football Club, and other programs in the community when the opportunity arises.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I would have to say I have 2- 1-Be kind, always. You never know what someone else is going through. People walk around smiling everyday, and many times, those are the ones trying the hardest to survive.

2-What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead. Be remembered for your compassion and love for others.