South Windsor Candidate Profile 2019: Mike Pare, Board Of Ed

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — South Windsor's election season is heating up, and there are plenty of contested races with candidates eager to represent their town in November's municipal election. Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns, and has been publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Mike Pare is running for Board of Education as a Democrat.

Occupation

VP, Finance with 6 years finance experience and 15 years of banking experience.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Currently serving on the Board of Education, elected in 2017. Also appointed to the South Windsor Human Relations Commission.

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

Our district is growing at a rapid pace, which is great news. It also comes with challenges as we seek to balance necessary strategic investments desired by taxpayers with limited resources. My background in managing budgets for private companies provides critical insight into options available to us when making these types of decisions.

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

My experience managing large budgets sets me apart from other candidates. The Board of Education budget represents the largest expenditure in our community and I can leverage my financial experience and acumen to deliver on strategic promises while understanding the financial implications for taxpayers.

List other issues that define your campaign platform

Aside from my business background I am a fierce advocate for civil rights and believe we can lead the state in finding ways to combat bullying. As our district becomes richer in diversity it is important that our educational staff and programs follow suit. With so many challenges at the federal level our district and state have an opportunity to lead on inclusivity and civil rights issues.

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

I was a member of the policy committee responsible for completely modernizing our district’s policy book during my first term. I also advocated implementing the popular elementary school world language program. I was the primary person requesting our districts anti-discrimination policy to be updated based upon current guidance from the state department of education.
Beyond this my professional experience has prepared me to manage complex and large budgets while delivering results to shareholders. That knowledge makes me uniquely qualified to review our district's budget and ask pertinent questions.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

As a firm believer in continuous improvement I value advice and feedback from everyone I interact with. I would say there are two pieces of advice from my parents that stick with me always.
One is from my father, and that is to always be willing to learn

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

I base all of my decisions on feedback from voters, evidence, and the desire to see this town continue to flourish. I firmly believe that open dialogue and honest conversation can solve most problems and challenges. Honesty and integrity have been the driving values defining my life, and those are the values I bring to our town.