Trumbull Candidate Profile: Kevin Shively For Town Council

TRUMBULL, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Trumbull and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Trumbull Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Kevin Shively is running for Town Council in the second district as a Democrat. He has been a software executive for 20 years and is a current member of the council.

Are you running for office in Trumbull? Contact Rich Scinto at rich.scinto@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Trumbull Patch.

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

Trumbull needs a unified community around a shared vision for the town.
This requires openness and transparency in government that engages community
participation in important decisions. With the current administration, we've
brought a new level of honesty and transparency and worked to ensure that no
important decisions are made without the opportunity for town residents to be
heard and informed.

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

I believe that elected officials should listen first and speak second in
order to ensure that our representative democracy truly represents the needs
of the people we serve.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder
failed the community (or district or constituency)?

I believe it is the responsibility of everyone in government to be open to
listening to all sides of every issue and to strive not to allow partisanship
or preformed opinions to control the process of governing.:

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

I have experience leading an industry trade organization through
participation in difficult negotiations with one of the largest lobbying
organizations at the national level resulting in the passage of bipartisan
legislation.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

The most important thing in life is not what you believe, it is how you
live your life and treat other people.