Vernon 2023 Election: Carmen Melaragno​, Board Of Education

VERNON, CT — Carmen Melaragno is running for a school board seat in Vernon.

Name

Carmen Melaragno

How old will you be as of Election Day?

48

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

What city or town do you live in?

Vernon

What office are you seeking?

Board of Education

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Please give us your party affiliation.

Republican

Education.

MBA, University of Hartford 2006; BA, Post University 1997

What is your occupation?

Investment Officer, 20+ years

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

Wife, Tanya Flenke Melaragno
Son, Alex Melaragno

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?

Strong desire and calling to contribute to and serve my community. I have been a resident of Vernon since 2006 with my wife, who has been a Vernon resident all her life. Over the last several years I have been gradually getting more involved in the community (Vernon ZBA, WPCA and Knights of Columbus). I believe now is a great time to become more engaged in my community while balancing family and career.

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

Support for educators, students, parents and administrators. My plan is to listen and understand the challenges each constituent faces, and together agree on the most effective way to address the challenges. Secondly, I believe financial literacy needs to be of great focus - engage teachers, students, parents, BOE, and independent experts and research to improve and roll out curriculum sooner to students.

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

What makes me different and qualified relative to other candidates is my unbiased perspective having gone through both private and public school, my strong financial acumen to help students become better prepared for the real world, and my commitment to listen and learn before taking action.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

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

It is critically important for me, as new member of the BOE, to listen to all perspectives and ensure any actions taken are for the benefit of the overall student body.

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

I am a naturally hard-worker evidenced by maintaining three part-time jobs at one point while attending college. In addition, I have held various roles in my career engaged with all levels of leadership and with different personalities. My experiences have taught me that hard work always pays off and having patience and listening first helps to build strong relationships. In my field it is very important to understand the potential risks of your actions and what are the potential impacts to any involved.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Growing up my dad always told me “tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who are.”

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I’d like to reiterate the call to serve my community and I cannot think of a better way to contribute by lifting up our students so they become respectful and strong contributors to any community.