Caldwell Republicans Back Buechner, Alonso For Council

CALDWELL, NJ — The Caldwell Republican Party (CRP) announced Wednesday that Barbara Ziglear Buechner and Rick Alonso are running for seats on the borough council in November.

“We are thrilled to have such qualified, energized candidates for Caldwell’s council,” CRP chair Gordon Lawshe said of Buechner and Alonso.

“There is much work left to do in the coming years, and we need a governing body that is balanced and contains representatives from both political parties, who are willing to work hard for the things that are going to keep Caldwell the great town that it is today,” Lawshe added.

Buechner and Alonso are up against a pair of Democratic Party candidates running for re-election to the council in 2021: Christine Schmidt and Francis Rodgers.

A “Meet the Candidates” event featuring Buechner and Alonso is planned for Monday, Oct. 4 at the Cloverleaf Tavern, 395 Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell (parking lot tent) from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Complimentary beer and hors d’oevres will be served, organizers said.

The Caldwell Republican Party provided the following backgrounds about each candidate.

BARBARA ZIGLEAR BUECHNER

“Caldwell council candidate Barbara Ziglear Buechner, recently retired, was an information security manager for ADP, Medco and Verizon Wireless, and an information security consultant for Bed, Bath and Beyond. She holds a B.A. from Caldwell University and an MsIS from Stevens Technical Institute.

“Buechner is serving as a member of the Caldwell Zoning Board and is a member of the Caldwell Women’s Club and Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church, where she volunteered as a CCD instructor. She served as a treasurer of the Caldwell University Veritas Committee, and is a founding member of the James Caldwell Swimming Chiefs Parent Organization.

“Buechner was married to Caldwell’s former mayor, Peter Buechner, who is now deceased. She has two children, Lauren Buechner Gasparini and Peter. She has been a resident of Caldwell for over 40 years.”

RICK ALONSO

Caldwell council candidate Rick Alonso is the VP of operations and school business administrator for The Matheny School and Hospital. Alonso is the founder and CEO of AOA Consulting Group, LLC and nonprofit organizations The Success Institute and The Best Choice Foundation. He is working to complete an Ed.D in higher educational leadership from Saint Elizabeth University. He holds an MBA in management from Frostburg State University and a B.S. in marketing from William Paterson University.

“Alonso was a Caldwell Zoning Board member, a Caldwell Project Main Street Board member, and is a member of Notre Dame Church, North Caldwell, where he volunteered as a CCD instructor. He also coached recreation softball and basketball. Alonso has been a Caldwell resident for 23 years, has been married to Roseanne for 25 years, and has two children, Olivia, 20, and Ariana, 18.”

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