Clark General Election Profile: Jimmy Minniti

CLARK, NJ — Clark's preliminary election on July 7 has an uncontested mayoral race and six candidates running for three open seats as Councilman-At-Large. Jimmy Minniti, 51, is one of three Republican candidates running.

Minniti has worked as a Licensed Financial Professional for more than 20 years. His family includes his wife Ana of 22 years, four children Gianna, Andrea, Jacqueline and Anthony, and three grandchildren Mallory, Clay and Everleigh.

Minniti studied Criminal Justice at Union College.

Are you running for office in Clark? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Clark Patch.

Jimmy Minniti

Why are you seeking elective office?

As a lifelong resident of Clark Township and being involved in many of our towns great programs I wanted to further assist Sal and his team through my desire to serve and make a difference for the people of our town. When Mayor Bonaccorso reached out to me and asked me to be a part of his team, I was honored to join a prestigious group of leaders that serve our community.

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

Clark's leadership has done a great job working with the people of Clark as well as our small businesses in town. During these challenging economic times, we need to support and rebuild our small business infrastructure as well as continue to reinforce diversity in our town.

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

We've seen some incredible challenges in 2020 that have time and time again forced us as a nation to shift priorities. This fact has made it very difficult to choose just one issue over another.

Not long ago I would have said that managing our budget expenditures through the remainder of the year due to the economic slow down would have been the most pressing issue. However, based on the civil unrest we've seen across the country in my opinion we must now expand our focus to include coming together as a nation and creating more in-depth conversations and relationships between the citizens of our great country.

In addition, all things COVID-related that includes the recovery of businesses, the safe reopening of schools, public safety and ensuring that our first responders are given the proper training and equipment are vital in our recovery efforts.

My promise to all residents of Clark is that I will work hard on their behalf and do my very best to listen to and address their concerns. In my 45 years in Clark, I have built strong relationships with both residents, businesses and volunteer organizations throughout our community, and I am ready to continue helping our great town create opportunities for all of our citizens.

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

The knowledge and success of my Financial Services career has taught me many things including how to adapt to change, work with a team and to be mindful of the thoughts and ideas that others share while making it a priority to listen to all views. Second, my involvement in the community stems across a variety of different boards. Currently I serve as the President of the ALJ Booster Club, Treasurer of Clark Soccer Club, and have coached or assisted on my children's Soccer, Baseball, Softball and Basketball teams in town.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Do not listen with the intent to respond rather than the intent to understand.