Garwood Borough Council 2021: Clarissa E. Nolde

GARWOOD, NJ — Garwood's general election on Nov. 2 has four candidates running for two open seats on the Borough Council.

Clarissa E. Nolde is one of two Democrat candidates running. The other candidates include:

• Jeff Jotz - Democrat
• Kimberly Salmon - Republican
• Heather Loffredo - Republican

All of the candidates are running for the three, three-year seats on the board.

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

Clarissa E. Nolde

Name: Clarissa E. Nolde

Age: 54

Town of residence: Garwood

Position sought: Borough Council

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family: Husband Gonzalo Gonzalez Vazquez, husband age 49, Daughter Sofia, age 22, Son Mateo, age 20 and Daughter Isabela, age 17

Education:

• 1989 BM in Flute Performance Northwestern University Bienen School
• 1991 MA in Flute Performance The Juilliard School
• 2016 Educational Administration; Supervisor Nathan Weiss Graduate College, Kean University
• 2019 Post Baccalaureate Certificate in teaching Holocaust and Prejudice Reduction
• Nathan Weiss Graduate College, Kean University

Occupation: Instrumental Music teacher with the New Brunswick Public Schools

Previous or current elected appointed office: None

Why are you seeking to run for borough council? As a resident of Garwood for the past 21 years, my family and I have benefited from its excellent services, reasonable taxes, and traditional small-town feel. My husband and I have raised our three kids here and have loved being able to walk everywhere we need to go around town, especially the parks. My primary reason for seeking this office is a desire to give back to the community that has given me and my family so much.

If I am so honored to be elected to Garwood’s Borough Council, I would work collaboratively with my colleagues on the Council to provide the fiscally responsible quality services the people of Garwood expect and deserve. As a team, Jeff Jotz and I will be guided by our shared commitment to a balanced budget, quality services, and most importantly to the residents of Garwood.

What issues do you feel must be tackled in town? In the coming months and years, Garwood will be welcoming many new neighbors to our town through new development. Jeff Jotz and I will make public safety our top priority and guiding principle when making decisions. We would like to expand the recent pedestrian safety initiatives such as blinking lights and rumble strips to stop and slow traffic for pedestrians. Also, we support the practice of town hall meetings on important issues so that the public can share their concerns and have their questions answered.

We also believe in being fiscally responsible and that means funding large infrastructure projects by using grant monies and bonds in order to spread out capital expenses over several years. We know that keeping taxes as low as possible while continuing to provide excellent services is important to our residents.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates? As a musician, arts educator, and advocate, I know that access to vibrant visual and performing arts programming enriches people's lives in many ways while creating opportunities for local businesses. If elected, I would like to create an Arts and Culture Commission to bring a variety of arts and cultural experiences for us to share as a community.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign? I was fortunate to live and work in Spain as an orchestral flutist for 7 years after graduating from college. Being bilingual is an important part of my life with my family as well as at work where I often need Spanish to communicate with my student’s parents. Since 2003, I have been co-chair of the scholarship committee for the Musical Club of Westfield (a 501C3) administrating college scholarships to students from Union County pursuing a degree in music. I enjoy cooking and baking for my family, am an avid reader, and love tending my flower and vegetable garden.