Take Five: Cranford School Board Candidate Patrick Lynch

CRANFORD, NJ — There are seats opening up on the Cranford Board of Education and Patch caught up with the candidates ahead of the general election this November.

Questionnaires were sent out out to all candidates registered with the County Clerk's Office in the 2019 general election using the email addresses they went on file with. The responses will be posted on the site by those who submitted in the order in which they were received. They will also be included in an election preview wrap.

This Take Five features Patrick Lynch. His responses to the questions are below and unedited.

1. Why are you running for BOE?

I am seeking re-election to the Cranford Board of Education (BOE) for the same reason I stated back in 2016 when I started on the BOE: I want to give back to a School District that has benefited my children and I want to play a role in the ongoing effort to make the Cranford Public School District the best that it possibly can be for the children of our community. There has been a great deal of progress made during my tenure on the BOE and I would like to continue that by way of the input received from the communitywide stakeholder committee (that will begin meeting this fall) to help plan the next steps in a proposed referendum.

2. What is the biggest challenge facing schools in your town, and how will you address it?

As great as the Cranford Public School District is, there are challenges facing our schools. While a great deal of progress has been made to address these challenges, opportunity remains. To that extent, I would like to continue to work with other Board of Education (BOE) members as part of the ongoing effort to improve the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff. More recently, the District has made physical safety improvements to all the schools and has partnered with the Cranford Police Department to add an additional School Resource Officer (four in total). Additionally, the BOE has worked with the District administration to add school counselors and a Coordinator of Culture and Climate. I want to see the District further partner with the Cranford Police Department, Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management to address physical safety. I also want to see the District further its efforts around the emotional wellbeing of our children.

3. What three words would you use to describe yourself to someone who has never met you?

Thoughtful, thorough and impactful.

4. What experience in your background has prepared you to be an effective leader?

Multiple aspects of my background have prepared me to be an effective leader. Specific to being a Board member, this includes what I have learned from being a parent, the experience I have garnered from having served on the Board since 2016 and my professional work experience. Professionally, I am a Vice President within the human resources organization for a Fortune 50 financial services company with approximately 20,000 domestic employees. From current and prior job responsibilities, I have garnered in-depth experience that includes: planning & compliance, defining operational procedures, financial management, recruitment, training, communication, project management and performance management. My background is complimented by an undergraduate degree in Business Management and a graduate degree in Human Resource Management. All of this this has led to me successfully being able to lead the Finance and Personnel Committees of the Board, contributing to the Policy Committee and having the soft skills that allow for collaboration, teamwork and negotiations – all critical skills that are required to achieve results when working with others to achieve an objective or goal.

5. Tell me something about you, like hobbies or interests that have nothing to do with the campaign.

I have a love for skiing, Corvettes, keeping salt and freshwater aquariums and most of all, just spending time with my wife and two children.

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