Meet The Candidate: Brian McDonald For Princeton BOE

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton resident Brian McDonald is running for reelection to the Board of Education.

A sculptor and designer by profession, McDonald also has experience in public finance and has served on the township’s Citizen’s Finance Advisory Committee. But that's not all — McDonald served McCarter Theater as trustee for 17 years and was Vice President for Development at Princeton University for eight years.

McDonald said he’s seeking reelection as he is “deeply committed” to the district, students, and the community.

Read below to learn more about McDonald and his platform for the upcoming election.

Name: Brian McDonald

Position Sought: Princeton Board of Education Member

Age (as of Election Day): 61

Party Affiliation: Non-Partisan Election

Family: My wife, Leah, and I have a daughter, Campbell, and two sons, Eamonn and Patrick. All three attended Princeton Public Schools from kindergarten through graduation. Campbell is currently pursuing a Master's degree at NYU. Eamonn and Patrick are in college at the University of Richmond and Rutgers, respectively.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No

Education: From kindergarten through 12th grade, I attended public schools and graduated from Edgemont High School in Westchester County, New York. I then attended Princeton University and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree (History).

Occupation: I am a sculptor and designer who also advises non-profits on matters of governance, strategy, finance, and fundraising. I have extensive experience in strategic planning, operations, municipal and corporate finance, and change management. From 2002-10, I served as Princeton University’s Vice President for Development, overseeing all its fundraising activities and managing a staff of more than 160 professionals and a budget of $25 million. I also served in the President’s Cabinet and on the Facilities Planning Group, the Government Affairs Committee and the Campus Plan Steering Committee. Before joining the University, I worked in public finance and as an entrepreneur in the restaurant, music, and fine arts fields.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: I joined the Board of Education in 2019, and am completing my first term. Prior to that, from 2011-2017, I served for seven years as an appointed member of the Town of Princeton’s Citizen’s Finance Advisory Committee (CFAC).

Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/BMcDforPPSBOE/

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for a second term because I am deeply committed to our schools, our school children, and our community. The district has made great progress with student achievement and equity and is now doing a much better job stewarding the district’s finances and facilities. Having said that, there is more important work to be done, especially to ensure that every child is supported, which we must do to honor and fulfill our district's mission, "To prepare all children to lead lives of joy and purpose as knowledgeable, creative, and compassionate citizens of a global society."

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

The most immediate issue is maintaining a healthy, safe and emotionally supportive environment so that in-person learning may continue. The most pressing longer-term challenge is the need to make sure that an excellent education is provided to every child regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, ability, citizenship or other characteristics. Much good work has been done but more is required to overcome persistent opportunity gaps and other inequities.

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

The other candidates are all wonderful, fellow parents in our community and I applaud them for their commitment to public education and for their willingness to serve in this demanding, time-consuming, and important role.

I believe that I have demonstrated a commitment to service, and my unique background and skills, particularly with respect to finance, facilities and planning, along with my work in higher education, have enabled me to serve the Board and the district extremely well. I also believe that my Board service as chair or co-chair of the Finance, Facilities and Operations committees and my service on the Policy, Personnel, Student Achievement and Negotiations committees have positioned me well to continue to support the work of our new superintendent.

Finally, I believe that my 26-years of service to our community differentiates me from the other candidates. In addition to serving on the School Board for three years and the Town’s Citizen’s Finance Advisory Committee for seven years, I served as a trustee of three local organizations: McCarter Theater, for 17 years, five as president and 14 on the Finance Committee; The Watershed Institute, for six years, and Sustainable Princeton, where I am currently the treasurer, for six years. I also have had the privilege of serving as a Princeton Little League Coach for 11 seasons.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I am deeply committed to excellent stewardship of district finances and facilities and have focused a lot of my time and energy working with the administration and my fellow Board members to significantly upgrade stewardship in both areas.

The district has dramatically improved its financial position and is one of sixteen public school districts in New Jersey with a "Triple-A" rating. We have changed our budget process, increased transparency, saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses, and moved from a deficit to a surplus. Additionally, we have had declining tax increases over the past two years, with a current budget that includes a 0.56% increase in school taxes – the lowest increase in many years.

We have dramatically improved the maintenance of our facilities and put in place preventative maintenance programs. This winter, we expect to complete the $26.9 million 2018 referendum, which has resulted in necessary improvements to all schools and has modestly expanded capacity in our middle and high schools. Over the next two years, more decisions will need to be made about our facilities to support 21st century pedagogical best practices and to address increasing enrollment. If re-elected, district finance and facilities will continue to be two areas that I focus on.

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

I have referenced my work on the School Board already so I would highlight my professional accomplishments at Princeton University and my accomplishments as Board president at McCarter Theater.

Three times during my tenure as vice-president for development, the University was recognized by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for overall excellence in educational fundraising among private research universities, and throughout my tenure Princeton achieved the highest rates of giving and participation by undergraduate alumni among all doctoral degree-granting institutions. I am also proud that while in the role, I was able to initiate or expand efforts to encourage higher levels of engagement by women, black alumni, young alumni, graduate alumni and parents.

I served as President of McCarter Theater for five challenging years following the Great Recession. I successfully led the Board through three rounds of cost-cutting and then a successful program to “build back better.” During this time the Theater won the Tony Award for best play and became a stronger and more resilient institution.

I believe that my personal and professional achievements and my record of success as a public servant and non-profit volunteer evidence the requisite skills, energy and ability to serve on the Board of Education.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Generosity and kindness are never wasted.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

In addition to a wonderful wife and children, I have two rescue dogs and two rescue cats and love animals. I also love the great outdoors and have walked and hiked many beautiful miles of trails in and around Princeton.

We are very fortunate to have excellent schools, but a lot of time and hard work are required to sustain and extend that excellence and to address areas where we need to be better. I have worked tirelessly for three years and would like to continue my service to my community as a member of the Board of Education for another three years.

In anticipation of the upcoming election, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns. We will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

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