Glen Rock Council Election Profile: Bill Leonard

GLEN ROCK, NJ — Bill Leonard, in his own words, on why he's running for a seat on the Borough Council.

Age (as of Election Day)

60

Town of Residence

Glen Rock

Congressional seat sought

District 5

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

Wife: Anne Marie. Children: Katie (charter school teacher in D.C.), Billy (former Glen Rock Council Member and current private school enrollment director and law student), and Kevin (supply chain technologist)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No, but my son, Billy, is a former Glen Rock Borough Council Member

Education

M.S. Stevens Institute of Technology. B.A. Lafayette College

Occupation

Product Manager, Employer Services industry, 30+ years experience

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

none

Campaign website

wilkescoreyleonard.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Primarily, I want to give back to the town that has given my family so much over the past 23 years. Until recently, I felt that I was well-represented on the borough council. I no longer feel that way. I believe that the current council has introduced issues that have little to do with our town, and have instead served to create division amongst our residents.

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

The tone and tenor of discourse in our town is disappointing. There is a lack of trust and lack of willingness to assume good intentions of our neighbors. I feel this is due to the introduction of divisive issues by a small minority of residents, and the lack of leadership in our town government, which has "raised the temperature" of the atmosphere unnecessarily. We need to lower the temperature by avoiding hot button issues and emphasizing pragmatism over activism; by giving people the opportunity to "let off steam" safely; by applying "cooling" processes to prioritization and decision-making which are consistent and transparent; and by modeling patience and understanding with our neighbors as we navigate through stressful times.

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

The main difference between myself and current council members seeking re-election is my ability to diagnose and fix process issues - and I believe our current local government does not prioritize issues based on our town Master Plan, nor does it apply consistent and transparent processes in its decision-making.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Laser focus on local issues; discipline, consistency, and transparency in prioritization and decision-making; attention to the drivers of tax increases to stabilize budgets.

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

I currently manage a technology product that moves $1.5 trillion annually through the U.S. economy. Previously, I directed internal payroll operations for the world's largest provider of payroll services (a $2 billion operation). I ran my own consulting practice for a number of years, focusing on diagnosing and fixing process issues for large corporations. As a high school track and cross-country coach for 10 years, I was named conference coach of the year 6 times, and coached dozens of county and state champions, as well as 4 All-Americans. As a high schooler, I was myself an All-American middle distance runner.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

An executive I admired told me during a performance review (in which I was likely inflating my own importance to the organization): "Bill, this company was successful and profitable before you and I got here. It will almost certainly be successful and profitable after we're gone. Don't think that this organization CAN'T live without you. Make them not WANT to live without you."

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

I love the town of Glen Rock, and will always put the interests of Glen Rock residents first.