Warren Committee Election 2021: Victor J. Sordillo

WARREN, NJ — Warren's general election on Nov. 2 has four candidates running for two open seats on the Township Committee.

Victor J. Sordillo is one of two Republican incumbent candidates running.

The other candidates include:

• Gary P. DiNardo - Republican (Incumbent)
• Ilana Goldstein-Barsky - Democrat
• Nichelle Santos - Democrat

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

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

Victor J. Sordillo

Name: Victor J. Sordillo

Age: 68

Town of residence: Warren

Position sought: Warren Township Committee

Party affiliation: Republican

Family: 3 children and 7 grandchildren (an eighth on the way)

Education: I have a BS Engineering from Tufts University and an MBA from University of Massachusetts. Also, I am a registered professional engineer (PE) in the states of Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Occupation: I am an Executive Vice President of Global Risk Control for a $40B multinational corporation. I have staff all over the world and manage a multi-million-dollar budget. My clients are some of the largest companies in the world.

Previous or current elected appointed office: This is my 21st year on the Warren Township Committee. Also, I serve on the Underwriter Laboratory advisory council, Board of the NJMEP (promoting manufacturing in NJ) and as an adviser to Power Edison (an NJ alternative energy company).

Why are you seeking to run for township committee? Warren is a desirable community. Our Team is open, honest, and responsive to the residents. There is never an email or call to me that is not returned that day. I find that most of those seeking public office do not have the credentials or character to hold this trusted position. I am running because I want the best for the Town. The residents deserve a committee person who has strong management and proven leadership experience. Electing a committee person is like hiring a member of the Board of Directors for a company that you own.

What issues do you feel must be tackled in town? The greatest issue is the uncontrolled growth and development placed on us by the courts in the misdirected approach to providing affordable housing. We will now have about 20% more residents bringing traffic and stress to our schools and public services. I voted against the settlement as it will impact the quality of life in Warren and would have liked to plead our case in court. I am running for re-election to minimize this impact. It takes a seasoned leader to manage this development and ensure that we are protecting and servicing our new residents.

We also need to continue to be innovative and creative when it comes to responding to climate change and the severe weather that it has brought us. This includes responding to catastrophes such as the heavy rainfall from hurricane Ida. The hurricane dropped around 3 billion gallons of water on our town. This was a record rainfall. Working with Mayor Lazo, Gary DiNardo and I spent the day helping residents and directing police and public works. Although some of the County owned drainage systems were blocked and flooding resulted, the Town infrastructure held up very well compared to our neighbors. An example of our success was an award we received from Sustainable New Jersey for the app we developed after Hurricane Sandy. It allowed volunteers to identify potential impact to our electrical distribution system by surveying the community for damaged equipment and vulnerable trees. In addition, we worked with JCP&L to erect a new power station at exit 33 to provide dual path service to that area of town. In partnership with our excellent OEM, we have minimized the chance of another extended power outage in Warren.

This Team has made Warren one of the "Best Places to Live" in the country. We have low taxes relative to similar towns, recreational opportunities for families and seniors and a great infrastructure. Without experienced, hardworking, and proven leadership Warren will deteriorate. I want to keep our very low debt from being expanded and continue the history of good representation that treats everyone with equality and respect.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates? The challengers clearly do not have the experience and record of achievement. Before I ran for office, I was the Founder of the Warren Township Education Foundation, a member of the Recreation Commission, a volunteer soccer coach, a Lions club leader, and on the Board of Directors of the Tri County Red Cross and Somerset County United Way. I had a history of community service and achievement. In addition, I achieved that highest level of professional accomplishments having recently written several papers on risk engineering and spoken at the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society of CPAs.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign? I have resided in Warren for over 30 years and my daughter is raising her two children here (soon to be three). My running mate (Gary DiNardo) grew up here and runs his business here. Prior opponents moved out after losing the elections. We are here to stay and want to ensure that Warren stays a wonderful community. In fact, I purchased a burial plot at the Mt. Bethel Cemetery making Warren my home forever.