Take Five With Westfield Board Of Ed. Candidate Gretchan Ohlig

WESTFIELD, NJ - Patch asked Westfield BOE Candidate Gretchan Ohlig to take five with us and share some thoughts on the city, the campaign and beyond. Her answers are below, with minor courtesy edits for style.

1. Why are you running for office?

Quite simply, I am a grateful parent and taxpayer. I have seen first-hand the impact that our schools have on our children and our community and I want to continue to be a part of the positive work that is being done. I also want to be a part of finding solutions and ways to improve our schools.

2. What is the biggest challenge you see facing your community and how will you address it?

I believe the biggest challenge is the safety and security of our students and staff. I see this as two-fold. First is the issue of the physical safety of our children and the adults who teach them. The horrible reality of school shootings has forced us to take a close look at our facilities and invest funds to make improvements recommended by safety and security experts hired by the district. We have to continue to make these changes and review and implement procedures that make our schools as safe as possible. The second aspect of safety and security relates to the emotional and spiritual well-being of our students and staff. We need to be part of a community conversation about mental illness, anxiety, depression, and wellness. We need to be a resource for our students and staff who are feeling overwhelmed and work with families and our town to provide much needed support. Finally, we have to keep our students safe from bigotry and hatred by collaborating with parents and community leaders to make it clear that such actions in our schools will not be tolerated.

3. What makes you the right person to vote for as opposed to the other candidate(s)? What do you bring to the table that others don't?

I bring seven years of experience on the board and have served as its President for three years. I have served on almost every board committee and have an intimate understanding and appreciation for the board’s role – what it can accomplish and how it goes about effecting change. I have built trust and respect with the Superintendent and central staff, and use those relationships to work on behalf of the community.

4. What will you do to facilitate communication with the community?

I will continue to encourage communication between the schools and the community through traditional means – emails, use of our website and social media platforms, and press releases as needed. As President, I am in frequent communication with the Mayor and will continue to nurture that relationship. I also believe we need to better leverage our alumni connections and find ways to increase attendance at our public meetings. A fellow board member and candidate, Rob Garrison, has suggested holding meetings at various schools to increase visibility and accessibility, which I think is a great idea.

5. What inspires you?

With respect to my role on the Board of Education, my family inspires me. We have an actor, a historian, a mathematician, a debater, and an athlete. Each of my five kids has different learning styles, and different strengths and weaknesses. Each is working to find his or her own way to be successful. I am grateful for our school district’s role in helping them develop, feel confident, and find their place. I want to be a part of helping all 6,200 Westfield students feel this way.

(Photo courtesy of Gretchan Ohlig)

Editor's Note: Patch has reached out to every candidate that has filed to run for office and is publishing all responses received. If a candidate does not have a story on the site it is because they did not respond. But they are encouraged to contact russ.crespolini@patch.com if they have any questions.