Meet A Candidate: Dan Goodwin For Southold Highway Superintendent

SOUTHOLD, NY — Suffolk County residents will be heading to the polls Tuesday to elect local representatives and make their voices heard.

Residents will weigh in on the race to represent one of the 18 legislative districts in Suffolk County, vote for Suffolk County District Attorney and Sheriff — and choose their local town elected officials.

In advance of the election, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaign — and the results will be published as candidate profiles in the days leading up to the vote.

Daniel J. Goodwin is running for the position of Southold Town Highway Superintendent on the Democratic and Working Families lines Republican and Conservative lines against Donald Grim, who is running on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Following is Patch's full Q&A with Daniel J. Goodwin:

<b> Name <b>

Daniel J. Goodwin

<b>Age (as of Election Day)</b>

33

<b>Position Sought</b>

Superintendent of Highways

<b>Party Affiliation</b>

Democratic , Working Families, Libertarian (write in)

<b>Family</b>

I live in Cutchogue with my wife Kristen and son Hunter.

<b>Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?</b>

No

<b>Education</b>

Bachelors of Science in mechanical engineering

<b>Occupation</b>

Operations branch manager of a local environmental company

<b>Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office</b>

None

<b>Campaign website</b>

www.Southoldforward.com

<b>Why are you seeking elective office?</b>

I am seeking office to put my unique set of academic and hands-on skills to work for the community. Southold Town deserves an efficient, responsive and transparent department to preemptively maintain and ensure the safety of the infrastructure of the town.

<b>The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.</b>

Leadership. I intend to put my lived experience and understanding for the need for strong leadership from my time working as and managing teams of hazmat technicians, laborers, equipment operators and professional drivers. To serve our community, I bring an engineering background and hands-on expertise in emergency response, industrial maintenance, and utility and infrastructure projects. I will deliver fiscal responsibility derived from overseeing an eight-figure annual operating budget.

<b>What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?</b>

My opponent tho a small business owner and snowplow contractor does not understand the duties of the superintendent. The superintendent must have experience being a leader of a team, managing multiple jobs simultaneously, planning and budgeting. As an owner-operator he is lacking leadership skills and as a contractor is only accustomed to carrying out the task which has been assigned. I have experience overseeing a team of up to 50, overseeing multiple projects at one time and managing a fleet of land and marine-based equipment.

<b>Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.</b>

As a mechanical engineer and emergency response professional, I prepare in advance, vet out solutions for the unknown, adapt to change and communicate clearly. During our community's brush with recent storms Henri and Ida the message was clear: the need for our future highway superintendent to be proactive rather than reactive.

<b>What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?</b>

Through my last 11 plus years of dedication and hard work I have held field positions, foreman, supervisor, project manager and my current position of branch manager. I have worked on many man-made and natural disaster recovery efforts in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. I have worked on time-sensitive critical infrastructure projects in the same region and provided 24/7 emergency response services to companies and agencies. I currently hold a vast array of credentials including 12+ OSHA certifications and incident command system (ICS) Level 200 training to name a few.

<b>The best advice ever shared with me was:</b>

Be the kind of leader you would want to follow.

<b>What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?</b>

Through my last 11 plus years of dedication and hard work I have held field positions, foreman, supervisor, project manager and my current position of branch manager. My experience in budgeting and utilization will lend themselves in my ability to “plan the work and work the plan” for routine maintenance and improvements to our roads. I am committed to this community and serving all of our diverse members.