WILMINGTON, MA — Selectmen candidates Greg Bendel, Kevin Caira, Joseph Lavino and Tom Miller were recently asked the following questions by Wilmington Apple — Why are you running for Selectmen? Why do you feel you’re qualified for the position?
Below are their responses, in their own words:
Greg Bendel
I am very excited about the opportunity to run for the Wilmington Board of Selectman. I am running for Selectman because I have a strong history of community involvement and volunteerism that I believe would serve the residents of the town very well. Having grown up in Wilmington, I am familiar with the town’s core values and my involvement in the town will help me make informed decisions and work with others to get things done.
For the past decade I have worked with young people in our community as a teacher and a coach. For the past five years I have worked with seniors and veterans as a member of the Wilmington Housing Authority. Now I am hoping to use these experiences to help all of the residents of Wilmington.
My wife Andrea and I hope to have the same great opportunities for our family that we were afforded while growing up in Wilmington. I want to help to continue to make Wilmington a great place to live and raise a family. I look forward to working hard and doing my best to earn the vote of residents on Saturday, April 23rd.
Thank you,
Greg Bendel
Kevin Caira
I believe that each one of us has an obligation to help our community. That sense of responsibility was instilled in me at a very young age by my parents. I am running for the Board of Selectmen because I believe I can be a positive influence on the direction of our community. My goal is not to reinvent Wilmington but rather to ensure that it continues to grow responsibly, that we maintain its affordability and that the Town adequately provides programs and services for all of our residents.
This year’s election is especially important for our community. We will be replacing two veteran Selectmen, Michael Newhouse and Lou Cimaglia both of whom have worked tirelessly on our behalf. It is critical that we elect individuals who understand municipal government and who have demonstrated by past actions a willingness to give back to the community. I am confident that my experience in government service, both state and municipal, and my years of volunteer activity on behalf of the residents of Wilmington, exemplify what we need in a Selectman.
I know the Town and a great many of its residents. My family moved to Wilmington three years before I was born and along with my sister and three brothers I graduated from Wilmington High School. My wife Cheryl and I chose Wilmington as the place in which we wanted to raise our children, Amy and David, also both graduates of the school system.
My entire family has been immersed in the volunteer network of our community. Currently I serve the Town as Vice Chairman of the Yentile Farm Recreational Development Committee and as Vice Chairman of the Nine Cross Street Fundraising Committee. I am a founding member and Vice Chairman of the Wildcat Athletic Alumni and Friends Association which raises funds for WHS student athletes. Other volunteer activities have included coaching in the Wilmington Little League, Senior League and summer baseball programs. I served as a volunteer basketball coach for the Wilmington Recreation Department and with the department initiated a new basketball program for high school juniors and seniors.
I have been a longtime supporter of the Wilmington Band Parents programs, a member of the Wilmington Knights of Columbus and the former President of the Wilmington Sons of Italy where I spearheaded numerous programs and fundraising drives in support of many important Town initiatives. My organizational and leadership skills have resulted in my election to many prominent positions in the Sons of Italy including that of State President, National Vice President and President of the Commission for Social Justice. I am proud to have been instrumental in securing a grant for Wilmington High School to reestablish the Italian language program as a part of its curriculum.
In 2012 I was hired as the Retirement Administrator for the City of Amesbury. Prior to assuming my current position, I worked 21 years as an administrator for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Retirement System.
Joseph Lavino
Thank you for the opportunity to answer these questions. For more info, please “like” my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LavinoForWilmington or call my cell at 781-801-0607.
First off, the decision to run for Selectmen was an instinctual decision that made perfect sense to me the second the opportunity arose. As a Wilmington outsider, this community was far more welcoming to myself and my family than I could ever possibly imagine. Having fully assimilated into the community, the least I could do to give back is to apply my unique skill set and experiences into a community role that would best allow for me to effectively support our fellow neighbors, keep our community safe, preserve the history, culture and good-will of the town and allow our families and businesses to prosper as we move into the future. That role is a seat on the Board of Selectmen.
Let me preface by saying all the candidates have different skill sets that would serve the people of Wilmington well and I commend them for putting themselves out there to serve. That being said, I believe I bring a unique and differentiated skill set and an experience base that would allow me to perform the roles and responsibilities of a Selectmen above and beyond the potential performance of my competitors. Of the 4 candidates, I stand out as a very different choice for the voters, but as I’ll explain, this difference is positive and will serve the people of Wilmington well if elected.
My years of experience as a community pharmacist have shaped me as a person. Specifically the ability to have empathy, compassion and caring for members of my community as I help them with any variety of health issue they may present with. I believe these are the competencies needed in a Selectmen. Additionally, due to my experiences as a pharmacist I am very sensitive to drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues and the out of control opiate epidemic that threaten members of our community and our children on a daily basis. The threat is real, it’s here in Wilmington and I’m the only Candidate that has a big picture view of the epidemic and the tactics used to battle it.
As an attorney, I feel that I differentiate myself from the other candidates and I feel having an attorney on the Board of Selectmen provides a different perspective, a needed knowledge base and a required skill set to drive a high functioning Board. If there is an attorney leaving the Board, I believe it’s appropriate to have another attorney elected to the Board. As an attorney, I am best able to analyze a fact pattern in any given situation as they arise in front of the Board. My career experiences have allowed me to perform many thorough factual and legal investigations which required me to become a subject matter expert in diverse areas. Lastly, an attorney on the Board is best positioned to read, analyze and apply the applicable statutes, regulations, or by-laws.
My practice experiences are a perfect fit for a Board of Selectmen seat. Specifically, my practice is focused on regulatory and governmental affairs for my employer. In that capacity, I frequently collaborate with, build relationships with and debate regulators across the country to influence change and the progression of my profession. I’ve seen how Boards operate across the country, both good and bad. This perspective is necessary for one of our new Board of Selectmen members, which I bring. Additionally, I have been on Boards and currently am the President of a Board. I can hit the ground running on day one.
I also have other skill sets that deeply qualify me as a Selectmen. I have experience with complex licensing matters that cross state boundaries and have contributed to the writing, executing and balancing of multi-million dollar budgets, with no cost overruns or cuts to necessary funds. I’ve had the opportunity to manage high functioning teams and have commonly recruited, assessed performance of and managed the performance of individuals across multi-functional groups. I believe these experiences best position me in the area of appointments on the Board of Selectmen as well as the ability to collaborate and bring people together to reach a common goal.
As an employee at a Fortune 12 company, working as an in-house attorney in the corporate legal department, crisis management and diligent decision making are common and paramount. These are skills I would bring to the Board because these are functions I perform on a daily basis. In a fast paced corporate environment, a single wrong decision could bring drastic consequences and as a pharmacist, a single error could be devastating. I know accountability, I know responsibility, I know pressure and I certainly have acquired a tough skin through these experiences. These are the qualifications needed on the Board of Selectmen.
To close, I’m a man of faith, hope and charity. I believe in fiscal responsibility, public safety and taking care of our kids, our vets, our seniors and our first responders. I believe in the rich history, tradition and culture of this community and I look forward to serving you on the Board of Selectmen.
Tom Miller
Wilmington Apple has not received a response from candidate Tom Miller to date. In fairness to all candidates, response deadlines will be strictly enforced.
Wilmington Apple will run any press releases, announcements, endorsements, letters to the editor, etc. — that are submitted by any Selectmen candidate or campaign between now and April 23 . Wilmington Apple has informed all candidates of this fact.
About The Questions
During this local election season, Wilmington Apple will ask a question of all the Selectmen candidates each week. Wilmington Apple will run one response per day, Monday through Thursday, with a recap on Friday. Responses are in the candidates’ own words, unedited. Each candidate is given the same question and the same amount of time (approximately one week) to answer. Order of answers will alternate each week.
About The Election
Four candidates — Greg Bendel, Kevin Caira, Joseph Lavino, and Thomas Miller — will be competing for two open 3-year seats on the Wilmington Board of Selectmen. Longtime incumbents Lou Cimaglia and Mike Newhouse are not seeking re-election. The Town Election will be held on Saturday, April 23. Polls will be open from 8am to 8pm.
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