Community Corner
Meet the Republican: Terry G. Lombardi
A look at Terry Lombardi, Republican candidate for Southington Board of Education.
"Meet the Candidates" is a feature on Southington Patch designed to help you get to know your local candidates before you take to the polls this November. Each profile was submitted directly by the candidate.
Take a moment to review each profile so you can be informed and prepared when you go to the polls on Nov. 8.
This week, we begin looking at the Board of Education candidates. Be sure to look back at the Town Council and Board of Finance, which we featured the last two weeks, and stay informed.
Name: Terry G. Lombardi
Party, Position Seeking: Republican, Southington Board of Education
Family information: My husband, Bill, and I have lived in Southington for 32 years and our sons, Tony and Tom, graduated from SHS.
Occupation: Organization Development/Training Consultant; Former Director with 31 years experience leading Corporate Training/Development, Marketing, Operations and Customer Service organizations (AT&T and Northeast Utilities); Former Adjunct Professor - Central Conn. State University.
Political Experience: No previous experience.
Other Experience: Southington-Cheshire YMCA – Board of Director, Former President, Vice-President for almost 10 years; Tutor: English as a Second Language in Southington Elementary Schools; Women and Girls Fund-Main Street Foundation- Distribution Committee; Southington High School Basketball and Soccer Boosters; Southington High School All Night Graduation Party; St. Thomas Church Capital Campaign.
Why did you run for office?
I am running to:
- Ensure our children receive a high quality education; one that taps their potential to compete for jobs in our global economy.
- Apply my business, education and community leadership experience; I will bring new perspectives and a broad skill set attained through career, education and volunteerism.
- Give back; Education opened doors for me with teachers, principals and guidance counselors playing a significant role. After being covertly airlifted out of Communist Cuba without my parents, I lived in a refugee camp and then with several foster families. Until my mother escaped four years later, libraries and schoolwork kept me focused. I simply know how education can save a child.
If elected, what would be your primary areas of focus?
Technology, smaller class sizes and applying 21st century skills in all curricula top this list.
As a member of the Board of Education, I will:
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- Strive for continuous improvement in the pursuit of educational excellence because we can never ‘stand still’.
- Ensure fiscal responsibility and proactively plan for potential reduction in state funding.
- Seek technology-driven applications to enhance learning.
- Align curriculums to prepare our children with 21st century skills to compete for jobs.
- Foster open communications with students, parents, teachers and administrators and form partnerships where possible.
What do you feel is the biggest issue facing Southington today?
The biggest issue is the economy. We need to be fiscally responsible and think of all the citizens in our town who are struggling financially and expecting us to provide our children with an excellent education.
What skills do you have that you could bring to the community?
My Bachelor of Science degree in Education gave me the skills to teach, coach and develop children and adults. Two Masters degrees (MS in Business Management and an MBA) and 31 years managing large organizations across several disciplines will allow me to apply leadership, budgeting, financial analysis, strategic planning and negotiation skills to the Southington community.
The community leadership positions provide me a deep knowledge of the needs and issues facing our youth and families. They also enhanced my abilities to lead and facilitate boards and committees.
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