Here at The Sun, we want to keep you informed about the local election coming up on Nov. 5.
We asked the candidates two questions for this weeks’s Meet the Candidates series, What is your leadership style, and how will that help the town? and What led you to the decision to run for election?
Below are their answers.
Jeff Beenstock:
What is your leadership style, and how will that help the town?
I believe that effective leadership begins with establishing credibility.
I am a member of council to help the township deal with its challenges and to bring stability to its government for the long term.
There are many different sides to any given issue. I listen carefully to every person who has an opinion, and maintain an open mind, realizing that there may be considerations I have not initially taken into account.
When I make a decision my only consideration is what is best for Medford.
One of my strengths is consensus building. In order for Medford’s government to function efficiently, everyone, including council members, staff, volunteers, partners, and residents, must work together.
However, we do not always have to agree, and I recognize that my position will not always prevail. We must though respect each other and accept decisions that are made.
While I will always be passionate in my beliefs and desire to do what is right for Medford, I see myself as a calming and balancing influence on Council. The members of this current council are diverse in their personalities and leadership styles. It is important to have these different styles. In my time on Council, I believe I have been instrumental in helping the governing body maintain its focus and make well-balanced decisions.
There is a fundamental distrust of government. I had it before I joined council and I have seen it among the residents of Medford over the last 21-months.
If re-elected, I would like to work on building trust between Medford’s government and its residents.
Ultimately, Medford’s government exists to serve its residents. I hope that my actions as your Councilman convey that I am doing just that.
What led you to the decision to run for election?
I was appointed to council in December 2011 and elected to complete the unexpired term last November.
My decision to seek the appointment to council was based primarily on the impact I had as a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee that was instrumental in the Township’s decision not to proceed with the Medford Crossings project in 2011.
I realized that my background and experience as a real estate attorney and my abilities to strategically analyze situations and to effectively work with other people in a group setting were all assets I could use to assist the township with the financial challenges it faced. It is a unique opportunity to be part of the effort to restore Medford.
The current council has begun that process and achieved a great deal in the last 21- months.
I am running for re-election now to continue this work and ultimately to complete the job.
Brett Maria Blyshak
What is your leadership style, and how will that help the town?
My leadership style is one which:
• Inspires people with a shared vision;
• Sets clear goals; motivates people to toward these goals;
• Involves my team in the decision-making process;
• Requires effective communication; and
• Values people and relationships.
My style is a combination of the hard-skills I have honed as a litigation attorney and consultant coupled with the soft-skills that are necessary to get the job done.
In order for Medford to become a vibrant town again it will require leadership that inspires people to want to participate, motivates people to work towards common goals and excites people about what can be achieved if we work together. We need and deserve a vision for the future of our community.
To me, community means more than simply the place where we live and pay our taxes. Community is about what’s in your heart; how you feel about a place. The things that make Medford a community includes taking your children to the Pinelands library; walking your dog in Freedom Park or listening to a concert at the gazebo.
Making Medford a community again will require heart but also strategic thinking, long-range planning skills and the ability to cooperate. Our leaders must negotiate on behalf of Medford as we build partnerships with other communities, the county and the state. I have the skills necessary to accomplish the tasks before us to make Medford a strong, fiscally stable community with a combination of services, which residents both need and want.
What led you to the decision to run for election?
Many different factors influenced me in my decision to run for Council. Political campaigns are inherently risky, but I’m not afraid of failing; I’m afraid of failing to make a difference. For the last several years I have been frustrated by actions of the one-party Medford Township Council.
It was time for me to step up and try to bring bi-partisanship and innovative thinking into the government of Medford.
My philosophy was best stated by Theodore Roosevelt, “It is not the critic who counts; The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
When I joined the Medford Democrats my focus was on working on a campaign to help someone else get elected. But, when asked to run, I knew it was the right decision for me.
Seeking a political office had always been one of my goals.
However, most of my adult life has been focused on building my career, developing strong relationships with my stepchildren and assisting my mother who has been a widow almost 30 years.
I never thought I had enough time to devote to running for office. And, if elected, I wasn’t certain that I would have enough time to do the job well.
As we all know, times change. I’m settled in a career, my stepchildren have families of their own and my mother now lives near me. I have the time, the passion and the desire to devote myself to public service.
I strongly believe that bipartisan Councils make better government for all residents. Medford would benefit as a whole if there was at least one voice which had a different opinion because of their life and work experiences. I would like the opportunity to be that voice.
Becca Gutwirth
What is your leadership style, and how will that help the town?
I believe that every opinion has value and everyone has the right to be heard. Members of the township council must remember that we represent the entire population of Medford, not just those who voted for them.
While I might not agree with every idea presented to the council, I would consider all options and weigh the sentiments of all constituents.
Having been trained in science and education, I believe strongly in the value of research, and I know how to conduct research. I also believe in completing research before I expressing my ideas and opinions.
There is no shame in a leader admitting that he or she does not know everything, and as a leader one can add real value by saying, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
I think that my openness to others’ ideas and opinions will empower me to lead Medford toward the best solutions for the problems we all face.
What led you to the decision to run for election?
I was asked to run by people in the Medford Democratic party who knew my work record and history of volunteerism. I have said on many occasions that I am not a career politician. I am, however, a career volunteer.
I view this opportunity as another way to get involved in my community. When I was asked to run, I admit it took me a few days of consideration before saying yes. When I asked myself, ”If not me, then who?” I realized it was time to stop talking about Medford’s problems and try to put myself in the best position to solve them.
James “Randy” Pace
What is you leadership style, and how will it help the town?
To define myself as being one type of leader would imply a lack of understanding of what leadership is. There have been hundreds of books written and many studies done on the subject of leadership.
Most breakdown leadership style into five to seven basic styles and outline the benefits and drawbacks of each. Webster’s defines leadership as the ability to guide, direct or influence people. Along with that ability, comes responsibility.
As a young Petty Officer in the Navy the leadership style I most often employed was hands on, influencing by demonstrating the task at hand, as an old “chief”, more appropriately, one of coaching and commanding.
Throughout my life I have been trained, schooled, read and taught leadership.
Most recently, as the mayor of Medford Township, I have had the opportunity to exercise nearly every type and style of leadership.
Given the broad tasks and amount of issues to be addressed the one I have found to be most effective is situational leadership. Adjusting how we approach common goals and objectives and by including people in the process. Be it innovative, doing what has not been done before, pace setting, charismatic or following the advice of others. I have done so with humility and a deep sense of community service.
Exactly how that helps the township is open to interpretation. I cannot speculate how everyone perceives me as one of the town’s leaders.
I can only strive to continue to be inspired by the residents to do my very best to serve the public trust.
What led you to the decision to run for election?
I have always said you don’t get the government you expect, you get the government you inspect. After observing how our township was being managed it became clear to me that sitting on the sidelines and complaining about how our property taxes were being spent just wasn’t enough.
Coming up with real solutions and then implementing them was only going to be accomplished by being one of the decision makers. I am very pleased with the progress we have made over the past 18-months.
I am committed to keeping Medford fiscally responsible and moving in the right direction.
Chuck Watson
What is your leadership style, and how will that help the town?
As a councilman I lead Medford very much the same way as I lead my businesses and my family.
As a business owner, husband, and father I listen to the needs, wants, and concerns of my customers and my family.
I work very hard to make these things happen but there are also some priorities and non-negotiables.
In my businesses, in my family or in Medford, needs come first.
In Medford, some of those needs are public safety, administration, payment of debt, sanitation, due to last year’s referendum, and other statutorily required expenses. Then if funds are available I look at wants like recreation and financially supporting events, In all of these I always listen to the concerns of my customers, or my family, or my fellow residents of Medford. Some of the non-negotiables?
I will never spend more money then we have, I never take on debt unless it is necessary and affordable, and I will never sacrifice my integrity to accomplish the needs, wants, or concerns that all of us have. I will do my best to make them happen though with a listening ear and a polite response and will always make my decisions based on what is best for Medford.
What led you to to the decision to run for election?
I attended almost every council meeting for three years prior to deciding to run for a position in 2011.
I heard directly about our financial problems and knew that the experience I have in running two businesses would make a difference. I was taught early in life to live within my means and I have run my businesses and lived my life that way.
Medford was not living within its means and the only way to avoid financial disaster was to start managing our town by spending less then we take in and limit the use of one time revenues to pay for ongoing expenses.
We have done this as a council starting in 2012 and will continue to do it as we bring Medford out of financial uncertainty and into financial security.
George Youngkin
What is your leadership style, and how will that help the town?
My leadership changes, depending on the circumstances so flexible is probably a good place to start.
And my experience comes from a variety of backgrounds, the Marine Corps taught me as much about leadership as leading. I’ve been in charge of crews at PSE&G, where it’s important to know how all of the working parts, and people, come together, and no negative consequences, and I earned a business management degree. I was also the township zoning board chairman, and I’ve been a leader in Boy Scouts.
My style falls between participative and authoritative. I believe in accepting input from group members or those with expert opinions, then compiling the data to reach an informed decision. I believe there are many residents whose expertise could lend to the overall quality of township government.
This would keep volunteers informed and engaged.
Because group members are encouraged to share their thoughts, democratic leadership can lead to better ideas and more creative solutions to problems. I utilized this most as a member of the zoning board, having to lean on the township professionals for legal or other guidance.
The authoritative style works best when the team needs a new vision because circumstances have changed, or when explicit guidance is not required.
It is in this instance where you must be flexible and make decisions based on experience. Having resided in Medford for 21-years and participating on many volunteer functions, I have seen the benefits of this style as well.
I believe that my experience and numerous projects that I participated in over the years make me qualified to help lead this town in the future.
What led you to the decision to run for election?
I’ve never been one to sit on the sidelines. I believe I can make a difference. I feel it’s time to have some bipartisan opinions, instead of year after year of Republican representation. Here are a few reasons:
1. It’s been two years that the current council has been in office, and in that two years I’ve watched them clear the slate of every former zoning and planning board member possible, replacing them with inexperienced residents, some of who have never attended a planning or zoning board meeting.
2. I’ve seen residents ask questions at council meetings, only to be belittled and scolded.
3. There was an ethics investigation that has turned out to be as useful as our sidewalks to nowhere.
4. The current council blames the state, the county, previous councils, but aside from paying down the debt very quickly, what is their plan for Medford?
5. I have 20 years of experience volunteering in Medford on a number of boards, including 10 years as the zoning board chairman. I’ve asked the hard questions of popular applicants and treated people fairly and respectfully.
6. I have always welcomed questions about decisions I’ve made because I made every decision with every resident’s interests in mind.
7. If I am elected to council, residents will know what their council is considering doing. I will be easily accessible to all constituents, and they will know that their concerns are important to me and will always being considered.
Stay tuned to The Sun in print and online for updates on the election, more candidate questions and election day results.
