CT Patch Candidate Profile: Tom Koba For Milford Board Of Education

MILFORD, CT — The 2025 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Tom Koba, a Democrat, is a Milford resident running for Board of Education.

Occupation:

Project Engineer in the aerospace field (43 years)

Family:
Nadine Padowicz is my wife, partner, and advocate in all aspects of life, including working tirelessly and boldly for the entire Democratic ticket. I have 2 stepsons that live out of state.

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

I am currently serving my first term on the Board of Education

Why are you seeking this office?
I strongly believe education is a key foundational value for healthy strong democracy and investing in education is investing in our future, since successful students equate successful citizens in all aspects of their life-- professionally, socially and in the community. Critical thinking skills are particularly more important than ever given the ever-expanding sphere of misinformation that surrounds us.

I look forward to being able to continue working the with the board members and our district management team to do what is truly best for the students of Milford, as well as their parents and all employees of our school district, while accomplishing it in a manner responsible to all residents of Milford. Our school district is highly rated in general, meaning that it is an attraction for families looking for a place to live; it is also highly rated as a place where educators want to work. These two ratings are based on systemic educational improvements and initiatives supported by the Board of Education over the past decade.

Finally, from a personal standpoint, continuing my efforts on the Board of Education is one of the ways that allow me to give back and provide service to my community.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
I believe that the overall most pressing issue is cost, since we will be faced with ongoing budget challenges due to inflation, coupled with likely decreases in federal and state educational funding. The responsibility of the Board of Education will be to ensure we make all our budget approval decisions in a manner to address the needs of our students as best as we can, and if needed, address any necessary changes in an equitable manner across the district. Budget review and approval is a major effort for the Board from October when priorities are established, through final budget approval in May. I look forward to using the experience gained participating in these efforts for the last two years to have a deeper and more efficient understanding of subsequent budget reviews if I am re-elected.

An issue directly related to cost is development of the Long Term Facilities plan to address our aging school system infrastructure. Milford's oldest building (Pumpkin Delight) is 75 years old while the youngest (Foran) is 52. The cost to maintain these aging structures will be significant over the next 30 years (estimated in the neighborhood $500M), so a plan to refurbish, and/or replace, and/or consolidate them is needed. Initial evaluations of facilities condition, enrollment projections, and educational programming needs were completed last year, as were a series of well attended community conversation sessions that led to selection of an initial configuration and a backup plan by the Board. A firm was selected and kicked off by the Board in October to evaluate feasibility and cost of the proposed configurations. It is important to emphasize that current district guidelines, including class sizes, will be maintained in any new configuration of school facilities.

The Board of Education will need to ensure the community is updated regularly and presented with concise summaries of data and findings for easy review, such that additional meaningful and efficient community conversations can happen regularly as the plan is developed and updated over the next 8 months.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I bring a perspective of someone that has been in highly technical industry with over 43 years of continued learning and people interaction, who understands and values the importance of diversity and basic soft skills. The technology of today did not exist when I achieved my degrees in the 1980’s, so I also understand the need for education to include skills such as basic problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and adaptability, which apply to all possible careers, including those in the future that don't currently exist.

My skills, experiences, and perspectives have enabled me to make valuable contributions to the board over my first elected term. I have also gained significant knowledge in Board and school district processes and procedural items such that I can be even more effective in a possible subsequent term.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
I plan to support and ensure that the board as a whole continues transparent sharing of opinions, decisions, and supporting data with all school and community stakeholders. I will also continue to support open, clear discussions at meetings such that as a board, we can make the best decisions possible for ALL the students of Milford.

I also look forward to participating in community discussions on all school district related subjects, to maintain the already high level of engagement, and gain valuable diverse insights from all stakeholders.

A more philosophical-type issue that needs to be continually addressed is ensuring our educational programming and infrastructure are adaptable to address the needs of a future learning environment to support careers that do not even currently exist. A simple physical example is that our existing facilities to not easily support WiFi, or charging plugs for laptops, as these were not imagined at the time of their construction.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I have been a Board of Education member for the last 2 years; it has been a very rewarding experience working hard to attain what is best for the students, while collaborating with a very talented and intelligent group of board members that complement each other's knowledge and experience bases.

I have worked as an engineer for 43 years in aerospace, supporting complex mechanical and electronic systems for various applications ranging from commercial aircraft engines to cooling systems for fighter jets. I have been a project engineer/manager since 1990 developing, tracking, executing schedules and budgets ($2M-$10M annually) for new product development and even successfully planned and executed a $3M building construction refurbishment capital project to create a state-of-the-art engineering development lab facility.

A big part of my job is also people related-- leading multiple technical development teams and being the main point of contact for my programs inside the company as well as outside with customers and suppliers (both angry and happy ones).

A large part of my job listening to all stakeholders in all directions around me, whether they be the design team experts, company management, direct employees, customers, or suppliers, then using the information to make decisions, drive changes or improvements, or drive the need to ask more questions. The basic operating strategy of continuous improvement is a part of the technical and manufacturing environment I work in every day, to drive efficiency, cost reductions, higher quality products, and customer or employee satisfaction.

I have found that all these facets of my career have helped me be an effective Board of Education member and will continue to do so, particularly with respect to listening to others.

I have participated on several engineering and/or STEM educational advisory boards including as a charter member of the University of Hartford Engineering Alumni Advisory Board 1990-1996 and the Connecticut State Community Middlesex STEM advisory board 2014-present, and I have found these efforts to be very rewarding experiences. I have directly supported items such as development and implementation of new advanced engineering degree curriculum, providing industry recommendations for updates to curriculum, and auditing courses and/or degree programs. This has included directly interacting with individual students or classes to provide students with perspectives from industry, looking for their feedback on courses, or their perspectives on industry.

Additionally, I participated in the Greater Hartford Junior Achievement program 2000-2010 and was a University of Connecticut Engineering Senior Project sponsor/mentor in 2024-2025.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
I re-tell this story any time I am asked this question; to state it simply, “Get out and Vote”: I was requested by a family friend to register to vote on my 18th birthday and participate in a mayoral primary. I did so and went to the polls with my mom and dad. The candidate we voted for won by 3 votes. This taught me an indelible lesson that every vote does indeed matter and you need to vote to have YOUR voice heard in every election at all levels including village/borough, municipal, state, and federal.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I love Milford and its people, places, shopping, restaurants, and picturesque shoreline. It is an honor to serve the students and residents of Milford on the Board of Education, and my continued strong support of our students and education in general is my contribution keeping Milford a place where people want to live and raise their children. I will always make my decisions based first and foremost on the needs and best interests of our students.