Democratic Candidate Profiles: Boards of Education and Finance

CHRIS CHILDS, Dem. candidate for board of finance

Childs is running for his first term on the Board of Finance.

Born and raised in Suffield, Childs has a long family history of service to the Town of Suffield. He has 30 years experience in the financial industry, 20 of those years have been as a commercial lender and 10 managing investments including pensions. Childs is currently Vice President with Webster Bank, managing approximately $300 million of investments for corporations, not-for-profits, and individuals.

Childs currently serves on the Boards of the Suffield Historical Society, Suffield Land Conservancy and Suffield Public Library Foundation.

He is also a Director of Southworth Paper, a private company located in Agawam, MA. Childs has served on numerous other not for profit boards in the state including Girl Scouts of Connecticut, New Britain Museum of American Art and Connecticut Landmarks.

“We need a balanced, pragmatic approach to address our town’s finances, considering both the near and long-term implications of our actions,” Childs said. “For many years, we deferred the upkeep our roads and properties. This meant spending more to fix problems, rather than maintain as we go.”

Childs earned his undergraduate degree at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the Hartford Society of Financial Analysts. For more information on Childs, visit www.SuffieldDemocrats.com.

KATE DALY RIETBERG, Dem. candidate for board of finance

Rietberg is seeking her first term on the Board of Finance.

She has nearly 40 years in financial and management experience. Rietberg has served on a number of business, community, and non-profit boards. Rietberg currently owns and manages a financial planning business with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.

She is a member of the Suffield Chamber of Commerce and currently sits on the Asnuntuck Community College Foundation Board. Rietberg co-founded the Suffield Networking Group.

Regarding the outlook of tighter budgets, Rietberg said, “Expense management isn’t just for tough economic times.” She noted, “I favor a long term view; an environment where Boards and Commissions work cooperatively; redundant functions and positions are reduced.”

Rietberg earned a BA from the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. For more information on Rietberg,visit www.SuffieldDemocrats.com.

JOE SANGIOVANNI, Dem. candidate for board of finance (incumbent)

Sangiovanni is a two-term incumbent for the Board of Finance.

Under Sangiovanni’s leadership on the Board of Finance, Suffield taxpayers saved money with reduced spending. Over $1 million in savings were reached in the past two years. Sangiovanni helped reduce costs through efficiencies and tax savings measures resulting in the lowest budget growth in the past 12 years!

Sangiovanni brings 52 years of engineering research and project management experience to the board.

“I will advocate for a meeting of the tri-boards (Finance, Selectmen and Education) early in the budget development process to establish consensus on necessary versus ‘nice-to-have’ expenditures,” Sangiovanni said.

Sangiovanni is an active Board Member on the Suffield Democratic Town Committee and the Suffield Public Library Foundation. He is active with several Town committees and boards. Sangiovanni has been granted 18 patents and has 14 pending. He earned his BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and earned master's and PhD degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

For more information on Sangiovanni, visit www.SuffieldDemocrats.com.

GEORGE BEITER, Dem. candidate for board of education

Beiter is running for the first time for Board of Education.

Beiter and his wife have three kids in Suffield Public Schools (McAlister, Suffield Middle School and Suffield High School). He is the son of a retired New York State public school teacher.

Beiter brings leadership to this position. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and served six years as a commissioned naval officer. Beiter also brings a business perspective to the board. Over the past decade, he has held multiple executive positions with both small, as well as publicly-traded companies. He is currently the Sales Director for a multi-million dollar, international building products company.

“I understand the importance of working within budgets and profitability," Beiter said. "Those aren’t just words for corporate America, but words that can be applied to the School Board and its obligations. I am running for the school board to get involved and make a difference for our students and our community. Great communities start with great schools. Where you find great schools, you typically find a progressive school board with true leadership. I want to be part of that, and that is why I am asking for your vote on November 8.”

Beiter earned a BS in economics from the U.S. Naval Academy and earned his MBA from University of Phoenix in Westboro, MA. For more information about Beiter, visit www.GeorgeBeiter.com.

LORI D'OSTUNI, Dem. candidate for board of education (incumbent)

D’Ostuni is a two-term incumbent running for Board of Education. She has served on the Board since 2004, including a term as Board Chairman.

D’Ostuni is a proud mother of two children in Suffield Public Schools. She is active in the PTO and youth sports with her children. D’Ostuni earned a BA in Music and an MBA in Marketing from Miami University. She is a member of CABE (Connecticut Association of Boards of Education) and Master Board of Education Member with more than 120 hours of training.

“My approach is to improve, not to maintain, the quality of the school system,” D’Ostuni said. “Three key areas requiring focus are instruction, allocation of resources, and leadership. Having adaptable and strong leadership is critical for better outcomes to occur and for our students to change their lives and the world.”

For more information on D’Ostuni, visit www.SuffieldDemocrats.com.

MICHELLE ZAWAWI, Dem. candidate for board of education

Zawawi is running for the Board of Education for the first time.

Zawawi, a 24-year public school teacher, was voted Teacher of the Year in East Granby, where is currently teaching. She has also been the math curriculum leader. Zawawi has two kids currently enrolled in Suffield’s public schools and she remains active in the community with volunteerism and supporting her kids in various sporting and school activities.

“I firmly believe in and support Suffield Public Schools,” said Zawawi. “The school system is the heart of our community. It’s the main reason why many of us decided to raise our children in Suffield.”

Zawawi has master’s degree in education and administration/supervision certification.

For more information on Zawawi, visit www.SuffieldDemocrats.com.