North Andover Candidate Profile: Brian Roache For Select Board

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — The Town of North Andover's Annual Town Election is on March 28.

This year, four offices are on the ballot: Select Board, School Committee, Housing Authority and Greater Lawrence Technical School District Committee.

Here are more details about the upcoming election.

Patch is profiling some of the candidates. Today, we learn more about Brian Roache, who is running for one of two open seats on the Select Board.

One seat opened when Chris Nobile resigned from the Board in August. Incumbent Laura Bates also is running to retain her seat.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Brian Roache

Campaign website

www.brianroacheforna.com

Age (as of Election Day)

44

Office sought

Select Board

Family

My wife Julie and I met in college and have been married 20 years. Our children, Libby and Connor are both at North Andover High and have spent their entire schooling in NAPS.

Education

BA — Political Science, Union College (Schenectady, NY), graduated in 2000

Occupation

I've spent 20 years as a commercial real estate advisor at Atlantic Retail, with the last six as a senior executive.

Previous or current elected or appointed office

I've served on the North Andover Community Preservation Committee since 2018 and was elected chair in 2020.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I'm running for office because I believe that there is so much we can accomplish as a community if we have common goals and choose to move forward together. I feel that my experience in town government and as an advisor lend themselves well to bringing people together to solve our biggest challenges.

Describe the issues that define your campaign platform

• I will protect town character through continued investment in open space, programs for our youth and seniors, and a focus on a revitalized downtown area.
• I will maintain the town's solid fiscal standing while continuing to provide best-in-class municipal services as well as much needed capital improvement projects.
• I will ensure that the North Andover Public Schools are properly funded and supported to carry out their mission beyond just level services.
• I will take a smart growth approach to address housing affordability in town to provide a wide range of housing options for our citizens, but ensuring it is done in the areas that are most appropriate.

If you are a challenger, in what ways do you hope to improve upon the work of the current board or office holder?

While we may not always agree on the best way to improve our schools, protect town character, manage growth or maintain our fiscal standing, we can start by agreeing that these are good goals and find ways to work together to achieve them. Bringing people together to solve problems is what I have spent the last 20 years doing and I aim to lead that effort as a member of the Select Board. That's what my platform of "Forward Together" is all about.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My time on the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) has given me a good lens into how our town government operates and helped me to build relationships with the many dedicated volunteers and public employees who keep our community moving.

As chair of CPC, I led a push for us to establish new bylaws and create a more process-driven system for how we evaluate projects. This process has helped us properly evaluate projects and also helped bring together the varying perspectives on the committee.

In my time in senior leadership at my company, I have managed a large and growing organization while maintaining company culture and fiscal discipline.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

In the more than 15 years that my family has lived in North Andover, we've committed ourselves to community service. From sports, to PTO, to the Cub Scouts, I've been focused on giving back to this great town. I'm a problem-solver by nature and enjoy finding creative solutions. In order to do that, you must understand and validate the perspectives and concerns of the various stakeholders. That is the key to moving "Forward Together."