Diana Caamano Gonzalez: Clark School Board Candidate

CLARK, NJ — The Clark Township School Board has seven candidates vying for three seats in the upcoming election on Nov. 2.

Diana Caamano Gonzalez is one of the candidates running. The other candidates include:

• Kristen Hickman
• Scott Bohm - incumbent
• Robert Smoro - incumbent
• Dino Bencivenga - incumbent
• Erik Jacobsen (Stand For Students)
• Corey McGuire (Stand For Students)

All of the candidates are running for the three, three-year seats on the board.

Are you running for office in Clark? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Clark-Garwood Patch.

Diana Caamano Gonzalez

Name: Diana Caamano Gonzalez

Age: 45

Town of residence: Clark

Position sought: Board of Education

Family: Married 20 years, 2 children. Daughter age 13, Son age 16. Both enrolled in Clark public schools.

Education:

• BA History and Political Science - Rutgers University
• MS Management Information Systems - Stevens Institute of Technology
• Masters Certificate, Project Management - George Washington University
• Masters Certificate, Program Management - George Washington University

Occupation: I'm currently a director of strategic initiatives, supporting c-level corporate leadership teams, translating strategies into delivery of business outcomes. Recent projects range from launching new products to market, implementing technology, improving business operations, and acquisitions of new businesses. In short, I take ideas and make them reality by actively listening to people, motivating teams, supporting everyone's contribution by putting their skills to use, and removing roadblocks. If elected to the BOE, I hope to bring that same level of partnership to deliver great outcomes for my community.

Previous or current elected appointed office: N/A

Why are you seeking to run for school board?

1. I want to share my time and talents.
2. I want to represent my community.
3. I want to create stronger ties between the board and our community stakeholders.
4. I have a personal interest in improving the quality of our school system's outcomes.
5. I want to ensure we balance priorities, and use our limited resources wisely.

What is your stance on masks in schools? Mask-optional. Parental choice.

Should schools offer a virtual option? No.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in the school district? Our "Stand For Students" ticket is focused on students and we believe we can deliver the best outcomes for students by focusing on:

1. Schools need to be open for full-time instruction
2. Prioritize curriculum and student achievement
3. Respect for and transparency with parents and teachers
4. Fiscal responsibility

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates? Those that know me can attest that I am persistent and have a track record of delivering on commitments. I have experience across financial services, technology, consumer goods and consulting industries, where I have implemented meaningful change initiatives. I have managed project budgets on business transactions up to $1.8 billion.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign? I am running together with Erik Jacobsen and Corey McGuire. Read more about us at facebook.com/ClarkStandForStudents.We "Stand For Students" as articulated above.

As for myself, I believe we each have the power to improve our communities. This past year, I became actively involved in efforts to reopen our schools and return the decision making to parents when it comes to masks. This involved months of advocating for a mask-optional return-to-school plan. Most recently, I have been speaking with teachers, parents, and the administration regarding the curriculum and student achievement.

I am passionate about my family and seeing my own children succeed. That is only possible when my community is thriving. This mindset of helping my community is deep-rooted in my personal values. For instance, I served six years as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician. Through church, I donate to food drives, making and serving meals for the less fortunate. In partnership with my past employers, I volunteered at a Newark soup kitchen, preparing and serving food and making care packages for the homeless in Jersey City. At work, I currently volunteer to mentor junior staff in the workplace (above my current job responsibilities).