East Windsor Candidate Profile: Al Grupper

East Windsor Deputy Mayor Perry Shapiro, Councilman Alan Rosenberg, and Councilman Hector Duke filed to run for another term on the Democratic ticket. The incumbents will face Republicans Anna Lustenberg, TJ Berdzik and Albert P. Grupper.

All of the candidates were asked to answer the same questions about themselves and their political stances for East Windsor Patch. Patch will be running these candidate profiles up until the election. 

AL GRUPPER CANDIDATE PROFILE

Name:  Al Grupper

Age: 72

Education: BBA Clarkson University, MS SUNY Albany, Army Command and General Staff college, National Defense University, Civil Affairs Officer Career Course

Occupation: Retired Program Administrator, most recently with Sarnoff Corporation.

1. Please introduce yourself and tell is a little bit about your background and why you should be elected.

I care deeply about all members of our community and ask for your vote to continue to move East Windsor forward. I have spent all of my adult life in service to our country and community.

Most of the community will recognize me from my service to PAL as a coach, board member, past president and I am now most visible blowing my whistle or waving my flag as a soccer referee or as a softball supporter…I have served the PAL players and their parents for over 30 years.

As a retired Army Colonel I combine team building, leadership, planning and community service skills…My 25 years in Army Civil Affairs gave me actual experience as a liaison between the various agencies and departments within a government and the communities they service at all levels. I am school trained to act in leadership positions in public administration and in the disaster preparedness agencies that are necessary in a community before ,during and after a major storm like Sandy.

This experience and my collegiate background also qualified me for my civilian career in project management, planning, budgeting, and scheduling projects with budgets up to 15 Million $ per year and where I was in a position to build and implement project teams.

I served as Chairman of the East Windsor Economic Development Committee, was deputy director of Civil Defense for East Windsor when that was still operational, and have continued emergency preparedness service as an active member of Mercer County CERT and the Medical Reserve Corps…volunteers who help first responders in the event of a community emergency or disaster or during an epidemic such as influenza.

I can bring a new voice and new ideas to the East Windsor Township council.

2. What do you think distinguishes you from other candidates?  What do your bring to the table?

I continually meet residents who are looking for fresh voices and fresh ideas in our local government.  They are looking for a champion for some of their ideas for the well-being of the youth of our community. Of course all are anxious to hold the line on property taxes. I have the background and experience in leadership, management, budgeting, recreation services and economic development to help citizens of all ages turn their vision for the future of East Windsor into reality.

3.  What are the most pressing issues facing the community today?  How would you approach and resolve these issues?

The cost of maintaining our quality of life and the ability to invest in the care of our seniors, the maintenance of our younger families and the growth of our youth are the most pressing issues facing our community today.

We need to insure the continued well- being of our seniors and the public safety of all ages.

What adds economic value to a community is young people moving in and what they want is good recreational and educational activities for their children. I pledge to work in a non-partisan effort to treat every cost, tax, and economic development decision as though it would decrease or increase my own household budget and property value.  I know not to treat these dollars as just a pool of government money.

I will work to develop light industrial centers and attract the appropriate light industry, office or research facilities.  Only with a proper tax base can the people of the township receive more and improved community services, with the added benefit being that more of our residents can work in town and not have the lengthy commutes that take away from quality family care.

I have the background, training and life and professional experience to contribute to all of these goals. I plan to include all community members in my decision making process and ask for your vote to insure that OUR town remains a nice place to live.