Wake Forest voters will elect a mayor and two commissioners on Nov. 2. Oct. 7 is the last day to register for new voters in this election. There is no early voting for this election although you can vote by mail. Go to Wakegov.com, click on Departments and then on Board of Elections for full information about voting and the election.
This first week of a series of questions, the candidates were asked to give a short biography, the reasons they decided to be a candidate, if they have attended any town or planning board meetings or served an advisory board, and if they had read the current town budget, the Community Plan, the Unified Development Ordinance or any other town plan?
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The candidates for mayor are Mayor Vivian Jones and Commissioner Bridget Wall-Lennon.
Mayor Vivian Jones:
I grew up in Randolph County, North Carolina. I attended The Woman’s College of UNC (now UNC-G). I lived in several other states during my younger years: Missouri, Ohio, Virginia and Florida. I moved to Wake Forest in 1981. My children both graduated from Wake Forest High School.
My sister and I started a restaurant and catering business in 1991 and were in business until 2001. As downtown business owners, we worked hard to help revitalize downtown. The Town was beginning to grow and I believed the businesses needed more support.
I was elected to the Town Board in 1999. I served two years of my term and then it was time to elect the mayor. I ran for mayor because I believed the Town truly needed a positive leader who supported the businesses and organizations. We needed to build relationships, not just with our residents but also with county and state leaders which were lacking at that time.
Prior to running for a seat on the Board of Commissioners, I attended every meeting of the Board and the Planning Board for one year. We didn’t have virtual options back then! Since being elected to the Board, I have only missed 4 meetings—3 of them because I was attending important conferences and 1 because of the death of my brother-in-law.
I have read all of the Town Plans and, in fact, participated in their development.
Commissioner Bridget Wall-Lennon:
Thank you to the Wake Forest Gazette for this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Bridget Wall-Lennon, and I am running to be the next Mayor of Wake Forest. For over a decade, I have called Wake Forest home. I have been blessed to raise my daughter in this community, start my small business here, and have been serving as a member of town’s Board of Commissioners since 2017. I am originally from Charlotte and came to work in state government in 1999. For ten years, I maintained a dual residency in both Charlotte and Raleigh. After looking all over Wake and Durham County to purchase a home, our family realized Wake Forest was where we wanted to be. We have lived in Wake Forest for the past twelve years and enjoy all the town has to offer.
Aside from the quality of “work, live and play” aspects one considers when purchasing a home, a deciding factor for us was we simply got “more house for our money” here in Wake Forest. Quite honestly that is a driving force behind my advocacy for affordable housing initiatives here in Wake Forest. I was a state government employee who could not afford to live in Raleigh, but we able to afford to live in Wake Forest. I aspire for other to have a comparable opportunity and experience to live in Wake Forest. From the quaintness of downtown Wake Forest to the progressive growth in and about the town, Wake Forest is a great place to work, live and raise a family.
I graduated from Myers Park High School in Charlotte and attended North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (Aggie Pride) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering. For 14 years, I served our state as a division director with the North Carolina Department of Administration and as Assistant to the Secretary of Administration. I was responsible for setting up the Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses, which was created by Executive Order and continues to thrive today.
I am proud to continue my family legacy as a third-generation entrepreneur, who is raising a nine year-old fourth generation entrepreneur. After leaving state government, I leveraged my experience to launch BLWall Consulting. My company offers services focused on supplier diversity and inclusion, economic development, program development, public policy, corporate and governmental relations, community engagement and involvement, strategic planning and process improvement.
Having worked for or partnered with various statewide and national organizations, I have successfully built rapports with government officials, major corporations and public-sector organizations. Those same skills have helped me to become respected and effective in coalition building, advocacy and public policy. My professional career in the public sector spans over 20 years with experience at the local and state levels. I have spent just as much time, personally, providing public service to the community through various community and civic-minded organizations.
I enjoy cooking, traveling and spending time with family and friends. I can be seen about town attending or participating in various events with my daughter Lauren, who this year was the top Girl Scout cookie seller in Wake Forest (District 13). Lauren is a fourth grader at Harris Creek Elementary School and has been learning to play the bass guitar since she was 8.
** What were the reasons you decided to run for a seat on the Wake Forest Town Board?
I am running for Mayor of Wake Forest because I am concerned about every day issues that many of you are. I am committed to working collaboratively to identify amenable solutions; and I am servant leader who works in and for the community. I am running for Mayor of Wake Forest because we are at the proverbial “fork in the road” in determining who we want to be, where we want to go as a town and what will be our foundation that will have generational impacts. I believe I can provide new leadership for Wake Forest needed for a time such as this. I am a servant leader who will help us build upon our rich history and take Wake Forest to the next level of shared prosperity, creating a future for generations to come.
As we continue to grow we need clear vision that includes protecting the principles that make our town great. If we forge new partnerships between the business community, community resource partners, and our county and state government, we can become a town that allows all of our citizens to prosper together without compromising the love we have for our town. I am proud to have worked alongside our city leaders serving on the Town Commission, and I feel confident that I can bring a strong voice and a renewed focus and direction for how great Wake Forest can become.
I recognize that we face real challenges in balancing our rapid growth to align with our Main Street values. I am concerned about housing for all income levels, strategic and balanced growth, infrastructure and transportation. I am committed to listening to and advocating for ideas and solutions that are impactful. Differences aside, we are a strong-knit community that believes in and supports our neighbors and community in times of need. I willing to serve as your Mayor in a Concerned, Committed and Community focused manner.
** Have you attended any town board or planning board meetings or served on a town advisory board?
Yes, as a town commissioner I attend our Board of Commissioner’s meetings, Joint Public Hearing and Planning Board meetings. I am currently serving as the board liaison to the Urban Forestry Advisory Board. I have previously served as the board’s Delegate to the Triangle J Council of Government (TJCOG) and board liaison to the town’s Human Relations Council, Parks, Recreational & Cultural Resources Advisory Board, Historic Preservation Commission and Cemetery Advisory Board. These positions allow me to have a special look into our community’s history, needs and expectations. I look for and welcome these opportunities, as I believe these experiences have also prepared me to be Mayor.
** Have you read the current town budget, the Community Plan, the Unified Development Ordinance or any other town plan?
Yes. I am very familiar with the town budget. As a current Commissioner, I have made recommendations and suggestions on the past four (4) approved Annual Budgets, including items I believed needed higher priority of ranking for funding. As a director in state government, I established a division in the Department of Administration, which required preparing zero-based budgets for the Governor’s Office and NC General Assembly.
As a current Commissioner, I have to refer to our various plans and ordinances when deliberating town policies. I am familiar with and have a working knowledge and understanding of our Code of Ordinance, Unified Development Ordinances, Comprehensive Transportation Plan and Renaissance Plan. We currently are updating the Wake Forest Community Plan and Future Land Use Map, which should be completed in early 2022. Our Unified Development Ordinances will be update after the Community Plan is completed so that it will be in alignment with approved recommendations of the Community Plan. We are also completing a new Northeast Community Plan and just had an Open House which provided an update on the Northeast Community Plan, as well as provided an opportunity receive feedback on the plan from the community. The Northeast Community Plan is expected to be completed later this year. Information on the update to the Wake Forest Community Plan can be found at https://www.wakeforestnc.gov/planning/community-plan and the Northeast Community Plan at https://www.wakeforestnc.gov/northeast-community-plan.
As you head to the polls on November 2nd, I ask that you elect a leader who knows we are at a crossroad and is willing to listen and be innovated in our approach as we move forward as town. I ask that you elect a leader who is willing to work with collaboratively with neighbors and friends, businesses and other governmental agencies, new parents, and retiring citizens. I ask that you join me this fall and Vote Bridget Wall-Lennon for Mayor of Wake Forest. Please visit my website for more information: www.BridgetForWakeForest.com/
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The candidates for commissioner are Patrick Griffin, Michael Molinaro, Keith Shackleford, Commissioner Liz Simpers and Nick Sliwinski.
Patrick Griffin:
Biography
My name is Patrick Griffin. I am a Husband and Father of 2 beautiful children. I have been a resident of Wake Forest for over 9 years and currently serve on my neighborhood HOA board. I work at 1-800 Water Damage and I am the Account Manager/Sales Representative for the company. I was born in Hickory, North Carolina and have lived in this great state my entire life. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UNC Greensboro. We chose to live in Wake Forest in 2012 because it had that small town feel while still being close to our State Capital, the RTP and all the colleges and universities. When we moved from the Charlotte area to the Triangle we were just coming out of the recession of 2008-2009. What attracted our family to the area was the diverse spectrum of businesses and opportunities that make the Triangle area insulated and prone to recover quicker from future recessions. As a Husband to be and future father that economic stability in this area was very assuring and an attractive place to raise a family!
Why am I running for town commissioner?
To continue to be an advocate for the residents of Wake Forest. 4 years ago I took a concern of mine to Mayor Jones to have a stoplight installed at the intersection of Forestville Road and Coach Lantern Avenue. If you have ever tried to take a left out of the Stonegate neighborhood during rush hour you know you’re basically playing roulette. The visibility, limited reaction time, and congestion are all factors that make this a dangerous intersection. Mayor Jones graciously listened and informed me shortly after our conversation that the DOT warranted the intersection worthy of a stoplight but as of January 2018 private funding would be needed to have it installed. I took that information to our HOA and after several months of following up and not hearing/seeing any progress/feedback I took it upon myself to run for Stonegate HOA. Once elected and at the first meeting in January of 2020 I voiced my concern and brought the stoplight up in open discussion. From that point the stoplight at Coach Lantern and Forestville went from a non issue to officially on the board’s long term project list. In June of 2020 we discussed future projects and I was charged with conducting due diligence prior to moving forward with the HOA installing the stop light. Upon following up with Mayor Jones in informing her we were going to move forward with installation of stoplight with HOA funds I was informed that we could save our money and that this project had been added to the Capital Improvements Project! I like to think that raising awareness and communicating on behalf of the residence of Stonegate led to the traffic signal making it on to the Capital Improvements Project. Listed in the description of the traffic light portion of the Capital Improvements Project states “Addition of traffic signals that have met warrants.” If that conversation with Mayor Jones doesn’t happen and that intersection does not become warranted would that intersection have been left out of the Capital Improvements Project? I have a record of communicating and advocating for my constituents as an involved citizen and HOA Board member. If elected Town Commissioner I will continue to deliver the highest levels of customer service for the citizens of Wake Forest as a whole!
Have you attended any board meetings or served on a town advisory board?
No I have not served on any town boards or attended any meetings. I do however watch the meetings online and request copies of the minutes.
Have you read the budget, community plan, the unified development ordinance plan?
Yes
Michael Molinaro:
Hello, my Fellow Wake Forest Family,
I’m just getting started in the political arena and looking to bring a fresh new perspective to Wake Forest based on listening to our community. I grew up in Scranton, PA, and moved to North Carolina in the fall of 1998, I have lived in the greater Raleigh since and settled in Wake Forest in 2015. I love it here in North Carolina, the Wake Forest community, all the people, and the way it just feels safe and comfortable. We need to keep it that way!
I grew up working for my family’s construction business where I learned hard work and that drive is essential for success. I have a degree in Business Administration; I’ve worked for large corporations and a small business owner, where I developed great business acumen.
I believe in Transparency and Protection, I make decisions-based on logic and reason. I believe everyone needs to be heard, and there is a win-win solution in almost every situation.
I also believe in service and giving back to the community, these are the main reasons I am running to become one of your next Wake Forest Commissioners. I want to be part of a team that is giving the voice back to the community and making it happen through accountability and results.
I feel there is no substitute for integrity, and I have a motto I live by, and that is “just do the next right thing”!
I have been attending the Board of Commissioner Meetings and Planning Board Meetings, and from these meetings I am concerned about the current culture of our Boards. I feel there is a ‘go along to get along’ culture and not enough respectful thoughtful exchanges to find the best solutions for Wake Forest.
I have also been listening to the citizens, business owners, our brave First Responders, and Town Employees of Wake Forest, and here are the most common areas of concern we have identified:
Safety and Protection of our Community
You want continued support of Law Enforcement by the Town, you want all private and public property to have protection, and you want our Neighborhoods and Communities to thrive in a safe environment.
Carefully Managed Growth & Development
Progress is a reality, and we need to carefully manage it, even if that means we must from time to time pump the brakes a little. You want our Town Government to treat all businesses fairly and to encourage proprietorships and attract better paying jobs. You want commercial growth to be scrutinized and held to our Wake Forest standards. You want the land development to take into consideration our future Community and School needs. You want a measured and balanced approach to residential development. You want the right mix of business and residential development – I hear you!
Infrastructure
Many of you have expressed concerns about our growth and keeping up with adequate infrastructure to go along with the progress, as your Town Commissioner, I will make sure those needs are addressed. We must work ever more closely with the NCDOT, the Legislature and County Commission to ensure Wake Forest receives the best return on your state tax investments.
Promoting Wake Forest
I want to be a part of supporting our community, preserving the Town’s History, our tradition of supporting the Liberal Arts, Parks and to continue our traditional events, and to build on all the wonderful offerings Wake Forest already provides.
Yes – I and familiar with all three documents listed on the Town of Wake Forest website.
I need your vote on November 2nd, but I also need your help to get there! Please visit my website and make a financial donation to help the campaign to let as many Wake Forestiers know about me. We want to run the best campaign we can, we need your financial investment in me to accomplish that goal! Please Donate today, and Vote Molinaro for Wake Forest Commissioner on November 2nd, 2021.
Keith Shackleford:
Home is where your heart is. My heart has been in Wake Forest since I can remember. My family has called Wake Forest home for over a century. My grandmother, Miss Esther, was a small business owner operating what was fondly known as “Massenburg Sweet Shop”. Each summer I went to “arts & craft”, played basketball on the courts at Juniper and Taylor and rode my bike endlessly around the neighborhood. Although I did not attend school here, Wake Forest has always been my home. After graduating from Wake Forest University School of Law, I returned to Wake Forest to practice law. After meeting and marrying my wife in Wake Forest, we decided to stay and raise our family here.
Over the years, I had the opportunity to serve on several boards that have given me a diverse set of experiences upon which to draw. I served as a commissioner on the Housing Authority of Wake County Board for four terms. Affordable housing is becoming a problem in our town. A true solution will have to address the issue from different angles, using our resources in new ways. As a trustee for Wake Technical Community College for eight years, I was involved with the growth of one of our County’s best assets. Our community college is an integral part of our education system and workforce development. I am currently serving my second term on the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Our law firm has been a stalwart of support for small business through the Chamber and in our business relationships. My law practice has permitted me to help solve a variety of issues encountered by individual and business clients. I have represented clients in disputes with neighbors and before the Town Board on zoning issues. I was a member of the Steering Committee for the Wake Forest Community Plan in 2009. The Community Plan captured the collective vision of our town for years to come. It provides a road map for our town leadership. Finally, I was a member of the East End Community Association formed by the residents of the northeast section of Wake Forest to address concerns and issues, including affordable housing, high cost of electricity, community policing, streetscape, and activities for our children.
When I look at our Town, I think of the maxim “Good, better, best. Never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best.” Wake Forest is a great place to live and work but we can always improve, do better. My reason for running for Town Board is a desire to help our Town be its best. I want to participate and contribute to our town and community on a higher level. Managing our growth and continuing to improve the services we provide to our citizens is extremely important to me.
I have attended a number of town board and planning board meetings over the years, in a professional capacity and as a citizen. Additionally, our town board and planning board meetings are available online of which I take full advantage. Although I have not been a member of any advisory boards, I participated in the Wake Forest Community and the Northeast Community plans.
I have read the current town budget, the Community Plan 2009 and the Unified Development Ordinance.
Liz Simpers:
I have lived in Wake Forest since 2013, and have lived in Wake County since 1994. I am a graduate of the Design School at NC State and have worked with families and teens my whole life. I am a former YMCA director, and now work in leadership development with the Wake Forest Chamber Foundation. I serve on the boards for the Trentini Foundation, Wake Forest Downtown, the Wake Forest Business and Industry Partnership, and Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources. I am an active member at Wakefield United Methodist Church and get the chance to lead worship there. I am married and have two step-kids.
I am seeking a second term as one of your town commissioners because I love serving this town. I have no political aspirations outside of our town board, and have loved the chance to serve my neighbors and ensure Wake Forest remains a safe, happy, and healthy family community. I am the only incumbent running, and I wanted to stay on the board to bring
as much experience and continuity as possible since we have a relatively new board. I would also be the only woman on the board of commissioners and I think that’s an important voice to have!
I can safely say I have attended every town board meeting, planning board meeting, and various advisory board meetings in the past four years except for two!
I have! One of the best things I did four years ago was read the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and familiarize myself with our town regulations and planning.
Nick Sliwinski:
I have been a resident of Wake Forest since moving to North Carolina from Pennsylvania in 2014 with my wife and infant daughter. In the last 7 1/2 years we have added a son to our family, bought a home, started a small business, and helped plant a church in our community.
Born and raised in a small Western Pennsylvania town, I know how important local businesses and a thriving downtown can be. Living in Wake Forest, we are fortunate to have all of that small town charm with the conveniences or a more populated area. We moved to North Carolina when I was offered a job as a Purchasing Consultant for a Healthcare Group Purchasing Organization and wound up renting a home for our first two years. When it came time to purchase a home as our family grew, my wife and I were firm on staying in Wake Forest. That mindset did not change when we recently moved again and have now chosen Wake Forest as our home three times.
I chose to run for Town Commissioner because I am passionate about preserving the charm and character of this great town we all chose to call our home. Having lived in small towns and large suburban areas, I can safely say that there is no better place to live than Wake Forest. For several years, our town has experienced a tremendous amount of growth. We need to take a breath and digest the new developments and ensure that our infrastructure is adequate to sufficiently handle the increasing population. Growth in the town should be smart and balanced with a healthy mix of commercial areas to complement the residential growth. Having been involved with a concerned citizens group for the preservation of open spaces alongside several neighbors and surrounding communities, I have a greater appreciation of the need to make sure that we ensure new growth in the town does not come at the cost of our open spaces and natural areas. We need to embrace this as a defining characteristic of our home, and one that other communities around Raleigh are trying to gain.
Over the past several months, I have been attending the Board of Commissioners meetings and Planning Board meetings. If I am not able to attend in person, I make sure to watch online as well as review the associated materials.
I have been reviewing the current Wake Forest budget and UDO. As a Purchasing Consultant, I am no stranger to analyzing budgets to find inefficiencies and uncover ways to save money without sacrificing quality. Steps should be taken to reduce our costs within the town or finding other sources of revenue before putting the burden on the residents through higher taxes. With the new community plan coming out in the near future, I was encouraged by the presentation at the most recent Commissioners work session. I agree that we need to implement a strategy of smart, sustainable growth while preserving the town’s open spaces and ensuring that sufficient infrastructure is in place. There is a need to increase the ability for residents to walk or bike from their neighborhoods to shopping and other community destinations.
If elected, I would vow to preserve the things that make our town such a desirable place to live while addressing the growing population. I would support our law enforcement and fire department that ensure our residents are safe. I would listen to residents and local business owners who recently said in a survey that we need to control our growth, improve infrastructure, and continue to support local businesses.
I would greatly appreciate your support and hope to earn your vote this November 2nd.
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