After the filing period for the Wake Forest mayor and town commissioners ended in July, The Wake Forest Gazette published the following profiles about each of the five commissioner candidates.
Ned Jones says, “Wake Forest is a wonderful place to live. My wife and I have enjoyed living here. I am semi-retired and have wanted to become more involved so running for Wake Forest commissioner is the perfect opportunity. The fast growth of Wake Forest endangers the life style we have here. The growth has caused significant traffic problems. While in many cases these issues are not the town’s, the board should be able to influence them. I also feel that the government leadership should continually pursue fiscal responsibility. I have attended a few of the board meetings and have listened to many of them on line.”
Jones said he and his wife, Suzanne, a retired registered nurse, have two grown children and three grandchildren. They have lived in Wake Forest since 2012 and before then lived east of Rolesville for 10 years. “My wife and I like what Wake Forest has to offer, a friendly sense of community with likeminded people who love life and this state and country. I am a country boy. I grew up on a farm in Rappahannock County, Virginia (north central Virginia at the edge of the Blue Ridge). I was active in 4-H and Boy Scouts. I am an Eagle Scout so Scouts was my passion.”
Jones said he graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and a master’s degree in agricultural economics before he did a further two years of graduate work in statistics at N.C. State. He also was a member of the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam and receiving a Bronze Star for meritorious service.
After Jones retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture where he was a statistician, he started a statistical consulting business, 1-alpha, whose motto is “In God we trust. trust. All others bring data.”
“The best thing about Wake Forest is the people of Wake Forest, who are so patriotic,” Jones said. “They love life, this state and this country. And the other best thing we have what must be the world’s best small town police force, who keep us safe. The worst thing about Wake Forest is the growing traffic and the taxes.”
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Bridget Wall-Lennon said, “I enjoy Wake Forest and all that it has to offer. I am running for town commissioner because I believe my 20 years of experience in the public sector, coupled with my passion for servant leadership can be utilized to expound the successes already accomplished by the town board and administrators.” She added, “Some of the biggest issues, but that definitely are not insurmountable, are ensuring that we have steady economic development, job creation and workforce development, affordable housing and transportation. I believe that it is important that our law enforcement officers, fire fighters and town administrators have the resources and training they need to effectively serve, protect and meet the needs of our community. I applaud the growth and economic development that our town has undergone, but I believe it is critically important that in our efforts all communities are included and have a voice at the table.” She said she has attended a town board meeting.
Wall-Lennon grew up in Charlotte and moved to Raleigh in 1999 to take a managerial position in state government, though she still maintained a residence in Charlotte. “When I thought about where I might like to live and raise a family, I liked the look and feel of Wake Forest. I moved to Wake Forest in 2009 and have resided here for the past eight years.”
“I am a business owner,” Wall-Lennon said. “I am a third generation entrepreneur, and jokingly tell folks I have had a side gig ever since I can remember. I started out like most Kidpreneurs – selling lemonade in my Mom’s front yard. Prior to starting my consulting business, I worked for the N.C. Department of Administration for 14 years as a division director and special assistant to the Secretary of Administration. I was responsible for setting up an office within state government which was created by an executive order.
“I leveraged my experience from my professional career in business development and public administration to launch my own consulting firm, BLWall Consulting. Having worked for or partnered with various statewide and national organizations, I was successful in building a rapport with government officials, major corporations and public sector organizations that have allowed me to be effective in coalition building, advocacy and public policy.
“I am the principal consultant for BLWall Consulting. My areas of specialization include: business and economic development, program development, public policy, corporate and governmental relations, community engagement and involvement, strategic planning and process improvement and Supplier Diversity and Inclusion.”
Wall’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T State University). “I was selected by a U.S. Department of Commerce agency to attend Tuck Business School’s Minority Business Executive Program at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.”
Wall has a daughter, Lauren, who started kindergarten this week.
She said, “I like the quaint, yet progressive feel that Wake Forest offers. I like the strategic growth and economic development that town has undertaken. Many residents of Wake Forest work outside of the town limits, so the growth the town has undergone definitely provides conveniences that connect you back to the community.
“I cannot really say I have any specific dislikes about Wake Forest other than the traffic. In working with the Regional Transportation Alliance and discussing the Wake Transit plan, I would like to ensure that we give thought to addressing transportation needs that provide access to public transportation for all residents of Wake Forest, whether that is in form of “Park & Rides” or “transportation hubs.” I believe when we develop and incorporate a comprehensive regional transportation plan that it will address transportation issues that create traffic congestion on Louisburg Road (U.S. 401) and Capital Boulevard, both of which are major thoroughfares into Wake Forest.”
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Thad Juszczak said about his candidacy, “I have spent my entire professional career in government, and I understand the power of government to forge communities where people can raise their families and grow their careers. I want to help make that happen in Wake Forest by being an open-minded commissioner who ensures that government does its job by helping every person and family achieve their potential.
“I think the biggest issues are managing growth and maintaining a unified community. Growth is going to happen in Wake Forest, but we must control how it happens to lessen its undesirable impacts. Wake Forest is a diverse community, diverse in how long people have lived here, their socio-economic backgrounds, their education, their churches, and their generations. Diversity makes us strong and vibrant, but it can also weaken us if we do not recognize it and respect it.
“I have attended just about every Planning Board meeting and Board of Commissioners work session and regular meeting for the past two and a half years. I attended the Planning Board Academy in 2015, and for the past two years I have been a member of the Planning Board.”
Juszczak has lived all over the country. “I am the oldest of nine children of a military father, so we lived all over, including Akron, Ohio (birthplace), Houston, Texas, Denver, Colorado, and Orange County, California. After college, my wife and I lived in Los Angeles (three years), Atlanta (eight years), and Northern VA (33 years) before moving to Wake Forest.”
He and his wife, Yvonne, who is retired, have been married 46 years and have three adult children and five grandchildren who are all between 1 and 10. They have lived in Wake Forest three years and chose it because they could retire and/or continue to work part-time and because they have one daughter in Richmond and one in Greensboro.
Since moving here, he has been volunteering with his church, with the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce for events such as Meet in the Street and the Senior Expo and with the town for the Lighting of Wake Forest and Friday Night on White.
“I worked for the federal government (Departments of Defense, Treasury, and Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency) for 34 years as a budget officer. I then went to work for a consulting firm for ten years dealing with federal, state, and nonprofit agencies. After that, I set up my own consulting company (Budget and Performance). I now consider myself semi-retired. In addition to my own company, I do pro bono consulting for nonprofits through the Executive Service Corporation of the Triangle, and I teach an online graduate course in governmental budgeting for American University in Washington, DC.”
Juszczak said the best of Wake Forest are “local events like Lighting of Wake Forest at Christmas, Six Sundays in the Spring, Music at Midday, Memorial Flag-Raising Ceremony, Dirt Day, Arbor Day, Easter Egg Hunt, Friday Night on White, Meet in the Street, free events at the Renaissance Center for seniors, families, and children, and too many others to list.”
And the worst? “The inevitable discord that accompanies change as the community tries to establish new norms and standards.”
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Liz Simpers said, “I absolutely love this town! I have lived all over North Carolina, and Wake Forest has been my favorite community by far. I am hoping to serve the town in this capacity [as a town commissioner], because I think the biggest issue we have is communicating to town residents how to have their voice heard in town decisions. I have never attended a town board meeting, mostly because I never sought out information about them! I think local leadership affects our daily lives more than national leadership does, so I hope to get more people involved in local issues.”
Simpers is single and has two dogs, one of which is a therapy dog at Brookdale Senior Living every Saturday. She is the associate branch director at the Kerr Family YMCA, overseeing all youth, teen and outreach programs. She grew in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and came to North Carolina in 1994 to attend N.C. State School of Design. Since graduation she lived in Cary, north Raleigh and downtown Raleigh before moving to Wake Forest in 2013 to take the YMCA position. She lives in the Bennett Park subdivision.
The best thing about Wake Forest and the worst? “The best thing is the small town feel and the community. People are proud of our history and it shows. The worst thing for me is that I didn’t know about Wake Forest before I moved here! I wish I had moved here sooner! I also wish we had more opportunities to connect families to volunteer events, activities, and each other.”
Simpers has a website for her campaign, www.lizforcommish.com, where you can find more information about her.
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John Van Ness told the Gazette, “I’m running for town board because I want to serve the community of Wake Forest. I have been blessed in many ways and this is an opportunity to serve others and play a role in Wake Forest’s continued success.
“I have attended board meetings and kept up to date on happenings on the town website. The biggest issue I hear about from fellow citizens is the growth. Change can be scary. It seems like every time you turn around there’s another plot of land being developed. People are moving here because of the great things we have going on and as a commissioner, I’ll work with other board members, the mayor, local business and developers to make sure that we have sustainable growth. Growth is good, but we need to make sure that we are maintaining our sense of community. I will work to make sure that Wake Forest remains an active, inclusive, prosperous and connected place to live.”
Van Ness said his family “moved to town in 2010 from a small town in Northern Illinois because of a job change. I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA (Go Steelers) and have lived all over the US.”
A graduate of the University of Maryland, Van Ness said, “I have been in the environmental industry for almost 25 years. In May, I started with a small company, Green Ocean, selling oil spill clean-up supplies. Prior to that, I was a sales manager with Clean Harbors Environmental.”
Van Ness and his wife, Christy, have been married 23 years. She works as a personal chef/caregiver. They have two sons: Trey, 18, will be a freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill this fall, and Cooper, 16, will be a junior at Wake Forest High School.
As for the best and worst things about Wake Forest, Van Ness said, “The best thing about Wake Forest is the number of activities and programs that are offered. There is always something going on. This is what drives our sense of community and brings us closer together. I will work to enhance that and as a commissioner I will be as active in the community as possible.
“With the influx of new residents, a priority of the local government should be to ensure that our newest citizens are connected to each other and the town. If they are aware of what is happening in local government and how decisions are made, they are much more likely to participate in the process and integrate into (and improve) the town culture.”
About a campaign website, Van Ness said he probably will not have one “but may create a Facebook account to keep update on happenings. I think my strategy is going to be knocking on doors.”
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Commissioner candidates must be a resident of the town and a registered voter. Because there are no districts in Wake Forest, the top two candidates will be elected. Town commissioners are paid a salary of $8,000. Our elections follow a staggered schedule with three commissioner seats up for election in 2019, those now held by Brian Pate, Greg Harrington and Anne Reeve.
