Meet the Candidate: Gayle Block

Name: Gayle Block

Age: 53

Party and position running for: Democratic Candidate for the Board of Education

Family Info: Married with a daughter who is a senior at Tolland High School.

Previous Political Experience: Board of Education - 5 years on the Board with 4 years as Vice Chairperson; Chairperson of the Negotiating Committee - 4 years; member of the Policy Committee - 4 years

Other Experience:

Current President of the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, 2011

Executive Board member of the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association - 10 years.

State of Connecticut, Animal Population Control Program, Advisory Board - 17 years.

Served as President of Congregation B’nai Israel Synagogue in Vernon and was responsible for facilitating a merger in 2009 with another local synagogue which included extensive negotiations, contract development, financial and legal oversight in addition to the sale of historic real estate.                               

Why are you running for office?

I have been a member of the BOE since 2006, and I continue to be very passionate about public education. Local education is the foundation of our future. Not only has my experience on the board provided me with an enormous amount of insight, but my experiences on other boards allow me to continue to serve the public as a knowledgeable and productive member.

How do you plan on creating a budget that provides a good education for Tolland students, but is one that you can defend before the Town Council and gain approval from Tolland voters? 

I feel that the last 4 years we have put forth a budget that we can defend. We have continually sought to be transparent in our budget requests and presentations. While we must always be mindful of current economic times, we cannot put forth budgets that eliminate programs and teachers as our goal is to provide an education that can prepare our students for a successful future.