Meet Timothy Berrios: Parsippany School Board Candidate

Parsippany Patch has reached out to local candidates to find out more about them. Check out Parsippany Patch's Election Hub for information on all candidates. Here is information from Timothy Berrios.

• Berrios has lived in Parsippany for 23 years
• Age: 49
• Family: 

• My wife Kathleen and I have been married for over 23 years.
• Kathleen is a lifelong resident.
• Kathleen is a teacher of more than 25 years in the Livingston School district and a member of the NJEA.
• We have three 3 children (1 daughter graduated PHS in 2011; another daughter is a senior at PHS, and my 12 year old is a 7th grader at CMS). 

What is your education background? A technical degree from the Computer Processing Institute, Paramus NJ and has attended The College of Saint Elizabeth majoring in Information Technology with a concentration in Business Administration.

Why do you think you are qualified for this position? I am qualified to serve on the Board of Education because I have devoted my time to always helping the children of our town. I have volunteered for the Parsippany Soccer Club for 12 years as a coach, a referee, and as Vice President of the Intramural Program. I have always been an advocate for the children and have always made my decisions based on what would benefit the children.

Why are you running for this elected office? While my daughters were growing up, I attended multiple Board of Education meetings. I finally became an avid attendant when my middle daughter, Kristina became the Board of Ed representative for Parsippany High School. My attendance made me realize that I could no longer watch our schooling system rest in the hands of individuals who were not advocates for the children; I decided it was time to take a stand and make a difference. To serve our community.  I believe that our town is only as strong and effective as our education system.  My goal is to give the tax payers a voice in the decisions the board of education makes on behalf of our children. The main objective and focus of the board of education should be the students of Parsippany and how to ensure a positive and effective school experience.  It should not be about board or township politics.

What are the three issues that most concern you? Finding a permanent superintendent for our district; Non-transparency; nothing should be hidden from the public behind closed doors; and Maintain the focus on the children in the classrooms rather than hidden agendas and personal vendettas.

Explain your proposed approach to managing these issues. 

• Communicating and working together as a team for the benefit of our children is the best and most successful approach to managing these issues. I hope to prevent personal politics from having any effect on the decisions the board makes. It is imperative to have the students as our number one priority; they are the future and it is our duty to provide them with the best education possible.
• I also plan on being fiscally responsible for our expenses. Being a Director of Information Technology for my company, I understand the value of a dollar and how it is vital to spend wisely. I will ensure that each dollar is being spent in the most beneficial way so as to not waste valuable tax dollars.

Have you held elected office before? For two years, I held the position of Vice President of Intramurals for the Parsippany Soccer Club.

What organizations do you belong to? Parsippany High School Marching Band Field Crew 

Campaign Website: www.berriosforboe.com

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Editor's Note: Patch will be posting these candidate questionnaires in the order that they are received back. For candidates who have not heard from Patch, please contact Kim@patch.com.