Education: Associate Degree in Applied Science. Profession: 35 ... Education: I have a degree in Business Administration
2017 Goffstown Candidate Information Selectman:
Sewer Commission:
Kelly Boyer Peter Georgantas
Stephen R. Crean Richard Palazzolo
Budget Committee:
Town Clerk:
Kelly Boyer (see candidate info for Selectman) Zuzana Buzzell Peter Grigorakakis Karl Soderquist (no info)
Cathleen Ball
Cemetery Trustee:
Alan H. Yeaton (no info)
Linda Reynolds Naughton (no info) Richard Palazzolo
Library Trustee: Steve Bouchard (no info) Kathleen Coughlin Samantha Homan
Planning Board: Phil D'Avanza James Raymond (no info)
Trustee of Trust Funds: Laura Paris (no info)
Zoning Board of Adjustment: School Board - 1 year position: Kristie Curtis Janet Soderquist (no info) Ellen Vermokowitz
School Board - 3 year position: Steven Dutton Jenelle Anne O’Brien (no info) Heather L. Trzepacz (no info)
All information contained in this packet was provided voluntarily by the candidates themselves, and the original Candidate Information forms are on file at the Goffstown Public Library. The library staff has not corrected misspellings or grammatical errors.
Kelly Boyer - Selectman Profession: Human Resources Information Specialist at Elliot Health System Organizations/Affiliations: Member of the Goffstown Lions Club; former two-term AmeriCorps member; Board of Directors for NH Roller Derby; Appalachia Service Project; St. Baldrick’s; Boys & Girls Club of Manchester; VA Hospital of NH, Girls Inc.; NH Food Bank; Families in Transition; Red Cross; Children’s Hospital of Dartmouth; Special Olympics; F.I.R.S.T.; YMCA; Take Back the Night; Girl Scouts of America; Manchester Animal Shelter; City Year; Volunteer NH; Toys for Tots; Easter Seals; AmeriCorps; and YWCA of Manchester, as well as serving as an international volunteer with Cross Cultural Solutions oversees to help orphaned children. Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? I am running for the elected office in the town of Goffstown because I believe that I can bring to the table, what the residents of Goffstown deserve. As a resident and taxpayer, I feel that it is part of my civic responsibility to serve the community that I call home. When my family and I bought our home in Goffstown, we were looking for a community to stay in forever. We wanted a place that had a quality school system, strong economic opportunities, well-maintained roads, accessible municipalities, community oriented public spaces, and most importantly, a
strong sense of community. We were fortunate to find all of those things here in Goffstown and are proud to call Goffstown our home. After we moved to Goffstown, we quickly sought to get more involved with the local community. After joining the Goffstown Lions Club we started meeting a variety of diverse Goffstown residents. Volunteering throughout town has taught me that as a community we are diverse in our opinions and views, but we all share the same commonality that we are proud to be residents of Goffstown and seek what’s best for our community. I have not lived in this town my whole life, but I am committed to living here for the rest of my life. I truly care about what happens in Goffstown and I hope to maintain our legacy while helping all residents get more involved in our progression. I believe that my specific skill set would be best utilized on the Board of Selectmen. I want to offer up a new voice for the community, a fresh perspective to progress, and a committed stance on well-informed and thought out decisions. As your next Selectwoman, I plan to work hard to make sure the many reasons we all chose this community as home will continue to foster positivity and growth that makes Goffstown a place where people want to visit, live, and stay.
Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community?
As your voice on the selectboard, I will be a receptive, commutative, well informed, and impactful Selectwoman. I will effect positive strides in our town while fostering economic growth within our community. I plan to: ● Maintain our reasonable tax rate while working towards community growth so that Goffstown can be as affordable as possible for residents of all ages. ● Support our municipalities in the continued modernization of our buildings. Ensuring that the town departments have adequate support as to provide efficient services for the community. ● Maintain the high quality education and excellent reputation of our school systems by working with our school board. ● Support Small businesses, the Goffstown Main Street program, and increasing off-street public parking in the village area. ● Support the development of playing fields at the Barnard property to the rear of the Public Works Yard. ● Support the continued maintenance of our roadways. DPW needs to be on a path of slowly increasing the amount put towards annual funding of road reconstruction to ensure the longevity of our roads. ● Expand the use of Social Media by the town and the boards to provide greater opportunities for townspeople to get involved and make their voice heard.
● Ensure that Town government is based on respect and civility, fair process, and transparency. I will work to ensure town government is responsive to resident’s needs and concerns by being accessible to residents via direct engagement, social media, email, or phone. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? I believe that I have the experience and the drive to be an asset to the town on the Board of Selectmen. I have spent time in the public sector, both professionally and as a volunteer. I have administered multi-million dollar budgets for federal grants as well as with serving on nonprofit boards of directors. I am familiar with the process and accountability that comes with working for a large well-oiled machine, but I also know how to wear many hats, how to get things done, and how to spot and fix the gaps in a new and less refined process. I believe that my experience as a human resource professional could be well utilized and valuable on the board and for the town in upholding the Selectboard’s personnel decision-making responsibilities. I have a strong background in employee relations, policy creation, and systems administration. I have many years of experience negotiating union contracts as well as employee benefits. Additionally, I have a strong background in volunteer work, non-profit organizational structure and program development. With 15 years’ experience in the nonprofit world,
my unique background includes marketing, public relations, collaborative relations, state and federal licensing regulations, social media management, contracting, and budgeting. I have proven project management experience and excellent organizational skills. I have diverse experiences working with at-risk, disabled, and elderly populations. I have strong experience in leadership and supervision roles with a great ability and want to learn. I am resourceful, creative, collaborative, and detail-driven. I believe that all of these reason along with having a passion for people, projects, performance, and results are the qualities that Goffstown deserves in a Selectwoman. I ask the residents of Goffstown to support me and continue to make this a great place to live. Please consider giving me, Kelly Boyer, your vote on March 14th as your next Selectboard member.
Peter Georgantas - Selectman Political Experience: 3 Years Selectman 2 Years as Chairman; Selectmen’s rep to Economic Development Committee; 13 Years Budget Committee 5 as Chairman; Member Capital Improvement Program; Member Master Plan Update; Member Charter Commission Education: Goffstown High School Profession: Regional Sales
Organizations/Affiliations: Past member Goffstown Lions Club, Past Member Friends Goffstown Softball, Member and instructor Tire industry of America Family Information: 2 Sons and one daughter Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? Preserve the Town’s character in a fiscally responsible manner; To maintain the community’s prosperity through aggressive budgeting; To encourage communication with the citizens of Goffstown; To continue to work with department heads on budgeting, personnel and communication with the citizens of Goffstown Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? Continue to upgrade systems that will enable the town departments to be more efficient Continue to improve the town’s infrastructure while maintaining an affordable tax rate. Work with Labor Unions to insure affordable and fair wages for our employees. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? My experiences as a Selectmen and Budget Committee member as well as other areas of town govt. have provided me the knowledge to work with Department Heads and the other Selectmen to continue to improve our town.
Zuzana Buzzell - Budget Committee Political Experience: 1 year (2016-2017) member of the budget committee for Goffstown. Education: Ph.D. in International Business with Finance,; M.S. in Finance; B.A/M.B.A in Economics. Profession: Lead Faculty for SNHU. Organizations/Affiliations: Member of AIB (Association of International Business) Family Information: Married, two children (8 year old and 2 year old). Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? Invested in community I have lived for the past 12 years. After 1 year on the budget committee I feel I need an additional term to be more effective. I've learned the basics and can be effective to help my community to develop and prosper. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? Reviewing revenues - it is easier to cut expenses than generate new revenue. Bridging departments. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? Accountant for 8 years in the financial field. Teaching finance and accounting - familiar with budgets.
Peter Grigorakakis - Budget Committee Political Experience: None Education: B.A. Humanities, Minor in Economics from Plymouth State University Profession: Program Director - Goffstown VolunTeens Youth Volunteer Organization (Crispin’s House Coalition for Youth) Organizations/Affiliations: Staff - Crispin’s House Coalition for Youth; Former Director - Goffstown Main Street Program; Alumni - Americorps VISTA Family Information: I live in Goffstown with my wife, Cindy Rizza, and our three-year-old daughter. We are expecting in late March of this year! Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? My wife and I fell in love with Goffstown some years ago. Though we absolutely loved the schools, the recreational opportunities, and the rural town qualities so close to our state’s largest city, it was the overall feel of the community that made Goffstown our number one choice in searching for a home for our growing family. We finally made the plunge in the spring of 2015 and that sentiment and love for this community has been echoed to us time and again by our fellow Goffstonians ever since. I have been active enough with both the Main Street Program and Crispin’s House to have realized the greatness of Goffstown did not come out of thin air; it comes from the people who have seen the rewards of a special community and have chosen to give back to it and serve in their best capacity. Myself, I come from a world of numbers and having to make difficult decisions in regards to resources available and dollars spent. Thus in deciding to serve my Town in an additional capacity,
Budget Committee simply feels like the entity where I was best suited to make the most meaningful contribution. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? My authority as I understand it is to work with my fellow committee members and confer with our other town officials, departments, the public, etc. to prepare the best budget possible for the upcoming fiscal year and our Town’s future. That is the singular issue I wish to address in my role as Budget Committee Member. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? My professional experiences have perpetually placed me at the intersection of ideal ambitions and real world circumstances. I know and have demonstrated the problem solving, creativity and compromise is takes to get the most out of limited resources. Specific to Goffstown, in my capacity as director of a local nonprofit, I have fielded the tough and fair questions from our town officials in our Budget Committee as well as our other Boards. I have seen the work our officials put in to get things right, and that, most often, there are multiple potential solutions that they need to navigate. I never envied them. I can only hope that my unique experiences and skills will add to our Budget Committee’s ability to continue to get this valuable job done.
Richard Palazzolo - Cemetery Trustee Political Experience: None Education: Associate Degree in Applied Science Profession: 35 years in various companies performing waste water treatment Organizations/Affiliations: Troop 135 committee member for Boy Scouts; soccer referee Family Information: I have resided in Goffstown for 10 years. Former resident of Bedford for 21 years. I have 3 adult children, all college graduates. One child resides in Goffstown with her two children attending Goffstown schools. Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? I have recently retired and would like to give some service back to the town. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? Since I am new to town politics, I am unaware of any issues with the cemetaries, they appear to run well. I would like to see that the cemetaries are not used for recreation purposes. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? I have a loved one buried in the Shirley Hill Cemetary. I would like to see Goffstown cemtaries kept up as well as they have been. I will do all I can to make sure that these are places of dignety.
Kathleen Coughlin - Library Trustee Political Experience: Current library trustee, serving as the vice-chair of the board and a member of the human resources committee. Education: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine; B.A. from Saint Joseph's College in Standish, Maine. Profession: Veterinarian. Organizations/Affiliations: NH Library Trustee Association; NH Veterinary Medicine Association; American Veterinary Medical Association; Omega Tau Sigma (veterinary fraternity). Family Information: I am from Goffstown originally and have many family members who live in town. Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? I am currently a member, a Library Trustee, I enjoy the experience and want to help my town and my local library. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? I want to improve the services of the library and help the library change with the advancement of technology. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? I have served for two years as a library trustee, I want to continue to take the information I know and improve our library.
Samantha Homan - Library Trustee Education: Simmons College - B.A. in Communications, Southern New Hampshire University, M.S. in Marketing. Profession: Infiniti Digital Marketing Consultant. Organizations/Affiliations: New Hampshire Notary Public, CDK Global Women's Business Resource Group. Family Information: My husband, Shawn, and I live in Goffstown with our two daughters, Riley, 10, and Avery, 5, and our dog, Kacey. Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? The town of Goffstown is truly a vibrant and special community, and I am proud to be a part of it. We are fortunate to have such valuable programs and resources through our library, and my hope is to support, preserve, and protect those resources so that they continue to be accessible to our community and to others through the library consortium. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? The Library building itself is beautiful and historical, and I will support its preservation, upkeep, and expansion. I will continue to support library programs and hope to expand partnerships with other local businesses and community organizations. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? I am a millenial-aged woman with an education, background, and career in digital marketing and advertising. I would love to use my skillset to promote library
programs and issues that need attention, as well as encourage my peers to become involved and support library initiatives.
Phil D'Avanza - Planning Board Political Experience: Budget Committee; Board of Selectmen for 23 years; Historic District Commission; NH Waste Management Council; Planning Board. Education: I have a degree in Business Administration from NHTI and graduated Phi Theta Kappa. Profession: I operate an antique clock business in Goffstown and also restore landmark tower clocks in New England. Organizations/Affiliations: Parishioner of St. Lawrence Church, American Clock & Watch Institute, National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors, and Granite State Timekeepers. Family Information: I have two daughters that graduated from Goffstown High and one grandchild. Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? I believe in volunteer government and giving back to our community. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? I will help maintain the value of our homes and preserve the character of the community as new growth occurs in Goffstown. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? As an incumbent, I believe my experience and historical knowledge will contribute to an effective planning process.
Stephen Crean - Sewer Commission Political Experience: Goffstown Sewer Commission; Goffstown Economic Development Committee; Goffstown Charter Commission; Goffstown Village Water Precinct; Councilor of State of NH Waste Management Council. Education: Goffstown High School, Husson College. Profession: Environmental Planner. Organizations/Affiliations: New England Wastewater Association; Town of Bedford Water and Sewer Advisory Committee (retired); Town of Bedford Recycling Committee (staff liaison) Family Information: Married to Tina Crean; 2 children, Amanda and Dan; 2 grandchildren. Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? It's been an honor serving the residents of Goffstown as a member of this commission and I'd like to continue my public service. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? Continue to expand the Goffstown Sewer System. Continue to keep sewer rates fair and affordable. Continue strong relationship with town government and Public Works Department. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? I've been in the environmental profession for 40+ years, nearly all of those years in the sewer field. I have extensive knowledge
of the Goffstown sewer system and the workings of the Goffstown Sewer Commission. I feel my considerable knowledge and background in this field would benefit the Goffstown Sewer Commission.
Richard Palazzolo - Sewer Commission Political Experience: None Education: Associate’s Degree in Applied Science; Licensed Massachusetts grade 6 Waste Water License Profession: 35 Years in various companies performing indusial waste water treatment discharging to publically owned treatment works Organizations /Affiliations: Troop 135 Boy Scouts of America Committe Member; Soccer Referee Family Information: I have resided in Goffstown for 10 years. Former resident of Bedford for 21 years. I have 3 adult children, all college graduates. One child resides in Goffstown with her two children attending Goffstown schools. Why are you running for an elected office in the Town of Goffstown? I am running for the office of Sewer Commission because I have recently retired and would like to lend my expertise to the town. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? Since I am just starting out running for this office, I am currently not aware of any issues. I will be looking to making sure that Goffstown keeps it’s ability to expand for future growth. I will be visiting various sites to ensure that we have said capacity and
will present my observations to the committee for evaluation and discussion. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? My skills are: 35 years of operational experience qualify me with a unique type of knollege. I undersand how important clean water is, while also providing the town with the service that home owners and bussiness owners need.
Cathleen Ball - Town Clerk Political Experience: 9 years as Goffstown Town Clerk. Education: Goffstown High School, UNH Manchester, American Institute of Banking, Citizens Bank Corporate Development Programs. Profession: Presently serving as Goffstown Town Clerk. Previous 28-year career in banking sales and customer service management. Organizations/Affiliations: NH City & Town Clerks Association member; Served on the Dealer Auto Registration RFP Committee; Founding Board Member of Maple Avenue School Parent Faculty Together as Treasurer; Member of the first local Board of Directors - Villa Augustina School serving as Chairman of the Finance Committee and member of the Marketing & Development Committee; Past trustee of the Goffstown Public Library; Treasurer of the Goffstown Salvation Army through mid-2005; Co-Chair of Greater Goffstown Children’s Christmas Program; Treasurer of Goffstown Friends of Recreation; Active resident of Goffstown, speaking out and
serving on many ad-hoc groups that aim to preserve the land and rural character of the community for the future of Goffstown Family Information: Lifelong resident, born in Goffstown. Married to Donald Ball II for 42 years, 2 daughters, and 3 grandchildren. Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? Goffstown is a great place to live and raise a family. Our residents inspire me! The job of Town Clerk enables me to serve the community by providing efficiency while retaining the small town atmosphere of friendly and helpful service. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? I will continue to manage the office of the town clerk with fiscal conservancy. The Town Clerk’s office is often the first interaction that new residents have with our municipal services. I will continue to welcome new residents to Goffstown by extending a friendly smile, an inviting handshake, and assurance that their clerical/directional objectives can be met. To develop a contingency plan for sufficient Election Day staffing of poll workers, by recruiting new workers to serve alongside our seasoned veterans to take advantage of providing cross-training opportunities. To implement the convenience of credit/debit card payment methods within the Town Clerk’s office at the direction of the Goffstown Board of Selectmen upon completion of their pilot program. To continue to communicate with NH state legislatures regarding law changes that impact services provided by Town
Clerks such as motor vehicle, elections, vital records, dog registrations, etc. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? My career has been focused on providing stellar customer service, implementing responsible business management practices, organizing activities, and ensuring fiscal conservancy to accomplish business objectives. My nine years experience as Town Clerk are evidence of my capabilities to perform the duties of this office following the RSAs of the State of NH pertaining to motor vehicles, elections, vital records, records retention, and other required duties. Most importantly, I look forward to coming to work each day to represent Goffstown as your Town Clerk and provide friendly, helpful, quality service to our residents. I ask, please, for your continuing vote of confidence to allow me to do my best for the next three years.
Kristie Curtis - School Board Political Experience: Was appointed to the School Board in Goffstown by a unanimous vote in March 2016, as the Board had a vacancy. Education: B.A. Psychology, Keene State College (2000); Certified Prevention Specialist, State of NH Profession: Director of Development, Birch Hill Terrace, Manchester, NH 03102 (hire date 11/17/14) Organizations/Affiliations: Goffstown School Board Member; Makin’ It Happen Coalition Board Member (volunteer), Youth
Group Leader, St. Matthew’s Church (volunteer 2010-2015); Juvenile Court Diversion Volunteer (Crispin’s House + GPD) Family Information: Married 12 years to David Curtis. Three children - Eli, 11 yrs; Abby, 5 yrs; + Noah, 2 yrs. -Eli has attended public school in Goffstown since preschool at Glen Lake School, now in grade 6 at MVMS -Abby will attend Glen Lake School this fall, for Kindergarten -We’ve lived in Goffstown for over 12 years; husband is from Keene, I was raised in Wilbraham, MA. Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? On the School Board this year, I feel the Board did an outstanding job working together on difficult decisions, always trying to keep the safety of Goffstown’s children in the forefront. I believe this group is focused, of diverse opinions, and works very hard to get the job done. It has been a pleasure to serve with my fellow School Board Members. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? We have absolutely wonderful schools in Goffstown. Families choose our town, in part, based on our outstanding school system. As school enrollment declines around the state, ours continues to rise and that is no coincidence. I will continue to strive to negociate a fair budget that our continuously-growing schools need, while keeping it as conservative as is safe to do, to cause minimal tax burdens on our citizens. I will also work to ensure we have a supported, caring administration who values our talented teachers, support staff, and everyone who makes Goffstown a community for children to thrive in.
How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? I am the former Executive Director of Crispin’s House in Goffstown, and prior to that ran New Hampshire Teen Institute. I worked closely with teens at St. Matt’s and listened to what they needed from our schools. I have extensive budget experience as an E.D., and am able to make tough decisions for the good of all of our children. My son has had an IEP since Kindergarten and I am very well versed in special education in Goffstown.
Stephen Dutton - School Board Political Experience: School Board (2014-2017), currently Vice Chair, Planning Board (2007-2011), past member and alternate. Education: Bate College - B.A. Mathematics, minor in Computer Science. Brooklyn Law School, J.D. Profession: Attorney with McLane Middleton, Professional Association. Organizations/Affiliations: Family Information: Wife named Emily, and two children, Owen (8) and Penelope (5) Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? I am running for re-election to the Goffstown School Board because I believe it is important to be involved in and give back to my community. I have lived in Goffstown for eleven years. For the last eight years, I have served my community on the Planning and/or School Boards. This is a commitment I would like to continue to honor as I do my part to help Goffstown
remain a great place to live, not just for my family but for all Goffstown residents. Within your authority as an elected official, what issues will you be addressing to improve our community? Goffstown already has fantastic schools that I am incredibly proud of as a parent, resident, and current School Board member. I want to continue to work to move Goffstown schools to the next level of excellence. How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running to fill? I believe my past experience on Goffstown boards, including the last three on the School Board, allows me to be an effective and productive board member. In addition, I bring my education and background as an attorney to the table, which can offer a unique and valuable perspective on the issues being discussed.
Ellen Vermokowitz - School Board Political Experience: Budget Committee, School Board-10 years, Served as Chair for 6 years. Goffstown Chair, Vice Chair & all committees, MVMS Building Committee, PFT & MVP originating member. Education: Masters in Education. Certified Elementary Education, Special Ed and Special Ed Administration Profession: Teacher in another district Organizations/Affiliations: History of community service in our school, Main Street, Women’s Club, School Board, Historic Society
Family Information:Husband of 45 years, Ray. 2 sons raised in Goffstown and attended school here. Grandchildren entering kindergarten next year. Why are you running for an elected office in Goffstown? I know education. I know our town. I know how to ask “thee” question. I work to get things done.
