Harrington Park Democrats: Candidate Info

SAM KEENE

For Harrington Park Mayor

Sam has deep ties to Harrington Park. He grew up in town and is now raising his own family just a few blocks from his childhood home. Sam attended Boston and Columbia Universities, ultimately earning his PhD in electrical engineering. He is the Inaugural Chair of the Computer Science Department and a Professor of Electrical Engineering at The Cooper Union; he is also a visiting researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Sam has held various leadership roles at Cooper including president of the faculty student senate and chair of a dean search committee, and currently serves as president of the faculty union. Being chosen by his peers to represent them in multiple capacities speaks to his interpersonal skills and his ability to inspire trust and respect in an exceptionally diverse community. His leadership, compassion, and professional expertise qualify him as an outstanding candidate for Mayor of Harrington Park.

JOHN DUNLEA

For Harrington Park Council

JOHN DUNLEA and his wife Mary are 25-year residents of Harrington Park. They raised their three children here in Harrington Park and have a long record of dedicated service to the community. For several years, John coached many local sports and recreational programs. He is a past President of the Harrington Park Lions Club and remained an active member for many years, receiving the Lion of the Year award for his outstanding dedication, vision and leadership to Lionism. As his children were attending HP School and NVOT, he served as treasurer of the Harrington Park Sports Boosters Association and later volunteered for the Northern Valley Old Tappan Golden Knights Athletics Association. John’s volunteerism and community involvement ultimately led to his election to the Council. During his tenure as councilman, he was Council President, chaired the Finance Committee, and served on the Police Committee.

John has fresh ideas for Harrington Park. His main objectives are improving the parks & recreation areas, enhancing our library & community buildings, and fostering reasonable development in our commercial areas. He is committed to effectively channeling tax and grant dollars to better our community’s quality of life and increasing transparency and flow of information between local government and residents.
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In addition to his background in Council, John will draw on his wealth of professional experience and knowledge to achieve these initiatives. He graduated from University College, Cork in Ireland with degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics and his career has spanned 35 years in financial technology and project management. John is the Director of Information Technology & Software Development for a global financial services company. His commitment to the development of his profession mirrors his commitment to the betterment of our community. John is an active member of the New Jersey Chapter of the Project Manager Institute (PMI) and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), having earned his Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) professional designation from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania.

JOE ZAVARDINO

For Harrington Park Council

Joe has lived in town for 30 years and his daughter is currently raising her own two children here as well. He has a long history of serving in many capacities in Harrington Park, including for 21 years in our Building Department as the construction, fire and zoning official. Additionally, Joe served on the local Board of Education, including two terms as president. During his tenure on the Board, Joe was instrumental in obtaining a grant that enabled the school to expand by adding 8 classrooms as well as the gym that has become an indispensable asset to the entire Harrington Park community.

Joe attended Jersey City State College, earning a BS in accounting and fire science administration. Besides being a valued member of our community, Joe is a U.S. Navy veteran; he was also a Career Fire Captain and past president of the International Firefighters Local Union. He has over 40 years’ experience in municipal government, with expertise in public sector labor-management contract negotiations and the municipal budget process. Joe will bring both a proven record of effectiveness and extensive experience in every aspect of local governance to the Harrington Park Council.