The Village Green has offered each of the three candidates vying for two spots in the June 2 Democratic Primary for Maplewood Township Committee to submit a “Candidate’s Statement.” Here is Greg Lembrich‘s submission.
My name is Greg Lembrich and, as many of you know, I am running for Maplewood Township Committee. Contrary to popular myth, I am not doing so because of a post office or as the puppet of any town leader past or present. I am running because, as residents who are raising our 4-year old daughter in this community, my wife and I are passionate about preserving Maplewood as a place that all of us can be proud to call our hometown. Doing so will require independent perspective, fresh ideas, and hard work to engage and serve all of our town. I believe that I am the best candidate in this election to move Maplewood forward while preserving the charm and character that gives our town its unique personality.
I was born and raised in New Jersey as part of a family that valued public service. My mother was a county/state employee that also served a leading role in our local schools, including President of the PTA while my sister and I were in school. My father was a public school teacher who also served multiple terms on the Branchburg Township Committee, including a term as Mayor. I grew up admiring their commitment to making the local community a better place, and I always aspired to do the same one day when my family and I found a home of our own.
After graduating from Somerville High School in 1996, I went on to attend Columbia for college and law school. As a practicing attorney, I have worked at multiple top New York City law firms and worked on complex matters including the BP oil spill case, litigation related to the Bernard Madoff fraud, and defending IBM in a multi-billion dollar I.P. case. The most rewarding part of my practice, however, has been representing members of the Lakota tribes in South Dakota for more than a decade to obtain equal voting rights. I am now an in-house counsel for New York Life Insurance Company, a position that gives me more time to devote to family and community pursuits. I have also recently used my insurance law expertise to help numerous families effected by autism (including my own) obtain affordable, comprehensive insurance coverage through the State of New Jersey to cover costly, live changing treatments for our children.
I am the “new guy” in this election, and I embrace that role. I have no allegiance to the way things have been done in the past and will bring an open mind and analytical approach to everything that comes before the Township Committee. We need to stop focusing only on the next budget year and start thinking strategically about the long-term future of Maplewood. The next generation of leadership needs to step forward in Maplewood, and I want to be the beginning of that process of renewal.
If I am elected, you will get:
- A responsible approach to development that will be economically and environmentally sustainable, including opposition to PILOTS and other tax breaks for developers;
- Closer communication and coordination between local government and the Board of Education to work together to improve education for our children and address the fiscal challenges facing our schools;
- Expanded shared services with South Orange and other neighboring communities to maintain existing services more efficiently to provide tax relief;
- A commitment to providing more affordable opportunities for our community’s seniors to remain in Maplewood; and
- Greater transparency and accessibility in local government, including greater use of social media to inform the community and solicit ideas and feedback from residents.
Asking the community to entrust me with the responsibility to help lead and govern our town has been an inspiring and educational experience. I have had the opportunity to meet hundreds of neighbors and hear their questions, views, and hopes for Maplewood. While many have spoken to me about the post office site development proposal, our schools, and our taxes, the central concern I hear from residents all over town is about what kind of town Maplewood will be in the future and how the decisions we are making today will impact our community in the long-term. Ultimately, the reason that I am running for Township Committee is so that I can play an active role in shaping those decisions and ensure that young families like mine have a voice in these crucial ongoing discussions.
I hope that the hard work, clear message, and responsiveness to public concerns that my team and I have poured into this campaign have helped me to earn your vote on Tuesday. If elected, I promise to continue earning your trust by following through on the ideas I have set forth, taking an independent approach to the issues facing Maplewood, and listening to and addressing the needs and concerns of our entire community. I want to be YOUR committeeman. I encourage you to stop me at the train station or the grocery store, call me, or send me an email when you need information or if there is something on your mind. If elected, I will spark the next generation of leadership in Maplewood for the benefit of all of our community’s generations. Please vote for me on Tuesday and give me the honor of serving you and your family.
