CHOICES OF VP CANDIDATES AT THE MARCH 1 ELECTION

Four candidates are seeking two of the four vice presidential positions.

On Friday, March 1, delegates to the delegate assembly will be voting for two vice presidents for a full 2-year term. Four candidates have applied for the position. Current VP Stew Richland seeks reelection. Fausto Fabbro and John Gluszak, who each served previously as a VP, are running again. And Ed Grossman is making another bid for the position. Now we have heard from them in their statements made on Village channels 63 and 95, and in a robust debate moderated by new County Commissioner Gregg Weiss.

The question is: Who do we want to represent us, remembering that the two chosen VPs will be sitting in on all the very important officers' meetings; overseeing various committees; attending many other meetings; and not last, each being assigned to a different one-fourth of the associations (their "quadrant") to provide guidance and help? The vice president position is an important one as UCO is structured. What do we look for in a vice president? Let me make some suggestions.

A vice president has to have some smarts. He or she needs to understand the factors that go into decision-making on many issues, most of which have a price tag attached. Our finances are limited. We need to be mindful of the future. We need to maintain what we have. We should acquire new items and do so wisely. Can he or she deal intelligently with all the issues that arise, sufficient to help lead this Village of 14,000 residents, comparable to the size of many towns. The VP also needs to be able to correctly guide those who come to him or her with Village questions—not guess nor skirt the issue (we've had too much of this over the years)—and where necessary consult someone more knowledgeable for the answer.

A vice president needs to work as a team member. His or her expertise and advice are needed, and sometimes one must stand alone. But the VP needs to work WITH others, and especially the UCO president, who has the hardest job of all and needs support, for not everything will go right in any organization. A vice president should not be a disrupter, nor a glory seeker, nor out for only himself and his own advancement.

Finally, but not last in importance, a VP needs to have a genuine affection for ALL the people—not just his friends, and certainly not just those from whom he or she can expect "payback" in some form.

Decisions are not always easy. Please give this one some serious thought. Thank you for reading thus far in this post, and you may stop right here. For any interested, however, I will share whom I plan to be voting for as UCO vice presidents: Stew Richland and Fausto Fabbro.