Politics & Government

Town Council Candidate: Bob Frink

Patch asks the candidates for municipal office their thoughts on the most pressing issues in Groton.

Editor's note: Seventeen candidates are running for 9 seats on the Groton Town Council on Nov. 8. Below is a Q&A with one of the candidates.

Name:  Robert K. Frink

Age:  65

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Education:  Bachelor's degree, Civil Engineering, University of Connecticut; MBA, Rensselaer Poly Tech

Work Experience:  Retired; 30 years experience in fossil and nuclear power plant construction and project management; 10 years consulting in business automation and business process improvement; 35 years in the Navy Reserve, retiring with the rank of Captain in the Civil Engineer Corps.

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Civic/Political Experience:  Current member, Permanent School Building Committee; past member, Economic Development Commission, Water Pollution Control Authority, Flanders Road Water and Sewer study group and the Charter Revision Commission.

Family:  Married 39 years to Madelyn Frink, a retired teacher from the Groton school system.  One daughter, Janice, who lives with her family in Newington, CT.  Hearty 93-year-old mother living in Groton.

Why are you running for this office?  To cause a positive culture change in the Town Council, affect a pro-acitve leadership style and execute actions to sustain and improve our regional economy.   I will drive a future-oriented council and significantly raise the bar for Town Council deliberations.

What do you believe is the greatest challenge Groton faces today, and what would you do to meet this challenge?   Breaking the current mold.   We are stuck in the past.   It’s time to fully embrace the future with the necessary skills and deep enthusiasm.   

How would you rate the performance of the current board overall, and what, if anything, would you do differently?  Groton‘s Town Councilors have devoted a great deal of time to town government.  They have dealt with a large school construction program, significant budget issues and a declining economy.  For that they deserve a lot of credit.  An area of improvement would be to establish a solid vision for the future and execute on it, measuring progress along the way. Also, being a council member is very time-consuming. I am fully prepared to devote the time and energy a council position requires.


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