Politics & Government

Newest Write-In Candidate Touts Strong Ties to Community

Szumski says knowledge of village, career in social work will be an asset to the Village Board.

Village trustee candidate Brenda Szumski said her roots in the community and her problem solving skills will be an asset to the Village Board.

Szumski is the latest of four write-in candidates to run for two vacant Village Board seats that will be on the ballot in the April 5 election.

The others are: communications consultant ,

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Szumski said she grew up in Whitefish Bay and attended public schools from kindergarten through her high school graduation. After earning a master's degree in social work and working in Colorado, she and her husband Mark returned to the village six years ago. They have two sons in fifth and third grades at Cumberland School.

Szumski said she decided to run a write-in campaign because she wants to play a greater role in serving the community. She is currently finishing a two-year term on the Parent Teacher Council at Cumberland School, and she volunteers with the Whitefish Bay Soccer Club. Her husband serves as a board member for the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation and Whitefish Bay Little League.

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“As a family, we certainly have an interest and a commitment to the community,” she said.

Szumski is employed as a manager of network partnerships for MST Services, which aims to help communities improve outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system.

She said her career skills will be an asset to the Village Board, as her work involves analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Those skills will be vital as the Village Board moves forward with finding solutions for sewer and flooding issues in the village, she said.

“It will be important to have good representation so, as the options are weighed and decisions are made about long-term and short-term solutions, we’ve got people on the board that are good at problem solving and analytic thinking,” she said.

In addition to sewer infrastructure, Szumski said she would work to support local businesses, find ways to encourage new business growth on Silver Spring Drive, preserve and enhance parks and other recreational facilities, and improve the efficiency of the building permit approval and inspection process.

She also said she would like to strenghen communication between residents and Village Hall.

“Now, with the regular e-mail blasts, there’s evidence that we are advancing in the right direction, but I think there are more opportunities to improve communication with residents,” she said.

The top two write-in candidates in the election each will win a trustee seat, assuming they are legally qualified. A special election would be held in the event of a tie.

The four are running to replace two seats left vacant by Trustee Thomas Fehring, who will not seek another term, and Julie Siegel, who is running unopposed for the village president seat currently held by Kathleen Pritchard. Pritchard will not seek another term after nine years of service.


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