Candidate Bio
John Foley is a four-year Easton resident with three children attending Region 9 schools. He is passionate about giving back to the town that has given his family so much. As a senior executive at the largest property management company in North America, John brings with him a wealth of experience in strategic planning, communication, and collaboration. He looks forward to working with other residents to keep Easton thriving.
Candidate Statement
I am a product of the public education system. I was educated in Ireland and received public education all the way through college. I’m passionate about it and believe public education is not only the key to raising a child up but I believe that it is the very foundation of our democracy.
I’m one of eight children. My father was a successful contractor in Ireland and was someone who worked hard, not only for his family but for his community too. He set up an amateur drama group that ran plays for the benefit of the town and he also was a founding member of the local credit union that gave local people access to funds that they would not normally have access to.
Unfortunately, he died in 1980 when I was seven years old. My mother raised eight kids from the age of 15 down to three. Fortunately, Ireland has a wonderful public education system and we were all given the chance to excel in school and I was lucky enough to be able to go to college to get a degree in architecture.
I came to this country with not much else but that education and America welcomed me with open arms and gave me opportunity. If anyone tells you the American dream is dead, come have coffee with me some morning and I’ll show you that it’s very much alive and well.
I believe I’m a good collaborator and more importantly, a good listener. I was asked once, do you know what you are getting into here and I responded that if I did, I’m sure I’d think twice! But all kidding aside, I just want to make things better. I care for this community and the people in it. They have strong opinions and those opinions need to be listened to. All in all, I believe everyone here has good intentions behind their opinions.
But also, as a board member you need to have the courage to make decisions based on your beliefs. I do not believe in sitting on the fence. I believe that in any enterprise, making a decision, even a wrong one, is better than making none at all.
