Tara CDD Seat 3: Barbara Linden

 Name: Barbara Linden

Occupation: Global Public Sector Solution Center Lead for IBM Global Markets 

Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology from St. Joseph  College and corporate finance/banking certification from New York Institute of Finance 

Elected government experience: No elected experience, but worked in the public sector for the last 10 years of career with IBM Corp. and has understanding of how government agencies work and the requirements for careful scrutiny and security. Through my consulting business I was elected executive director to  establish a public private partnership with CT state and local government in designing, building, coordinating and staffing in perpetuity a group home for the disabled. 

    Why do you want to serve on the CDD?

My history demonstrates a strong interest to give back. For 25 years  I have served on various boards and  worked on community development associations and charitable organizations. I am relatively new to Tara Preserve but already love my new community and want to ensure it remains a lovely, safe, high quality place to live. Additionally, my intent is to raise the productivity level of the board of supervisors by infusing  greater collaboration. 

If elected, what will be your top three priorities during your term?

My plan is: to promote decisions that keep property values high; to carefully scrutinize all potential expenditures and to invest wisely to ensure Tara Preserve continues to be an attractive, desirable place to live; and to listen to constituents and then use my project management and negotiating skills to address those needs.

How do you plan to address those priorities?

The first two priorities can be addressed by changing the previous trend of putting off required maintenance and/or avoiding needed improvements and/or looking just at the cheapest quote without regard for value and results. I plan to support  smart investments  that demand the board completes all due diligence in advance, selects the right vendor first, rigorously assesses proposals, insures strict adherence to contract SLAs and timely work completion for maximum return on investment. 

The final priority will mean my  refocusing the board's attention to the needs of the entire community rather than the interests of a few. My plan is to reach out to the community to encourage meeting participation, to seek residents' feedback and provide an environment where all can share a perspective. The channels I will use depend the urgency and importance of the issues but could include all digital channels , phone calls and the old fashion but effective face to face two way communication  

What makes you a better candidate for this position than your opponent? 

My education, professional and life experience make me an ideal candidate for the Tara Preserve CDD Board of Supervisors. I have the drive to serve the residents in the community, the intelligence to propose strategic decisions, and  the passion to carefully consider issues and then follow through for continuous improvement.