Supervisor Candidates for Tredyffrin Township, District 1 – East
Paul Olson (R) Incumbent
Tory Snyder (D)
The Tredyffrin Township Supervisor candidates were asked to answer the following question in 500 words or less.
Please identify a specific character trait that makes you an effective leader. Give an example(s) of how you have utilized that personal characteristic in previous leadership position and, if elected, how residents will benefit from that particular trait. Be specific.
The two candidate responses follow below in alphabetical order according to last name. If your question and/or comment is for a specific candidate, please refer to that individual by name so as not to confuse the reader. Voters will select one of these candidates on November 3 for the Tredyffrin Township Board of Supervisors.
Tredyffrin Township Supervisor Candidate Paul Olson (R) Incumbent
District 1 – East
Persistence
My name is Paul Olson and I am running for re-election as Supervisor in the Eastern District of Tredyffrin Township. My wife, Andrea, and I have lived here since 1969 and we raised our family here.
The character trait that has served me well is persistence. “Persistence is omnipotent” and through it we are able to achieve many worthwhile goals in life. This is my firm belief.
In my thirty-seven plus years of service to the citizens of Tredyffrin as a Township Supervisor, I have overseen significant changes in this community and I have always been determined to provide quality services at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayer.
Through the years, I have always been a dedicated worker. Now, as an employer in a small family-owned company, I have come to understand and appreciate the importance of the following values:
- Team involvement (There is no “I” in team);
- A ‘Stick-to-It’ attitude; and,
- A ‘Never give up’ approach.
All three are critical, not only in the work-a-day world that most of us experience, but in the Public sector as well.
As one of the co-chairs of the Tredyffrin Library Capital Campaign which supported the expansion of the Strafford Library, I helped to raise more than four million dollars in private money for that project. Persistence and perseverance helped us to achieve that success. I have worked to bring people together on numerous issues and I have always cared deeply about doing what is best for the community.
Since 2007 I have been a member of the Surrey Services Board of Directors. I am fortunate to be able to work with this wonderful organization which provides such important services to our older citizens. Our community is blessed with individuals who give of their time, talent, and treasure for volunteer organizations and volunteerism helps make America the great country that it is!
If re-elected, I will continue to be persistent and steadfast in my efforts to make Tredyffrin an even better place to live and work and play.
Tredyffrin Township Supervisor Candidate Tory Snyder (D)
District 1 – East
Forward-looking Leadership
“In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.”
While it is difficult to identify one single trait that has made me an effective leader, I would say that one of my strongest traits, and one that distinguishes me from my opponent, is that I am forward looking in my decision making.
I grew up in the western end of Tredyffrin Township and attended T/E schools. I saw the development of Chesterbrook Shopping Center as the new exciting place to shop in the late 1970s and witnessed its vacancies 30 some years later. I saw the old Wilson farm become Wilson Farm Park and watched Berwyn Paoli Little League create the field of dreams complex. I have chosen Tredyffrin as my home as I became an adult and parent because I know where we have come from and I can see where we can go as a community. I am invested in Tredyffrin Township and I will contribute to its long term strength and success.
This perspective is essential to taking actions that make sense for Township residents today without burdening Township residents in the future. I believe that this lack of forward thinking among some of our elected officials has resulted in the Township’s moving too slowly and missing out on a number of opportunities to broaden our tax base and provide more amenities for Tredyffrin residents.
Many of my actions first as a member, and then as Chair of the Planning Commission, reflect this philosophy. I always ask what will be the future implications of a decision. One specific example that I can point to recently is when the developers of the new assisted living facility in Paoli came to the Township with their proposal. While the project had broad political support as proposed, many of the neighbors voiced valid concerns with the project. I shared many of their concerns. As a Planning Commissioner, I was able to add limitations to the Township Code so that this project and any future projects would be presented to the Township in a more appropriate form.
While not all of the provisions that I suggested were adopted, including a greater amount of open space and a better density standard, I believe that it was my specific leadership and direction that resulted in a better project which met a number of resident concerns and set better standards for future projects.
As a Tredyffrin Township Supervisor (1st District, East) I will be one of the seven people who set policy for our Township, who are elected to govern and to address the needs of all residents in the community. I would like to serve the people of Tredyffrin as a member of this Board, bringing my forward looking leadership and perspective to keep our community strong in the future.