Flancbaum Responds to McKenna’s Questions About His Background

Justin Flancbaum, the Executive Director of the Lakewood Municipal Utility Authority and a candidate to replace Dave Rible as a LD 30 State Assemblyman at the GOP County Committee on Monday, August 14, took issue with former Wall Township Mayor Bob McKenna questioning his credentials in a public forum and provided MMM with answers to the questions that McKenna raised in his column published earlier today.

“I would never say anything about someone’s credentials without knowing the person or talking to them,” Flancbaum said in a phone interview with MMM. “I don’t know Mr. McKenna, it’s unfair to pass judgment.”

“I am confident in my credentials and qualifications,” he said. “The County Committee will have three qualified candidates to choose from on Monday night.”

McKenna had also criticized Senator Robert Singer for making the Assembly race an Ocean County vs. Monmouth County choice in his endorsement of Flancbaum.  “I thought this abbreviated election process was about selecting the most qualified, the most experienced individual to represent all of LD 30, not what County someone is from,” McKenna said in his column.

“I don’t see this as a Ocean County vs Monmouth County race,” Flancbaum said.  “I want to represent all the people of the 30th district.”

McKenna questioned why Flancbaum left his education off the resume he mailed to County Committee members, his professional background, and how the full time Executive Director of the Lakewood MUA would be able to take time off from his job to attend to his duties as a member of the General Assembly.

Flancbaum responded as follows:

• Education: Justin is a high school graduate.  He attended a boarding school, the Israel Henry Beren High School in Baltimore. He graduated in 1998.  He was accepted at Yeshiva University in New York and attended for one semester. “I came to the realization that it wasn’t for me. I went into business,” he said.

 

• Professional background:
  • Employment:

    Thompson Grove Associates , Inc. – a company owned by his father, Sam Flancbaum.
    Vice President – 1998-2009
    Real estate development and construction. Residential home builder and Commercial construction manager.

    Lakewood Township MUA
    Executive Director – 2009-present
    Public water and sewer utility servicing approximately 1/3 of Lakewood Township . Directly responsible for an annual operating budget of over $9,500,000. Successfully completed over $30,000,00 worth of capital improvements the last eight year.

    Justine said he also worked and a real estate broker since graduating from high school.  He still maintains his license but does not remember the last transaction he brokered.

  • Professional and Community Boards:

    Association of Environmental Authorities of NJ- Second vice president

    NJ Utility Authorities Joint Insurance Fund – Executive Board

    Municipal Utility Authorities Association of Ocean County – Vice President

    Lakewood Industrial Commission- Vice Chairman.

    Lakewood Chamber of Commerce – Second Vice President

    Political Affiliations:
    Municipal Chair- Lakewood GOP

    Executive Board Member- Regular Republican Club of Lakewood.

    Executive Board Member- Ocean County Young Republican Organization.

Regarding doing his job at the Lakewood MUA while serving the the legislature, Flancbaum said, “Every member of the Assembly has a job.  I don’t believe my service in the Assembly would take away from my job or impact my ability to direct the authority.”

The GOP County Committee members from the 30th legislative district will elect a candidate to fill the vacancy in the Assembly created by Dave Rible’s resignation, and will nominate that candidate to stand for election in November, on Monday evening August 14 at the IBEW Local #400 union hall in Wall Township.   The candidates are Flancbaun, former Wall Township Mayor Ned Thomson and former Belmar Councilman James Bean.

Thomson was a Wall Township Mayor, having served on the Township Committee from 1998-2008. He currently serves on the Township’s Planning Board where he also served from 1997 through 2007. He was a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment from 1990 through 1997.  The President of E.H. Thomson and Company, a Sea Girt based consulting actuary firm, Thomson has served as a Trustee of the New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System for the past 22 years under appointment by 6 and served under 10, NJ Governors.

Bean is a former Belmar Councilman and the 2014 nominee for Mayor. He is a U.S. Marine Veteran who served from 1990-1994.  Bean holds a Bachelors degree from York College of PA in Information Systems.  Since 2002 he has been a MIS Manager of The Stavola Companies in Tinton Falls.

 

 

Posted: August 11th, 2017 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County | Tags: 30th Legislative District, Bob McKenna, James Bean, Justin Flancbaum, LD 30, Monmouth County News, Ned Thomson | 8 Comments »

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