Candidate Profiles

Serving in his second term, Councilman Kevin Glover has been an outspoken advocate for the citizens of Scotch Plains, believing it is a privilege and honor to serve the citizens of the Township. He has been committed to fiscal responsibility, stabilizing local property taxes, and promoting leadership and accountability of government, while encouraging community values and services. While serving on the Council, Kevin supports putting our community’s needs first, stating our citizen’s needs are not, and should not be subject to local partisan politics. Kevin has long advocated that Scotch Plains is where we call home, where we raise our families, where one day many would like to retire. He believes our township can be made an even better place to live and call home, and that begins by making it more affordable.

During his time on Council, Kevin successfully led efforts to reduce municipal costs and lower potential tax increases by promoting competitive bidding on all municipal professional service agreements. He also encouraged implementation on the centralized procurement policy to insure purchases were being made at the lowest cost, and fought for the lowering of the out of control legal fees the Township was incurring.

Glover was the first to advance and show real leadership on sharing services with the Borough of Fanwood. Kevin believes that shared services can provide a real opportunity to lower costs and save taxpayers money. Kevin believes that by controlling the cost of government, and not by simply cutting services, we can achieve a goal of being community minded and fiscally responsible.

Kevin spearheaded the development of the Township’s state of the art web site that featured the State’s first Municipal government "on demand" rebroadcasts of Council meetings. He has promoted the need for proper maintenance of the Township’s properties and infrastructures as a means to avoid future costly repairs. Kevin has served as the Council’s liaison to the following Township committees: Technology, Senior Citizens Advisory, Senior Citizen Housing Corporation, Memorial Day Parade, Scotch Plains Day, and the Board of Education.

Tribute concert for veterans, July 2012

Kevin has long felt it is an elected official’s responsibility to listen to citizens’ concerns and needs and has made it a personal responsibility to lend a hand when asked for assistance. Whether working on saving a 20 year Township Summer Concert tradition or organizing a Memorial Day Concert to honor our veterans, he finds his most gratifying days on Council has been working with neighbors that volunteer their time and services to make Scotch Plains a more heartfelt community.

The prudent values he has brought to the Council come from having spent 35 successful years in the private sector managing facilities and telecommunications for several global firms, with responsibility for over $1 billion dollars in expenses and over 2 million square feet of office space. Currently, Kevin is the managing principal of his own facility advisory firm that consults and advises corporations on real estate needs.

A lifelong baseball fan, Kevin is a diehard Yankee, Giants and Devils fan, as well as being a serious collector of Disney memorabilia. He has coached little league baseball and soccer. He has volunteered and supported the efforts of several local community houses of worship with their fund raising efforts, and currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Managers for Runnells Specialized Hospital of Union County.

Kevin and his wife Joanne have been married 39 years. Joanne is a local realtor and has worked as a substitute Special Ed teacher at Park Middle School. They are the proud parents of two sons Thomas and Kenneth.

The Gialanella Family

Colleen has been employed by the Clark Public School District for twelve years. Initially hired as a third grade teacher at Valley Road School, she has also taught fifth grade as well as history at Carl H. Kumpf Middle School. In 2006, Colleen joined the administrative team as a Content Area Supervisor and soon after became the Assistant Principal of Carl H. Kumpf School. She remained in that role for nearly four years. In April of 2010, she transitioned to the role as District Supervisor of Pupil Personnel Services/Guidance. In that capacity, she serves also as the District’s Test Coordinator. Colleen has B.S. in Elementary Education from Seton Hall University, and a MA in Educational Leadership from Kean University.

For more than a decade, Colleen has assisted with the Union County Sheriff’s Office Operation Bread Basket, through which, several hundred baskets are filled by volunteers from the Sheriff’s Office and distributed to families in need throughout Union County during the holiday season. Colleen has committed herself whole heartedly to the efforts of the American Cancer Society, and has served as a Planning Committee Member for Clark’s Annual Relay for Life while leading a team that has raised nearly $10,000 for that event.