The Times has approached each of the four candidates for the Sanitary District Board of Directors and will be publishing their responses to questions over the next three weeks.

This week we have their responses to the following question: What makes you a good fit to sit as a Sanitary District Director?

Gregg Dudash - Experience and competence. As one of the incumbent directors running for re-election, I am actually doing the job. When a vacancy occurred in 2015, I applied for and interviewed to fill the vacancy.

I didn’t know anyone on the board but was unanimously selected based on my qualifications and knowledge of sanitary district operations.

I have been on the Board of the Fountain Hills Sanitary District for over 2½ years, actually doing the work of a director. I know the job.

My background? I earned a master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Loyola University of Chicago and then became employed in the personnel department at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). I was involved in employment, hiring for every position at the country’s largest unified sanitary district. I learned what it took to efficiently run such an operation. I handled the personnel department’s budget for four years.

I worked for the MWRD for over 27 years, the second half in information technology where I supported every single department at the district.

In my last three years there, I worked at the largest wastewater treatment plant in the world where I actually got to understand every step in the process of wastewater treatment.

The Fountain Hills Sanitary District is one of the best-managed sanitary districts in the State of Arizona. To help provide that level of excellence, competence and experience matters a lot.

I possess that competence and experience because I put in over 30 years total to learn what it takes to run a sanitary district. I am honored to be part of this great organization, dedicated to protecting the public health and environment in Fountain Hills. I respectfully ask for your vote.

Tony Finocchio - I have been in public service my entire adult life. I was a first responder for the Chicago Police Department for 35 years, and promoted to the rank of lieutenant.

While employed, I earned a business degree with a major in accounting, a second degree in private security, and a Master of Science Degree in Social Criminal Justice.

I married my wife in 1973 and together we owned and managed four successful retail businesses, employing over 75 people.

In 1979 we purchased our first residential property in Fountain Hills. Since then we have added several more properties and relocated here in 2003.

I served on the Public Safety Commission for six years and have been a member of Four Peaks Rotary since 2004. I served as treasurer, president, and for three years the Assistant District Governor. For the past 10 years I have been the President of the Shadow Canyon Townhomes HOA.

I have a vested interest in this community. My entire past has taught me that in public service, your number one priority is to the public. The people are the ones you have a fiduciary responsibility to. They are the ones you are serving. You should never have any hidden agendas that could compromise your ethical responsibilities.

The responsibility of the Sanitary Board members is to insure that the District utilizes wisely, all the money they receive. Over 14 percent in real estate taxes and $324 in fees from every property owner. They just keep on rising.

Ask yourselves, what has this unelected board done in the past 15 years to improve conditions at the Fountain Park and the well-being of your community? And what members seem to have their own agendas?

Your vote is powerful.

When elected to the board, I will fight tirelessly on your behalf.

Tom Reski - I have been an elected official of the FHSD since Nov. 8, 2005 and for 3 years prior to that as an appointed director, giving me over 15 years on the FHSD board. I have been chairman of the board twice during my tenure.

I am an electrical engineer and for the past 38 -plus years, I have been involved in one way or another in the water and wastewater industry.

I own an electrical engineering firm that specializes in the design, build and commissioning of water and wastewater treatment facilities. In my capacity of president of my firm, I am responsible for both the technical and fiduciary components of my business, just as I do as a director with the FHSD.

I hold a Grade 4 WWTP operator’s permit and I am a licensed general engineering contractor in the State of Arizona as well as several other western states. These last two items provide the SD with my expertise and knowledge of assessing the designs and bids that we received from various contractors as it applies to FHSD construction projects.

The role of a FHSD board member is primarily fiduciary, but also demands a technical knowledge of how a WWTP operates in order to understand all that our district manager has to deal with in her day to day activities.

In our monthly meetings, my fellow board members often call upon me to explain some of the technical aspects of the bids and proposals that we receive and review as well as the issues surrounding our oversight of the best practices of our district and how they compare to the best practices of my engineering firm.

Scott Sommer - As a Fountain Hills business owner who loves this town, I bring diverse experience in business management and leadership that make me a perfect fit for a seat on the board of directors of the Fountain Hills Sanitary District.

From the day I entered the workforce I have served in leadership roles. For the majority of my life I have managed people and projects specializing in a technical nature.

With this came the requirement to lead and support people, processes, budgets and schedules. I have years of experience working together with varieties of individuals to create innovative solutions to some of the most complex problems one would face as a business leader. It is this same mindset, elements of creativity and fiduciary responsibility I plan on delivering to the Fountain Hills Sanitary District.

When looking at the most successful organizations I have always noticed something in common; a wide diversity in individuals and experiences are what makes a strong board of directors. The purpose of the board of directors is not to run the day to day operations (as some might think); that is the responsibility of the talented staff and technicians. The responsibility of the board should be to provide fiduciary oversight, transparency to the end user, and strategic direction; all of which I have experience in.

The district is entering a time of change, and it is important, now more than ever that the residents have a choice to bring in qualified, diverse leaders with fresh ideas and unique mindsets to address these changes. It is because of my extensive experience in leadership roles and my passion for the people in this town that I will be an excellent fit to serve in this role and look forward to earning your vote on November 7.