The 2018 midterm elections held many important candidates for local, state, and national government races. One specifically important candidate for the Spring-Ford community joined that list with a big victory.
Joe Ciresi, the former board president for the school district, beat incumbent Republican Tom Quigly in the race for the 146th district seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives this past fall.
The job title provides Ciresi with the new challenge he desired.
“I figured it was time to start something new,” Ciresi said. “We’ve watched the inequities in public education and funding, and I’ve been to Harrisburg a few times as a board member, so I thought I should do something at a higher level that would not only help Spring-Ford but to help the whole district. I’ve seen what the issues were, so it was time to move to the next position.”
Ciresi, who ran as a Democrat, worked on the Spring-Ford school board for 12 years and served four years as president. His knowledge on the subject of education is extremely valuable, and he sees definitive ways to improve the system.
“The biggest thing is to work with both parties, with my fellow members in the House and the Senate and the Governor’s Office, and see what we can do,”Ciresi said. “It’s not about adding to the system, it’s about looking at the overall system with what works and what doesn’t. But there are a lot of changes across the board that need to be made.”
Along with plans regarding education, Ciresi said he was looking at ways to decrease traffic on Route 422 through public transportation, improve business in the region, and help provide affordable college options.
One thing clear is that Ciresi’s experience on the school board is something he plans to lean on as a lawmaker, with a keen sense of the issues and the teamwork skills needed to get things done.
“I think being a part of the board gave me definite knowledge of public education, it showed me a good understanding of how the government works on a leadership perspective,” Ciresi said. “We also work with a team (now in Harrisburg). Seeing how you work across the aisle, seeing how you work with members on other political parties across the aisle to meet whatever goals that you may have.”