Haddonfield’s next municipal election will be held on Tuesday, May 13, with all three commissioner seats open. There are currently four candidates running for those seats.
Frank Troy
Frank Troy is seeking reelection after four years as a commissioner. He previously served two years on the borough zoning board.
“Why I ran the first time is, I thought there were areas of opportunities to improve upon,” he said. “I think I’ve made some significant headway with them, things such as thinking differently about the service that we provide to town through public works, being more responsive to residents, tackling big problems.”
Troy has an undergraduate degree in accounting and a master’s in business administration. He has lived in Haddonfield for 25 years. He and his wife have one daughter and a pet boxer.
In addition to his work as vice president of Walker Diving Underwater Construction and Walker Cutting Services, Troy is also a member of American Legion Post 38 and is on the board of the nonprofit The Patriot Fund, which raises money for veterans.
Troy feels there’s still room for improvement in Haddonfield. If reelected, he said he would use his experience to focus on public safety; as well as communication with residents; and cooperation between volunteers, residents and commissioners.
Dave Siedell
Incumbent commissioner Dave Siedell has held his seat since November. He also spent three years on the board of education.
“I’ve started the work of restoring the public trust, meaning restoring transparency, making sure people feel heard and listened to, not agreed with, but heard and listened to,” he explained. “So that’s why I ran in November. And I want to continue that job.”
Siedell is a father of three who has lived in Haddonfield for 25 years. He has his bachelor’s in quantitative business analysis and is currently executive director of teaching and learning technology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Siedell is also a past president of the Haddonfield Civic Association, a trustee of the Haddonfield Foundation and a member of the Haddonfield Educational Trust. If reelected, he wants to see the Bancroft redevelopment finished and improve responsiveness to residents.
Itir Cole
Itir Cole is running for election for the first time.
She is connected to and involved with borough schools through her children and attends community events. Cole has lived in Haddonfield for five years with her husband and has two children in the Haddonfield Friends School who will attend J. Fithian Tatem Elementary next year.
Cole has a bachelor’s in art history and a master’s in urban planning. She worked as a technologist at the White House until the Trump administration and wants to continue to work as a public servant.
“If we could just level the playing field here – and make sure we are all coming to the table informed – that comes through transparency,” Cole asserted. “Transparency is the one thing that I feel is very achievable, and if we can nail that down, then the rest will follow.”
Cole also believes it’s important that those in government come from and represent the community. If elected, she wants to focus on public works, field usage in town and listening to people in diverse demographic groups.
Bill Shanahan
Bill Shanahan previously ran for a commissioner seat in the runoff election last fall. He has also served on the zoning board for the last several years.
Shanahan has lived in the borough for nearly 25 years and is the father of two. He has a master’s in government administration and a law degree and is currently director of homeland security and emergency management for the Port Authority of New Jersey. He also has a small law practice.
Having spent three decades in either active duty or reserve military service, Shanahan wants to find a way to give back to the local community.
“I think our zoning ordinances are really outdated, and I think they’re the root cause of a lot of the issues we have,” he maintained. “They need to be updated. I just think that this is a great town. We need to maintain the integrity of it while moving forward.”
