West Cape May Commissioner Candidates Announced

WEST CAPE MAY – John Francis, PhD, David Wilburn and Stephanie La Torre announced that they will seek election to the West Cape May Board of Commissioners in the upcoming Nov. 5, 2013 election under the banner “Commissioners for All the People.”
Dr. John Francis is an environmental educator and former United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. David Wilburn is a commercial fisherman and community volunteer. Stephanie La Torre is a local businesswoman and mother of four. All have deep roots in the community and are long-term residents.
The candidates acknowledged the work attempted by the current Commissioners but believe with their collective diverse experience they can better respond to and achieve the community’s desire to chart a new course, based upon sound, long-term planning and fiscal policies not reliant on one-time, unsustainable, stop-gap measures. Moreover, the candidates want to foster a positive atmosphere within the Borough encouraging all residents to express their concerns, views and ideas to the Commissioners. They pledge to listen to the voices of the community in order to serve everyone. In that regard, the spirit of the candidates’ platform is reflected in five words: Commissioners for All the People.
La Torre has a long record of community and missionary service as well as more than 30 years of corporate management and local business experience. La Torre wants to recharge the community through dialogue and transparency in all regulatory, financial and fiscal policies with a view towards having a small business development model that works for all concerned: entrepreneurs, community residents, visitors and Borough government.
Wilburn, with his background in public safety, may be remembered as a little league coach, and is currently managing renovations of Cold Spring Presbyterian Church. Wilburn wants Commissioners to spend more time in the community, connecting with elderly and underserved residents, and looking for opportunities for the Borough to better respond to their valuable ideas and needs.
Dr. Francis, known, in part for, his seven-year walk from California to West Cape May, has a Ph.D. in land resources and environmental studies. Widely known for being one of the first environmentalist promoting personal relationships as the first step in being an environmental practitioner, he was a project manager and environmental analyst for the U.S. Coast Guard’s 1990 Oil Pollution Act staff. He echoed the concerns and goals of his running mates. Dr. Francis has a keen interest in water conservation and security. This past June, as a keynote speaker at the Cape May Forum, “Water Matters,” he noted that West Cape May has had serious problems with regard to water usage and conservation and that there are huge financial and conservation benefits available to the community that are yet to be addressed.
As Commissioners for All the People, they would make the change seamless, thereby enabling a smooth implementation of policies geared toward the betterment of West Cape May for all.