Letters

In 2005, I attended Charlie McArdle’s retirement party, celebrating his 21-year career in law enforcement. The party was attended by a few hundred people from our community and law enforcement from across the county and state. There, the Southampton Town Board presented Charlie with a proclamation thanking him for his service as a detective and as a labor leader.

The event was a testament to Charlie’s career and foreshadowed what I would experience working for him for the next 16 summers.

Full disclosure, I am a registered Democrat, so Charlie and I do not always agree politically. But this is not about politics. For me, this is about knowing the mettle of the man.

First and foremost, Charlie is a creative problem-solver. He has an aptitude for identifying and resolving problems efficiently and effectively. Charlie makes sound decisions based on valid information and applies new knowledge quickly and accurately. He is a “hands-on” boss who never asks his employees to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself — he is always right there with us grinding it out.

Charlie also has an aptitude for understanding people. He develops positive relationships with employees and clients. He relates to kids whose first job is driving a golf cart and retirees working to supplement their Social Security.

As the owner of two successful companies, Charlie has faced demanding situations in a resilient way. As a businessman and boss he is fair, respectful and relentless, but never once have I seen him let profit prevent him from making a decision that was best for his employees. I have been continually amazed by his propensity to do right by us. Charlie’s best quality is his loyalty, which has been steadfast over the years.

Traffic on the East End is an obstacle preventing schools from attracting and retaining high-quality teachers. As an educator in Southampton schools, it is apparent that until there is an effective long-term solution, schools will struggle to fill positions, the result being irreparable harm to the quality of education our schools offer. There are residual effects seen in coaching vacancies, decreased teacher involvement in extracurriculars, and an overall disconnect between the schools and community. Charlie is aware of the severity of this issue and if elected will find and facilitate solutions that are beneficial to schools, businesses and the community at large.

I work for people who have doctorates in leadership; I study leadership in politics, sports, education and business. I have learned more from Charlie about effective leadership, decisive decision-making, and how to treat people than from anywhere or anyone else.

For these reasons, I will be voting for Charlie McArdle on November 2, and hope you do the same.

Virginia J. McGovern

Hampton Bays