H. Barry HeffernAN

My name is Harmony Barry Heffernan, but my family, friends and neighbors call me Barry.  

Thank you for considering me as your choice for the Middletown Board of Education. I’d like to share a few things about myself and my family so you can start to get a feel for who I am.

First and foremost, I’m a family man. I have been blessed to share the last 21 years of my life with my amazing wife, Susan, who is also a lifelong resident of Middletown. Susan attended Nutswamp, Thompson and South before graduating with a bachelors in criminal justice from Rutgers. 

Together we have 3 beautiful children. Katelyn is 12 and she attends Thompson. She loves to read, work with animals and has certified as a junior lifeguard every summer.  Kylie, who is 9, loves to play with her dolls, make TicTock videos and steal her mom’s makeup when no one is watching. My youngest is Jack, who is 7. He loves basketball, swimming, fishing and flag football. Both Kylie and Jack attend River Plaza. 

As for me, I attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Highlands during my grammar school and junior high years and finished my high school years at Middletown South, graduating in 1996. As some of you may know, Susan and I have lived in River Plaza since 2007, when we bought our first home on Davis Lane. I consider myself very lucky to have had a childhood that allowed me to experience all of what Middletown has to offer. There’s barely a town park or field I that I haven’t visited or played on. That childhood created my love and devotion for our wonderful town. 

On the professional side, for the past 7 years, I have worked for APM Terminals, where I am responsible for troubleshooting any issues that arise with the heavy machinery on the pier, which would potentially slow or stop the flow of arriving ships. Prior to working at APM, I owned Site Solutions LLC, which is a commercial marine and heavy construction company. The company employed 17 people at its peak. As owner of the company, I was responsible for many large projects in NJ and NY area, including the pedestrian bridge that many use to get to the Seastreak ferry in Atlantic Highlands. Prior to owning my own business, I managed a construction sales territory in NY where we increased sales from 3 million to 7 million annually. 

What my professional experience has taught me is that, as a Board of Education member, I will bring strong leadership, the ability to handle multiple complex priorities, contract negotiation skills, and a deep understanding of accounting and budgeting practices. Above all, I will rely on my experience in communicating and balancing the sometimes-differing perspectives of various parties with transparency.

I will always be honest and open. I will proactively reach out and strive to understand different points of view. I will watch our budget closely – because I know it is comprised of the hard-earned money of family, friends and neighbors. I will strive to engage our teachers and parents more, because no one better understands the needs of our children.

I ask for your vote on November 3rd and I look forward to representing you and your family as a member of the Middletown Board of Education.