Robert Van Name has announced campaign kick-off.
Former Doral Vice Mayor / Councilman Robert Van Name, has announced that he will seek the office of City of Doral Council member, in the November 2012 election.
Doral politics is now at a critical crossroad, for the first in its history Doral residents well elect a new Mayor and the remaining two council members from the original City Council will vacate due to term limits.
Van Name said “As a founding Doral City Council Member and former Vice Mayor of this great city I feel a strong bond and obligation to continue to serve and protect our community! We have come a long way these past several years, it’s now incumbent upon us to continue the vision and progress towards making Doral the premier place to live work, play and learn. And yes, as the song goes …“We have only just begun!”
Former Vice Mayor Van Name has been a long time civil activist for positive change within his community, with an expansive list of achievements to his credit. A founder and Vice President of One Doral a community based organization. He was very instrumental in the incorporation effort to the City of Doral serving on the DMAC and is a founding member of the Doral City Council. He was first elected to the initial council in 2003, then re-elected to a four-year term without opposition again in 2006. His peers have often described him as the “Hardest Working man in Doral”, an honor Van Name has earned from his years of community actions and deeds, one he accepts proudly.
Doral, only in its’ eighth year as a city is well on its way to becoming the premier city in all of South Florida to live, work, learn and play. Forbes Magazine recently recognized Doral as the #2 City in the USA to start a business. Doral is also the youngest city to receive the designation of “Tree City USA”, planting thousands of trees annually since incorporation.
Van Name believes that his previous time on the council along with his extensive executive business background in finance and corporate real estate management with AT&T and Lucent Technologies, has uniquely prepared him to deal with the many challenges and issues facing our city. He has a proven record of leadership, vision and integrity and will serve our community well!
Former Vice Mayor Robert Van Name, born on Staten Island, NY, was a long time resident of Bridgewater, NJ prior to 1997 when he moved to Doral with his wife, Maria, and sons, Robert, Jr. and Timothy..
Van Name served with honor in Vietnam in 1969 and again in 1970 while on active duty with the United States Navy. Following 11 years in the United States Naval Reserve, he received an Honorable Discharge.
Van Name graduated Summa Cum Laude from New York Tech with a Bachelor Degree in Business and Management. He continued his education at the University of Michigan and AT&T University in their Executive Leadership Programs. He also completed the National Real Estate Standards Property Management Program.
Former Vice Mayor Van Name can be reached for comment at email: Rvanname@bellsouth.net or by telephone on 305 613-5690
Pd. pol. adv. paid for and approved by Robert Van Name, candidate for the Doral City Council
Pingback: Doral Family Journal – Van Name Campaign Kick-off | Robert Van Name 4 Doral City Council
Dear Mr. Robert Van Name,
I live in Doral City since 1994 and as a Resident for over 17 years I have seen this city has come a very long way in a very short time. Described as the premier place to live, work and play, our many assets provide for a superior quality of life in an urban center known for its commerce.
We Residents recognize all the hard work done along all these years with much that has been accomplished such as Parks and Recreation Departments, Road improvements, library, shops, business and especially so many new condos and new houses construction developments.
Our population now has reached over 46,000 residents according to the statistical analysis and still continues to grow.
More and new housing developments have already been approved for constructions between N.W 58 Street and 107 AVe and certainly this will bring more families to live in Doral City and so more taxes and money will be brought into this city.
But speaking as a Resident for so many years living in this City among other Family Residents, We can tell you that We still in deficit with a New Public School.
Most of us parents are serious worried about the quality of our Education our children are receiving in this City. Unbelievable that We only have one Elementary Public School called Dr. Rolando Espinosa to attend all Residents living from 58th Street and above, which is the place where more housing developments has been built and more construction developments have been approved in this area for the next year.
After all, the City has approved all this new constructions without planning for a New Elementary Public School.
The first year of the Dr. Rolando’s Espinosa school We had about 20 students per classroom, in the Second year was over 30 students per classroom and in this year will be more than 40 students per classroom when the normal average is 20 students or less per classroom in order to provide the quality of education and improve student academic outcomes.
Speaking with many parents and teachers in this last year of school, We all noticed and have agreed that these overcrowded classes have decreased the quality of Education of our Children in Doral City and created a very noise learning environment that already
affected our children’s reading abilities, cognitive development and motivation tasks in being exposed to a noise environment. Without counting the trafficking and tickets given to us where there is no enough space to Park. Plus check this e-mail from the principal of the school last week:
Good Afternoon Parents of DRE,
Attached, please find the shuttle bus lottery flyer (For Doral Isles Residents Only)
For our knowledge, in just three years, the State of Cailifornia’s class size reduction program in Kindergarten through the 3rd Grade has unraveled at a rapid rate, and continues to do so. The purpose of the program, is to reduce class sizes in those early grades to 20 students, in the belief that smaller class sizes improve student academic outcomes and this program still protected in that state budget as a “ Categorial Program”.
Why can’t We have this program in Doral City?
In another words, the gains associated with small classes generally appear when the class size is reduced to less than 20 students and are associated with small classes are stronger for the early grades. Academic gains are not the only benefit of lowering class size, but reveals that reducing class sizes in elementary schools may be more cost-effective than most public health and medical interventions. This is because students in smaller classes are more likely to graduate from high school, and high school graduated earn more and also enjoy significantly better health than high school dropouts.
In this upcoming year We are approaching over 40 students per classrooms and this will get worst for the next upcoming years with more people moving to the New developments without having any perspectives for New Schools.
Our government might be broken down for New school assessments, but We believe Doral City has the Budget to build a New Public or a Charter School or We could use empty and vacant warehouses already built to transform them in schools or either part of the taxes paid could be used towards paying back for a private school.
Doral Academy, a Charter School is the only one that has been able to keep class sizes in order to keep it’s quality of Education by having maximum of 20 students per classroom. I have been applying and trying to get a place for my son in that school for three consecutive years and What I always hear from them is that in case spaces become available in any given grade level they will conduct a lottery.
Please, as a candidate running for a Doral City Council, think with affection how you can helps us with a project plan strategic to build us a New Public or Charter school.
Sincerely,
Susie Bonassi