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Panetta is a seasoned professional

May 11, 2018

I recently moved to Lewes and to be completely transparent, other than Tom Panetta, I have not met the other candidates for the Lewes Board of Public Works. However, like Tom, I too worked at GE for the better part of my career. So I decided to call around and see what I could learn about him from the GE network.

At first I heard the usual things. He is a smart guy that got his undergrad from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in civil engineering, minor in nuclear engineering, and was working to an MBA from Villanova University. I had figured that with over 25 years at GE Nuclear Power, he had checked the box as being pretty smart. Below are the reoccurring themes I heard during my due diligence:

• How he works with people: Honest, upfront, no hidden agendas; if he says it you can believe it, a team leader
• Decision making: A strategic thinker who listens to different ideas and blends those ideas into a single integrated solution
• Does not assume that he knows the answer, seeks other ideas, pulls people together
• Cultural aspect: Tom works well with people who have different perspectives and backgrounds
• He worked in England and led the integration of a company GE acquired
• He was able to bridge the cultural differences between a European and a U.S. business integration and worked with a business in Canada and Sweden as well.

Here is how I would summarize the information I gathered about Tom from the people I spoke to at GE. If you like what you are getting from the current members, then vote for the status quo. If, on the other hand, you think fresh eyes and a new perspective from a seasoned professional can add value by bring in new ideas and people together, then vote for Thomas Panetta May 12.

Earl Webb
Lewes

 

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