LETTER: Rob Dabrowski looks to join Harwood school board
February 20, 2025To the Community:
My name is Rob Dabrowski and I'm a candidate on the Waterbury Town Meeting Day ballot for a full term on the Harwood Unified Union School District School Board.
I began my career as a volunteer firefighter / EMT, worked as a licensed HVAC technician, and then went back to school for Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Maryland. I then worked for the largest fire protection engineering firm in the world, traveling around the country to different nuclear power plants. While working at that firm, I was a government contractor for two years working at the Pentagon and another two years at the Architect of the Capitol.
It was time for a better work-life balance, so my wife and I moved to Vermont to be closer to our family. After purchasing her late grandfather’s home and embarking on DIY renovations, I started working for the state. I was a Vermont State Fire Marshal for a few years, was on the VT Task Force-1 Urban Search and Rescue Team, and then I was the Safety & Health Manager for the Agency of Transportation for a few years.
After drinking from a firehose and having newborn twin boys, it was time for another work-life balance change, and I’ve been a Senior Safety & Health Consultant for the Department of Labor ever since. Throughout this time, I spent nearly four years on the Waterbury Development Review Board and volunteered to be the webmaster and secretary for the Brookside Parent Teacher Organization.
We live in an ever-changing world, and I appreciate the many voices and collaboration the school district has displayed thus far. I am prepared to help navigate our community’s changes to support my three sons and the children of our community. It’s important that they all get the support they need to grow into confident individuals while also being respectful of the community’s resources.
My father had a hands-off approach with me, and I insisted that I would always show my love and support for my kids, so I try to be as involved as possible with their education. It’s been an honor to volunteer at the school and help with field trips. It would be an honor to represent Waterbury on our School Board.
It’s an important time to get involved in school board elections. This is true even if you don’t have children in the district. And your vote matters.
Rob Dabrowski
Waterbury