“I am running for Council because I believe we must build on our strong foundation with a vision that puts our community needs and values front and center," he said in his announcement. "I look forward to bringing my experience to help Bethlehem find the right balance in continued growth and sustainability with responsible government oversight. Transparency, inclusion and high ethical standards are key ingredients to keep Bethlehem strong for generations to come.”
Carpenter was raised in upstate New York and is a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics and Business Management. For 24 years, he was employed at ALDI USA, a popular grocery chain. Promoted to Director of Real Estate, he spent 20 years working with cities, including Baltimore and Philadelphia. In that time, he spent many hours with council members, mayors and city staff negotiating agreements that included zoning changes, improvements to public infrastructure, traffic studies and performance guarantees
He made Bethlehem his home in 1999. He states that, unlike many other cities in the Northeast, the Christmas City has defied the odds and continues to be in a strong position for responsible growth
Carpenter is married and has two daughters, both of whom attend Liberty High School.
According to LinkedIn, he currently is a Sprint business solutions advisor.
He either is or was President of Bethlehem's Historic District Ass'n as well as a trustee at River Valley Waldorf School.
Carpenter was among those who late last year objected to a zoning text change that would permit the commercial use of a corner property in the City's Historic District. The measure passed.
Unfortunately, I failed to get Carpenter's political party. I will update when I do.
Updated 9:41 pm: Carpenter is a Democrat.
Impressive
ReplyDeleteWow, not a school teacher or radical doctor, good news, I know who I’m voting for.
ReplyDeleteI'm voting for the Bethlehem police officer who was charged in Bucks County with hit-and-run.
ReplyDeleteThe saddest part of local politics is that you need to get his party affiliation. Local cities (mostly Democrat) and local townships (mostly Republican) would be so much better served if candidates could just run on who they are and what their policy beliefs, if they didn't have to have a D or an R next to their name. This guy sounds pretty good, but once he gets the D or the R next to his name, everything will change for most people.
ReplyDeletehas to be a D, Bethlehem wont even consider a strong R
ReplyDeleteNo one else from the hysterical district should be elected to city council. They are not representative of the entire city. His election would be horrific for the City of Bethlehem. We already have 1 better-than-you historic district resident who is against any redevelopment in Bethlehem...we don't need 2. What is with these historic district people? They move here from New Jersey or New York, and then think they can tell longtime residents who suffered through the demise of the steel that redevelopment is bad! It is a no from this
ReplyDeleteGreat to see someone running for council who has real training in economics and who might be willing to articulate and defend a development philosophy besides "let the developers we like do whatever they want." Listening to some members of council justify every bad decision based on an outdated model of urban development that conveys no understanding of how to build a tax base through small business development gets pretty old. I'm voting for the new guy regardless of his party. Anyone who can distinguish between big flashy projects that benefits crony developers and development that genuinely builds the city's small business tax-base without breaking all the rules has my vote.
ReplyDeleteBernie, I am sorry. I am confused from the article. What it is that is his current source of employment? I apologize, but the article is confusing to my poor reading skills.
ReplyDeleteA follower of Rudolph Steiner. I'll take I bet he is a D for 1,000 Alex.
ReplyDeleteHope he releases his vaccination records!
I live near a Waldorf School and its quite the click. If your children have a trust fund this is where you send them for play time.
Nice addition to the mix from someone that has 2 children in Bethlehem Public schools & appears untarnished by the typical Bethlehem developers that have dominated council decision making since the Callahan regime. Good replacement for Van Wirt who should easily win a 4 year seat by virtue of her tenacity to insist on facts before voting on key decisions.
ReplyDeleteMake America great again Bernie in 2020.
ReplyDeleteSomeone who’s actually qualified to run
ReplyDeleteSeems like this guy lost his high paying Exec job at Aldi's, then had to take his kids out of their high priced private school, and now sells cell phones at Sprint.
ReplyDelete9:43, Carpenter is no longer with Aldi. He may have left voluntarily or might have been squeezed out, something many international corporations do. He currently is involved with Sprint and provides service to local business.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was unaware that you must be a city resident for 1,000 years to run for office. I thought that rule only applied in Nazareth.
Not voting for him because this guy has my vote: Allentown police officer charged with assaulting girlfriend in Carbon County!
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DeleteDonchez is complicit with the developer run city hall & council. He is far from clueless but rather very devious while portraying himself as Mr Nice guy. Think back to how he played out his ultimate deciding city council vote to bring Sands casino to Bethlehem as if he was conflicted when in fact he was in their pocket from the get go.
ReplyDeleteI have deleted two personal attacks against a city official. I have allowed the personal attack at Donchez to remain bc he is an elected official. The person who accuses him of being devious fails to identify himself. To me, that's devious.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeletehas to be a D, Bethlehem wont even consider a strong R
Bethlehem has had what, two "nominal Rs" on council in the past 30 years? One of whom became the Chief of Staff of a D Congressman. Unless the Republican Party can put together a slate of candidates, Bethlehem City Council will forever remain the province of Ds employed in the public sector. A solo R candidate would have about as much chance as Jim Bowie or Davy Crockett at The Alamo.
You can pretend that Karner is this poor person you need to protect because she is a pal but she is a terror in city hall By your own stories you have detailed what others already know. She plays footsies with developers and even helps the favored ones. The actual citizens of the city are getting screwed over by these actions. By all means protect those that hurt our city while pretending to give a shit about the people being hurt.
ReplyDeletePaige Van Wirt clone. I love how some of these people move here because they love it, and then try to tell us how messed up the city is and how they want us to fix it! Go back to Virginia and NY
ReplyDeleteWhen they moved here they merely expected the city to follow its zoning ordinance to protect their residential community & investment. What they found instead was chrony capitalism in city government where snything goes if you know the right people. They both ran to reverse this mess in Bethlehem city government that mirrors Allentown.
ReplyDeleteVan Wirt and Carpenter are both snobs from the Historic District. They have no name recognition outside of the downtown area and won't be able to appeal to the middle-class people who make up the voters of Bethlehem. Most people here don't drive $90,000 cars and live in million dollar houses.
ReplyDeleteHistoric District doesn’t have million dollar homes as those people live in Saucon Valley! You are mistaken!!
ReplyDeleteVan Wirt is in line with Haines, Antalics, Lehigh professor Breena "i have soil and air samples" Holland and the rest of the Historic hysterical elites. The last time Bethlehem let the elites run everything, Bethlehem Steel collapsed and the middle class got screwed!
ReplyDelete4:26 are you trying to compare Bob Donchez to Ed Pawlowski? Really? I have known Bob Donchez for most of my life and he is an honorable man with great integrity! Shame on you!
ReplyDeleteAre these people who will not vote for him because he lives in the 6th or 7th ward serious? Judge him on his positions, ideas, background! Geography should not be destiny. Good luck Mr Carpenter.
ReplyDeleteAt least he eats the rug as God intended...properly!!!!!
ReplyDelete