Alderman At-Large Dan Moriarty Biography

About Alderman At-Large Dan Moriarty

You almost certainly know one famous person from my home town of Atchison, Kansas: Amelia Earhart. It's unlikely you know that she grew up on the same street as me although obviously not at the same time. I like to tell people that I grew up in the inner city - inner city Atchison, Kansas, population 13,000. Typical of most mid-western towns the streets are laid out in a grid and there's an alley between every street. My neighborhood is 1/4 acre zoning so the houses are surprisingly closely spaced for being in a state with so much open space.

Atchison looks very similar to Nashua's North End with all its Victorian homes. My mom's house was (still is) a medium sized Victorian with a big porch in front. Since Atchison was settled in the 1760's it is filled with many impressive homes made of stone and brick, one with a set of gargoyles on the roof keeping watch. The house I grew up in is still there, same phone number since before I was born. A symbol of stability and reliability that has contributed to my personality.

Atchison residents are mostly blue collar, with the largest employer being the steel foundry along the river, formerly owned by Rockwell. Their claim to fame is having the ability to make the largest (at least while I lived there) single-pour castings: tank turrets, railroad trucks, etc.The second largest employer is Midwest Grain Products. Allegedly they produced more alcohol than any other location in the country, used in low-cost beverages such as vodka and gin that comes in plastic jugs and the grain-mash would be used for livestock feed.

I went to Central School (public) from K-5 and walked to and from home since 1st grade. Imagine these days letting your 6 year old walk home from school, make a snack, and wait for you to return home from work. note: never in my life did I have a key to my house because we never locked our doors. We often toss our car keys on the floor when we get out to go shopping. I spent the weekends with my dad who travelled during the week as a sales rep in the casting industry. My mom worked full time to support us five kids first as a waitress then for most of her career keeping the books for payroll at Rockwell. There were days I was home sick from school watching educational TV on PBS. My mom would call from work to check up on me (which annoyed me to no end). Now days that would be frowned upon but the whole arrangement instilled a sense of personal responsibility.

My dad was a sports nut and as such I first started competing in swimming when I was 6 and "retired" when I was 11. After that it was baseball, football, basketball, and soccer. Eventually I managed to stop playing basketball which I was never any good at and wrestled instead. By the end of high school it was just cross-country in the fall and track in the spring. I ran every single day for three years and managed to get 11th at the state champs in the 2 mile (10:02) and 4th in the 4x800 relay (8:17). The next day I hung up my shoes and essentially didn't run again until the summer before my 30th birthday....because while at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology my main focus was academics. There were times during the latter parts of the semesters when there weren't enough hours in the week to get everything done. So, we would skip lectures in order to get the homework done. Quizzes were a treat because it meant there was no eight hour homework assignment due that week. I was in electrical engineering which was the largest department at the Institute. I remember one class being so oversubscribed, (MIT had a policy that you could go to any class you wanted without ever having to get on a wait list) that the professor decided to crank up the difficulty of the homework until the students began to drop out of the class. Eventually through attrition he got the class down to a manageable size. (6.013, fall junior year.)

Aside from the obvious technical training, probably the single biggest thing I learned from MIT was what I call their "No Excuses Policy." If there was an assignment due on Monday and a gigantic snow storm left two feet of snow on Saturday morning making it next to impossible to get to the lab, the assignment was still due. You were supposed to know the storm was coming and start early. If there was any conceivable way the work could get done it shall be done. At the same time the students could apply this policy on the administration. There better be benches and test equipment available. The electronics better be available, and same with the teaching staff. The 'Tute gave us infinite resources and flexibility to accomplish our work and expected nothing short of perfection.

After getting a doctorate in applied physics in the department of Nuclear Engineering, my first job was in Los Angeles at TRW, an aerospace and security company. After two years I returned to New England to join the MIT Lincoln Lab, then four years at a telecom startup. Most recently, 9 years at BAE Systems where I am now. This is a great place to work: almost no corporate politics, a meritocracy, plenty of resources, driven toward deliverables. It's a lot like MIT; but, without the competition between peers. In my role as Alderman I often resort to my experience at my current employer as a guide of how things should function. At the moment I envision myself retiring here at BAE Systems.

I have one real hobby: racing triathlon. It's almost a profession since I train about 10 hours per week (150 miles on the bike, 25 miles running, 2 hours in the pool). My first race was in Hyannis, Mass in 1999. Since then I've competed in about 50 triathlons from sprint, to Olympic distance, to half-Ironman. I've raced three times for Team USA at the Age Group World Championships: Gold Coast, Australia; Budapest, Hungary; and Beijing, China. My best ranked performance was 10th in my age group at the Beijing World Champs.

My four kids keep me busy every other weekend and a few weeks a year. Amelia is now 13 and after a great first season of track is back to ballet. Rebecca, 11, is interested in gymnastics and saving money. Charlotte, 11, likes ballet and has a goofy sense of humor like her brother. Owen, 8, just finished his first season of T-ball. The girls, especially Amelia, are amazing artists.

Nashua suits me. It has everything I need and no traffic. But, I do miss the thunderstorms of Kansas' springs.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Alderman-At-Large Dan Moriarty declares mayoral candidacy in Nashua

Union Leader May 18. 2015 7:19AM

Moriarty declares mayoral candidacy in Nashua

NASHUA — Alderman-at-Large Dan Moriarty has announced his official candidacy for mayor, saying he if elected he will focus on limited taxes and employment growth.

“Nashua deserves a mayor who cares passionately enough about its hard-working families to personally visit every neighborhood of our city, and who has the qualifications to bring opportunities for everyone to our great city,” Moriarty said in a statement.

Moriarty, an electro-optics engineer for BAE Systems, has been an alderman for three years, and has lived in southern New Hampshire for 11 years.

Since exploring a mayoral candidacy, Moriarty, a Republican, has made hundreds of phone calls and traveled around the city knocking on doors and speaking one-on-one with residents. “Since I began talking to people in Nashua about a potential run, the response has been very supportive,” he said in a release. “I enjoy making personal connections with so many Nashuans at their doorsteps and in the streets.”

Moriarty is the fifth person to officially announce a mayoral candidacy. Two early-bird candidates — Mike Broderick and Doug Carroll — announced last year that they will be running. Since then, Alderman-at-Large Jim Donchess, a former Nashua mayor, and Alderman-at-Large David Deane, president of the Board of Aldermen, have announced their candidacies as well.

In addition, Chris Williams, president of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, has already announced his pending resignation from the organization as he considers a run for mayor.

Mayor Donnalee Lozeau announced earlier this year that she will not seek reelection.

“As mayor, I plan to focus on the essentials — bringing jobs to Nashua, limiting taxes and getting our roads paved,” said Moriarty, adding Nashua needs to have an identity of arts, culture and community if it wants to attract entrepreneurs and younger residents.

As the Gate City continues to become more urban, Moriarty said local families need more mid-skilled jobs available in the area.

If elected, Moriarty said he will continue to listen to concerns from the public, advocate on behalf of local citizens and attempt to connect with them personally.

“I have the experience, qualifications and temperament that are necessary to be mayor,” he added.

Moriarty has four children, and previously represented the United States at the Age Group Triathlon World Championships.

He recently launched a 70-person exploratory committee including local business leaders, volunteers, conservationists and veterans. Some members of his exploratory committee include former mayor Bernie Streeter, Sen. Gary Lambert, former U.S. Congressman Charlie Bass, Gov. James Douglas (R-Vt.) and former aldermen Fred Teeboom and Dave MacLaughlin, among others.

khoughton@newstote.com

- See more at: http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150518/NEWS0606/150519159/-1/services01&template=printart#sthash.mdzJiyTz.dpuf

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Happy Mother's Day

When I was a toddler my mother’s application for food stamps was turned down. They told her she earned too much – working two jobs, as a single mother, to support her and her five kids. I didn’t know this until very recently when my oldest sister told me, and life at the time seemed great. The house was always clean, we had hot meals. (I still love tuna casserole), I went to a great public school, and I spent my summers at the town pool - swimming competitively of course. But behind the scenes, the economy of the early 1970s was not doing well. My dad’s sales business struggled and he had a hard time paying child support on top of two mortgages.

Despite all that, on graduating high school, I was accepted to MIT to study engineering. Through loans and scholarships, I was able to pay my way and eventually found a position at BAE Systems here in the Gate City. But none of that would have been possible without the support of my mom.

Now, nearly forty years later, I’m considering running for Mayor of Nashua. My biggest consideration is how I can help others overcome their own challenges so they can enjoy the same success I have. There are so many perspectives from people with their own needs that I can’t possibly draw only on my own experiences. Fortunately, I can seek advice from some of the women in my life.

To understand the challenges of a teenage mother – what it takes to persevere with two young boys – I can just ask my youngest sister, Bonnie. Seeing her today, blessed with a loving husband and a home on a farm. I realize that hard work and sacrifice will pay off.

Today, Nashua’s people are facing similar kinds of challenges as our city becomes increasingly urban. Half the students in Nashua’s school system come from families who qualify for free or reduced meals. Many of those families have a single mother as the head of the household.

To understand the challenges of raising a special needs child – I would call my oldest sister, Jackie. For years she dug in her heels with schools to do the best for her learning-impaired daughter and even tutored her at home when necessary. My niece is now a successful and award winning school teacher.

This is also an increasingly important issue for Nashua. Roughly one third of our school budget goes towards helping students with special needs. It is almost a requirement that the next mayor of Nashua appreciate the challenges presented to a mother of a child with a learning disability.

For parents in similar situations, I don’t have all the answers for them to get through the next day, but what I can confidently tell them is that it won’t always be a struggle. As my mom and sisters demonstrated, hard work will pay off.

But it’s not enough to simply struggle through life. We have to know that we are working for a better tomorrow. And I know that the gate city can be the gateway to a better life for hardworking families.

To get us there, Nashua needs a mayor who can lead by example, someone who not only has life experiences to empathize with the challenges we face, but who has also demonstrated that patience and determination actually pays off with success.

The same patience and determination that got me to the Triathlon World Championships, I have applied to a long and successful career in the technology business. If I decide to run for mayor, then all the moms of Nashua will be able to count on me to be their champion as I draw on the experiences of my own family in order to help theirs.

These skills I got from my parents. I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it weren’t for my mom. I’m sure many of you feel the same way. So, stop what you are doing right now and if you haven’t already, call your mother.

I’d like to wish my mom and all the moms of Greater Nashua a happy Mothers’ Day.