Meet the Candidates: Robert Tera Running on Decades of Experience

The Nov. 8 election is drawing closer every day, but what do you really know about those names on the ballot?

Patch will interview candidates for the , the board and the during the ramp-up to the election, bringing you the stories behind the names and the issues they think are important for Birmingham.

For the Baldwin Public Library board, four candidates are running for three open spots: incumbent David Underdown and challengers James Suhay, Robert Tera and Ruth Ploski. Current library board president Michael Earl and Ann Conigliaro, whose terms end this fall, do not intend to run for re-election.

The six-member Baldwin Public Library Board is responsible for controlling the expenditures of all library funds, adopting an annual budget, appointing directors and setting library policies. Board members serve four-year terms. Terms are staggered so that three positions are elected every two years.

The Oakland County League of Women Voters will hold a at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the basement of for those running for the library board.

Robert Tera

Age: 71

Family: Tera has been married to his wife Phyllis for eight years and has two step-children.

Occupation: Tera is the retired senior vice president for Wachovia Securities.

Previous elected experience: In the city, Tera has served as the appointed chairman for Birmingham's Ritto Sister Committee, as well as the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Birmingham Planning Board. He is assistant treasurer for the Friends of the Baldwin Public Library, chairman of the board for WDET public radio and a board member for the Cranbrook Music Guild.

In addition, Tera as served for the past 20 years as a trustee for the Oakland County Library.

Why are you running?

After years of staying involved in Birmingham's civic life and at the Oakland County Library, Tera said he's running for the library board because he knows what needs to be done to move the library forward in coming years.

"I want to bring my experience in setting library policy and overseeing the finances and operations of our county library to help the Baldwin Libary continue and expand — carefully — as the portal of knowledge for our people."

What would you bring to the library board?

According to Tera, he would bring years of both library and financial experience.

"My career has been as an investment manager and entrepreneur," he said. "I know finance, operation of businesses, managing employees and more."

In addition, Tera said his time spent volunteering for the city and Baldwin have given him insights into what Birmingham residents are looking for in a library.

"I've represented our people for more than a decade serving on Birmingham boards and I've developed a god understanding of how Birmingham works," he said. "Further, as a member of nonprofit, cultural and other civic boards, I've gained deep insight into the values and expectations of our people."

What issues are important to you?

For Tera, one of the most important challenges facing Baldwin Public Library is its financial plan.

"(We) need to have a detailed plan that stabilzes and enhances the financial operations of the library."

Marketing is also key going forward, particularly as the number of library users decline. Baldwin needs to identify ways to both increase its services to the Birmingham community and increases the visibility of those services

Finally, the library's physical building must be maintained and upgraded in the years to come, but those projects must bear in mind financial restraints facing both the library and the board.

Learn more

Check out Patch's profiles for all candidates running for the Baldwin Public Library board: