Tyler Seville worked at Novartis as the Associate Director of State Public Policy. With degrees in Political Science and Philosophy from Rutgers University and Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, Tyler is more than familiar with public policy and government affairs.
When he’s not working, Tyler spends time with his wife, Juliana, and their two young daughters here in Bernards Township. Currently, Tyler is working up with Gary Baumann to run as Republican candidates for the two open seats on the Bernards Township Committee. With no opponents in the primary, Tyler is excited to bring his passion for public service to the local level and make a difference in his community. On April 26th, I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Serville.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background and about yourself?
A: I live here in Basking Ridge with my wife Juliana and our two girls. We’ve been in town since 2019 and certainly love it here. We moved here for the schools, but now we are certainly staying for the community. It’s been really wonderful and welcoming. Professionally, I am a public policy analyst. I analyze laws and regulations at the state level primarily in the health policy space. I hope to bring my knowledge of government and law to help our town as a candidate for Bernards Township Committee. I’ve been in the public affairs space for a while, and I have a love for volunteerism and public service.
Q: So you talked about how you came here for the schools. But what’s your favorite part about our town?
A: It’s definitely our parks. If I were to have a favorite, it would be Harry Dunham Park, partially because it’s the closest one to our house. Just being able to go to any park in our town is great. I love taking my girls there. I actually just went there yesterday. I took a half day off and brought the girls there in the morning, and we just hung out. Obviously, there are the playgrounds, but there are also the benches and tables and the mini library, where we read books and do puzzles. And if we were ever to get bored with Harry Dunham, I would just jump on over to Pleasant Valley Park. There are just so many options.
Q: Like you said before, you have a lot of experience in public policy and related areas. What are some important lessons that you have learned through your prior experience?
A: I think the government can be confusing and intimidating, but it shouldn’t have to be. Having somebody as a resource to help navigate through this process, whether it’s the state, local, or federal government, is really important. I first learned this back when I was working for my state senator, and I was working for the constituent services team. We would help people work with PSE&G to keep their lights on and gas on. We would also help them navigate the Social Security Administration. Having an advocate or resource is really important when navigating government. I wanted to be that, and so that inspired me. At the same time, I think there are so many different ways to get involved in public affairs. If you like to write, you could be a speechwriter or lead campaigns. If you like to think about strategy and how one thing may interact or react from something else, there’s a lot of opportunity there. Also, if you like quantitative analysis or if you’re good with numbers, there are lots of opportunities where you have to assess the impact of a potential law or regulation.
Q: So what inspired you to run for the Township Committee?
A: I was first on our Zoning Board and then on our Planning Board, where I still currently am. I think now is the time to lead. Having somebody with a younger voice on the board or Township Committee is important. Having somebody with a young family provides a unique perspective that should be considered. I think that my background, in particular, with the experience that I have in state and local government, makes me a real asset to the Township Committee. There are a lot of state and local challenges that our town will be facing in the near future, and I think I can add value to the Township Committee that way. By being involved and contributing my knowledge and skills, I hope to make a positive impact on our community and help address the issues we face together.
Q: So what do you think are some of the biggest challenges that our town is facing right now? How do you plan to address them?
A: I think the first thing for me would be overdevelopment. I’m not opposed to improving spaces, but I think overdevelopment can really fundamentally change the beauty and the fabric of Bernards Township. Overdevelopment ultimately means an increase in our demands for programs and services, like our water, sewage, or roads, which in turn then leads to an increase in our taxes. So ultimately, our taxes will go up. I think it also will put a strain on public safety, like our police and fire department professionals and volunteers, requiring them to do more will certainly be an outcome of this. And then the environment: overdevelopment obviously means less open space, more congestion, more pollution, and a greater risk for flooding.
From a solution standpoint, as I mentioned, I serve on the Planning Board, and I think that provides a unique perspective. So, making sure that certain lots are zoned the right way to limit their development, I think, is definitely important, and we can certainly continue that at the Township Committee level.
Q: Other than that, what else do you hope to accomplish as a member of our Township Committee?
A: I think it’s continuing to build a sense of community we have in our town. Like I mentioned before, I came for the schools, but I’m staying for the community. And that’s absolutely the case. I think COVID has certainly made it difficult for meeting people. I know that from having knocked on people’s doors over the past couple of months. We have a lot of new residents, either because they left New York City or they left more urban areas due to a changing job or the fact that they can work remotely now. There are a lot of new people and trying to ensure everybody is welcomed regardless of their background, regardless of what they might look like or act like is really important. And making sure that we have that sense of community is certainly important for me.
Q: Like you just said, we have quite a diverse community here, and Asian Americans actually make up 20% of our population here. So, with so many Asian Americans concerned about anti-Asian hate, if you were elected to the Committee, how would you address this issue?
A: This is a great attribute that Bernards has because it’s something special that not every town can tout. I, for one, am very much against racism and prejudice of any form. It’s not tolerated at any level. I’m in favor and supportive of forums that can help bring this to light so that we can put a stop to the prejudice or racism that might exist. And it can be done in a systematic way or an organic way, and I think both are necessary.
For example, I think the Fabric of Bernards Township program has been great. I think there is continued opportunity to help tell the story of the American dream from the Asian-American perspective. I was able to join the Lunar New Year celebration this past year. It was the first of its kind, and I brought my wife and my two girls. We were really impressed by it. It was a great experience, and I hope we continue it next year. I think it’s definitely a new tradition that Bernards should continue. It’s so great that certain leaders within the Asian-American community came together to create the Bernards Township Chinese Association. I’m really hoping to continue supporting organizations like that. So if given the opportunity to serve on the Township Committee, it’s about making sure that I reach out to those organizations to let them know that I’m an ear to listen to, and a hand to help. I’m certainly looking forward to supporting the growth of those organizations as well as new ones. By fostering an inclusive and supportive environment, we can help address issues like anti-Asian hate and work together to build a stronger, more united community.
Q: Recently, I’ve learned that a lot of people don’t actually really understand how the Township Committee works as opposed to the federal government, which we see on the news often. How can community members be more active in their local community and be more engaged?
A: I think the first thing to do is to ask questions. Like I said before, sometimes the government can be intimidating. It doesn’t necessarily intend to be that way. So I think the first step is to just reach out and start asking questions either of your Township Committee or the staff that ultimately work for and are paid by your property tax dollars. Asking questions either about the recreation committee or the roads or public safety is certainly a great first step. Obviously, we have a website, social media, and other forms of communication. So, staying informed is important. Although, like you mentioned, national news gets a lot of headlines, there are local news outlets out there like the Patch and TapInto that also give updates at the local level. You can stay abreast of those types of things by following and reading those news outlets.
Q: How do you think high schoolers can be involved in the community?
A: Leadership takes many forms, and you don’t need a fancy title to be a leader. You don’t need to be a certain age to be a leader. I think figuring out what you’re passionate about or what you’re curious about and just learning more about that topic is the first step. There are local nonprofits in our town that are providing valuable resources to our community and the surrounding area. So, learning more about them is certainly one of the first steps. If you’re interested in public safety, we have the Liberty Corner and Basking Ridge fire departments. Part of that is fighting fires, but it’s also understanding basic EMT training, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and more.. So if you were a student and interested in med school, public safety, or public services, joining the fire department would actually be important to your education.
There are a variety of ways to get involved. But first, it’s figuring out the passion, figuring out what you’re interested in. You can obviously Google and learn about the different areas, or you could ask an adult or a peer who might already be in another organization that you’re interested in. And then you can take it from there.
Q: My last question is do you have a general message you would like to deliver to the residents of Bernards Township?
A: I would say that I am somebody who is very much interested in supporting our town. Wherever I go, I’m heavily involved. I grew up believing in public service and volunteerism, and I hope to give back to Bernards Township. It’s a town that is blessed with so much and also relies heavily on volunteers, and I look forward to continuing to be one of those volunteers. I think for me, it’s my background in state and local government that can provide a unique perspective, and I believe that it would certainly help our town.