Pair of candidates want to be the next WECDSB trustee

Two candidates are in the running to be the next trustee for the Amherstburg/LaSalle area with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB).

Jesmond Tabone and Dana Tonus are running for trustee for the WECDSB in the Oct. 26 municipal election.

Tabone said the decision to run started with his family, noting he has two children in the Catholic school system and he has a vested interest in making sure schools “continue to be places where students can succeed, grow in their faith, and reach their full potential.”

“As a local business owner who has owned, operated, and managed an insurance brokerage for more than 25 years, I've learned that leadership is about listening, being accountable, and making decisions that serve the people you represent,” he said. “I believe parents, educators, and students deserve a trustee who is accessible, listens to their concerns, and advocates on their behalf. I'm running because I want to be that voice at the board table and help strengthen Catholic education for future generations.”

Tabone said his platform comes down to putting students first, listening to families, and being accountable. He believes he understands what parents want.

“Having owned, operated, and managed a local insurance brokerage for over 25 years, I understand the importance of accountability, responsible decision-making, and being accessible to the people you serve. I believe those qualities are important for a trustee as well. My goal is to be a strong voice for students and families, support our educators, and help ensure Catholic values remain at the heart of our schools,” said Tabone. “They want their children to receive a strong education in a safe, faith-filled environment, and they want to know their voices are being heard.”

Using his background in the insurance business, he said he understands the importance of accountability, responsible decision-making, and being accessible to the people being served.

“I believe those qualities are important for a trustee as well. My goal is to be a strong voice for students and families, support our educators, and help ensure Catholic values remain at the heart of our schools,” he said.

Tabone said he has not been considering running for years but feels it is something important to do now.

“I care deeply about the future of our schools and the opportunities available to our students. I believe parents deserve a stronger voice and a trustee who is accessible, listens, and is willing to advocate for their concerns,” he said.

Through his insurance experience, he said he learned the importance of accountability, communication, and making decisions that serve the people who rely on you.

“Instead of standing on the sidelines, I decided to get involved. I want to bring a practical, common-sense perspective to the board and help strengthen Catholic education for current and future generations,” he said. “At the end of the day, I'm a parent, a business owner, and a community volunteer who cares deeply about the future of Catholic education. As a parent of two children in the Catholic school system, I understand the opportunities and challenges families face because I experience them myself. Like many parents, I want our schools to remain places where students can succeed academically, grow in their faith, and feel supported every step of the way.”

Tabone said he also believe the board benefits from different perspectives at the table.

“On a daily basis, I work with families, employees, and community members, listening to concerns, solving problems, and making decisions that require accountability, financial responsibility, and common sense,” he said. “Through my involvement with the Knights of Columbus and other charitable initiatives, I stay connected to our community and the families I hope to represent. I want to bring a parent's perspective to the board, be a strong voice for students and families, and help ensure Catholic values remain at the heart of our schools.”

Tonus said she is running because “education has been at the center of both my professional life and my volunteer work. I care deeply about student success and have consistently stepped into leadership roles where I felt I could make a difference. Through parent council leadership, board-level parent involvement committee leadership and helping build robotics opportunities at Holy Cross and Villanova, I’ve seen what committed families and educators can accomplish together.”

Tonus said she has advocated for resources, raised concerns, challenged decisions, spoken publicly when she believed something needed to change, and lobbied decision-makers on issues affecting students and families.

“Whether it was advocating for stronger student opportunities, protecting resources I believed were important, or working with educators and administrators to turn ideas into action, I’ve always been willing to do the research, ask difficult questions and keep pushing for positive changes,” she said. “Running for trustee feels like a natural next step. I am committed to listen to families, provide thoughtful oversight, advocate where change is needed and help ensure decisions continue to put students and strong Catholic education at the center of everything.”

According to Tonus, when current trustee Frank DiTomasso decided he wasn’t running again, “he contacted me and recommended that I run because knew me from other work that I had done with the board and felt I would be a great fit for the role.”Student achievement is “at the center of what matters to me,” she added.

“I want to make sure that we focus on the foundational knowledge that students need to be successful and that they graduate from our Catholic education system prepared for what comes next. Students are our future and we need to make sure they are strong in reading, writing and math. Equally important is creating school environments where everyone feels safe, welcome and supported.”

Tonus added it’s important that our teachers and staff get the support and resources they need. She wants to see support for student well-being and mental health, meaningful STEM and innovative learning and extracurricular opportunities, responsible use of board resources, and decisions that continue to be grounded in Catholic values.

“Just as importantly, I want to listen to families in both LaSalle and Amherstburg and make sure the issues that matter to them are represented at the board table,” said Tonus.

Running for trustee is something she has wanted to do for a while, stating that has grown naturally out over 20 years of involvement in Catholic education, combined with her professional work at a university.

“Having experience across elementary, secondary and post-secondary education gives me a valuable perspective on the full student journey. I am very familiar with where the gaps or challenges are, said Tonus. “That broader perspective helps me see both what is working well and where there are opportunities to better prepare students for what comes next.”

Tonus added she has regularly reached out to trustees to share concerns; offer perspectives and advocate for issues.

“I’ve also been encouraged by people who know my work and felt that my experience and approach would be valuable in the role of trustee,” she said.

Tonus believes her experience in education sets her apart.

“I’m not a teacher but I have worked with students my entire professional career. I am passionate about education,” said Tonus.

Her over 20-year involvement includes being Parent Council Chair at both the elementary and secondary levels and spending 11 years on the WECDSB Parent Involvement Committee, including as Chair. She said she also helped sustain FIRST robotics opportunities for students and continues to volunteer at elementary and high school levels.

Tonus said she works in post-secondary education, seeing firsthand how students’ earlier educational experiences influence their readiness and success.

“Together, these experiences give me a valuable perspective on the full student journey and the support students need along the way. I understand where the gaps are and am passionate about wanting to make changes that will positively impact students’ achievement and success,” she said. “I also have thousands of hours volunteering across youth sports and community initiatives. I’ve been recognized for my efforts by being awarded the WECDSB Outstanding Catholic School Council Leadership Award in 2016 and the 2017 LaSalle Citizen of the Year.”

Her leadership roles “have taught me how to listen to different perspectives, work collaboratively, look at the evidence, ask difficult questions and follow through. I also understand that a trustee’s role is governance, setting priorities, approving budgets, shaping policy, providing oversight and representing the community.”