Tina Towns: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: AddisonWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Addison Park Board Age: 46Family: Married Jim Towns 18 years ago and moved to Addison. Raising three children Marie (15), Jimmy (14) and Nicholas (10).Occupation: Homemaker volunteerEducation: Bachelor of Science in Management Marketing Certified Human Resource Professional Licensed Insurance ProfessionalCivic involvement: President of the Addison Council Parent Teacher Organization ACPTA Member Volunteer of the Wesley Elementary School PTA St Philip The Apostle Church Religious Education Program Volunteer Volunteer at St Philip The Apostle ChurchElected offices held: President of the Park District Board of Commissioners 2013 to present ACPTA Secretary 2013, ACPTA Treasurer 2014, ACPTA President 2015Questions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?We constantly monitor programs that are offered at the park district. It is easy to analyze if a program was profitable, but there are other measurable factors to consider when deciding whether to run/cancel a program. We look at all aspects of the community and try to determine what will best serve them. For example if a tot program is cancelled due to low enrollment we try to determine if the class times or dates were not convenient to residents, was the program marketed sufficiently etc. We appreciate feedback and make adjustments where possible.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.We are trying to use our resources at the park district to improve what we currently own in Addison and we are not actively seeking to purchase open space. I want to improve on what we currently own.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?Since joining the board, a replacement playground has been budgeted every fiscal year. I stressed the need to maintain and improve the parks we currently own. Many playgrounds needed and have been updater. A few more parks could use a playground "facelift" but we will accomplish this when resources become available.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?Absolutely. The park district currently shares an IT and Safety employee with a few neighboring park districts. This sharing of resources has been extremely successful. We also have developed an incredible relationship with all municipalities in the town and share many resources. For example we share the Army Trail gym with District 4 and combine training classes with the police and fire departments.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.My main focus when I initially joined the board was to get back into the parks. Priority was given to other projects in the district that I felt left park maintenance to the wayside. As I have previously mentioned, we have replaced many playgrounds. Also we have successfully applied and won two OSLAD grants to completely renovate Community park. In addition, we recently received a grant to update and remodel Community Rec Center. When the three grant projects are completed we will have improved one of the oldest and largest parks in Addison that will service a large portion of the community.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I believe in transparency. I encourage the public to attend meetings. I encourage residents to let us know what you need. I truly believe the public does not NEED the park district, the park district NEEDS the public. Practicing this mentality will lead to a better park district that is here to serve!Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Melinda GatesWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?To always lend a helping hand.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?To slow down and appreciate everything life hands you.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Psychology .. It helped me understand that everyone thinks, acts and is motivated by different factors. This has helped me approach all of life's situations.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Hard work will always pay off .. Nothing in life is free!