Tina Tyson-Dunne: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Tina Tyson-Dunne

City/Village: Lombard

Office Sought: Trustee, District 5

Age: 41

Family: I met my husband Martin while I was completing my education in Ireland. When we returned from Ireland there was only one place in the world where I wanted to settle down. Back in the town where I grew up and started my adventure. Right here in Lombard. Since then we are very happy with our adopted cats, Elsie, Fionn and Oisinn.

Occupation: Along with my work as part of the recent State Senate and Governor's races, I own and operate a photography and florist business. My work as a consultant has seen me working as a contractor within the financial sector for multinational organizations.

Education: Master of Philosophy (M. Phil) - Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Master of Arts (M.A.) - National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Columbia College, Chicago

Associate in Applied Science (AAS) - College of DuPage

Certified Master Naturalist - University of Illinois

Nature Photography Certificate - Morton Arboretum

Certified Payroll Technician - Irish Payroll Association, Ireland

Civic Involvement: DuPage Forrest Preserve - Volunteer

Precinct Committeeman - Elected Position

Villa Park Garden Club - Board Member

Chicago Area Rugby Union - Women's Select Side Manager

Special Olympics Illinois - Volunteer

International Order of Job's Daughters #71 Lombard

Previous Elected Offices Held: None

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected?: No

Website: https://www.votetina.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteTinaTysonDunne/

Twitter: None

LinkedIn:

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing Lombard and how do you intend to address them?: I am running on four cornerstones; community, budget & taxes, environment and diversity.

We need to continue building on the resources we have available. Lombard is 150 years young and has a rich history. I plan to extend a welcome hand and build on attracting new families and businesses to our village. We have resources already at our disposal which I feel are being underutilized. To maintain a fiscal budget I am proposing that we do not throw more taxpayer money into attracting new businesses but rather find ways and means to grow the return on the investments we have already made. This will involve building partnerships throughout our town in order to resolve the issues that are impacting us today and finding paths to a better tomorrow. Lombard's history of being welcoming regardless of gender, race and creed needs to be promoted as we look to bring in businesses and families that will need to build the village of tomorrow. It is up to the village board to ensure the mission and goals of the town are aligned with our values.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?: As a fourth generation Lombardian I have grown up in this village. I know the schools, I know the businesses, and most importantly I know the people. And it is that passion which has inspired me to run for the position of village trustee.

I am running for village trustee as I have some concerns over the direction the village is heading toward. The approval of construction of a new hotel for instance is an example to me, and many of the neighbors to whom I have spoken with, that the village has not learned from the mistakes made during the Weston bankruptcy which cost village services and impacted our credit rating. There are too few who make decisions that impact our village. Board and committee appointments are handed to individuals who have the villages' best interests at heart but often fail to look at the big picture. As village trustee I plan to find ways and means to maximize the use of the resources we already have at our disposal. By adopting this approach, I will consider all the options, listen to the residents and find solutions that limit community impact and support the values of the Lombard.

Describe your leadership style and explain how you think that will be effective in producing actions and decisions with your village board or city council.

As an inclusive leader I look to bring the stakeholders together to find partnerships and solutions to the problems we face today. When we look at the issues that face our village today, most of the problems are a result of a breakdown in communication. Starting a dialogue and opening our minds will allow us to get this town back on track and find new ideas to move us to a better tomorrow. I plan to forge partnerships with the community, including our dedicated police and fire services, our park district, library board and the businesses who reside in the area. This is of course in addition to our schools and partnering neighborhoods to see if there are new solutions to our common challenges. The people who know Lombard best are our residents. And it is our residents who I listen to and include their comments in my decision making process. I will bring those voices with me to every committee and board meeting as we bond together for Lombard's future.

How would you describe the condition of Lombard's budget, and what are the most important specific actions the town should take to assure providing the level of services people want?: In the past year we have lost major retailers like Carson Pirie Scott and Toys 'R' Us. These retailers have suffered like so many in the shift from brick and mortar stores to an online marketplace. Sales revenue is one of the largest income sources for our village. We as a village need to be ensuring that we are claiming our fair share of retail tax revenue from online sales so as to not impact our town's finances.

I was personally disappointed at the current board's decision to support the building of a new hotel in Lombard. After the fiasco caused by the Westin bankruptcy which cost village services $3 million and saw our credit rating downgraded to junk-bond status (as reported in the Daily Herald in Aug 2017). We need to continue on building on our credit rating, just like so many of our residents to ensure that Lombard is seen as a place to invest and grow businesses into the future. What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?: Lombard has not participated in the National Night Out for two years now. This small event gave the village and its residents an opportunity to come together and celebrate our police and fire departments, our pool and our park district. I would love to see this event reintroduced as an opportunity to come together with our neighbors and friends and promote the amenities of the villages just like the other towns in our area.