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Tony Thurmond for Richmond City Council
“Leadership for a Change”


Tony Thurmond

PLATFORM

Leadership

The City of Richmond needs to have “Leadership for a Change”. If elected I will provide high quality, professional, and ethical leadership that the citizens of Richmond can be proud of at all times. I will draw upon more than 10 years of experience in non profit management to make the right choices around budget management, trouble shooting problems, listening to and engaging the help of the citizens, and developing a comprehensive vision and plan for restoring Richmond’s Pride and Purpose.

Effective Government

I will work to ensure that the people of Richmond have a city government that is effective and efficient in all of its dealings. My first step will be to ensure that all the interim positions in the City of Richmond management structure get filled by qualified and talented managers who know how to get the job done right. The performance of these individuals will be reviewed regularly, and I will also draw upon my program development experience from the non-profit management world to look at ways to make governmenent services as efficient and cost effective as possible. I’ve worked with several elected officials and representatives from government at the local, state, and federal levels. I plan to continue working closely with elected leaders of other Bay area cities to position the City of Richmond to benefit from trends and best practices taking place in other parts of the region.

Fiscal Management

Never again should the people of Richmond be told by their leaders that no one knows where the money went or why we have a deficit. If elected, my top priority will be the sound oversight of how our tax dollars are spent, so that we get the most that we can expect in terms of services from our city. As a non-profit program manager and appointee to a county youth funding committee, I’ve successfully balanced budgets, allocated funds, and maintained spending within budgetary limits. I will also ensure that Richmond has regular independent audits and as needed I will work to develop a citizen financial oversight board to create greater safeguards.

Economic Development

The City of Richmond needs a plan to attract and retain businesses that will provide the city with new revenue, jobs, and services for residents. If elected, I will commission business and industry led teams charged with identifying new economic development opportunities that meet Richmond’s needs. I’m currently supporting the development of an initiative to provide job training and placement for low-income Richmond residents who wish to work in the Biotechnology industry, and to help immigrant women in West County start their own businesses.

Together with business people, residents, community groups, and Richmond’s economic development agency, we will implement a plan that builds on Richmond’s great assets and helps to position Richmond for future economic prosperity. I will also work closely with local and national foundations to identify additional funding resources for stimulating economic growth and for providing services to Richmond constituents.

Violence Prevention and Neighborhood Safety

All Richmond residents deserve to be safe and to enjoy a quality of life free from fear and violence. I plan to work closely with the Richmond Police Department to support community-policing efforts and to develop solutions for making neighborhoods safer. I will also work closely with Richmond town watch groups, neighborhood councils, and non-profit organizations so that the voice of citizens can be heard loud and clear as we address these challenges.

I’ve coordinated numerous after school programs and walked a beat as a uniformed crime prevention ambassador, so I know that violence prevention in Richmond will require a long-term focus and an approach that utilizes a diverse mix of resources and strategies. To that end, I will seek to promote job opportunities and after school programs for youth and to work with foundations, community based organizations, social policy groups, and research institutions to identify other violence prevention strategies that are working in other cities and employ those strategies in Richmond.

Education

For the sake of our children and the sake of the future of our city we must improve our education system now! I plan to work closely with the West Contra Costa Unified School (WCCUSD) District Board to advocate for our youth and to ensure that the WCCUSD Board members put forth their best efforts for educating Richmond youth. I have coordinated several after school, mentoring, and academic enrichment programs in which I’ve leveraged resources for supporting the efforts of local school districts. I will look to create new partnerships with local universities, teacher training programs, foundations, youth serving organizations, and employee volunteer groups that result in a greater mix of services being available to support tutoring, after school programs, and the academic achievement of the children in our schools.

Experience and Training

• Contra Costa County Family and Children’s Trust Committee member since 2003
• 10 years of successful non-profit management experience
• Master of Law and Social Policy Degree
• Master of Social Service Degree (Emphasis on Advocacy, Planning, and Program Development)

Affiliations

• May Valley Neighborhood Council, Member
• Creating Economic Opportunities for Women (CEO), Advisory Board Member
• Oakland Unified School District Heroes Program, Volunteer
• Contra Costa County Democratic Coordinated Campaign, Volunteer
• Newsom for Mayor Campaign, Volunteer
• Barbara Lee for Congress Campaign, Volunteer
• Barbara Boxer for Senate Campaign, Volunteer

Biography

Tony Thurmond is a Bay area native who was born in Monterey and lived in San Jose until the age of six. After Tony’s mother, a former teacher and single mother lost her battle to Cancer in 1974, Tony moved to Philadelphia, PA where he was adopted and raised by his cousin Diana Krajewski, and Tony’s step father, Donald Krajewski. Diana and Donald Krajewski (both campus police officers for more than 20 years) taught their son Tony the value of hard work, responsibility, and making sacrifices to get things done. Tony is also the proud brother to Terence in San Jose, Jerome in Encinitas CA, Rena in New York City, and Ayana in Philadelphia.


Tony was first turned on to politics during his tenure as Student Body President for the 30,000 students at Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) where he received a BA in Psychology. Tony did his graduate work at Bryn Maw College (Bryn Mawr, PA) where he received dual Masters Degrees in Law and Social Policy and Social Work. After a successful career in the Philadelphia area that spanned the disciplines of social work, education, and non profit management, Tony returned to the Bay area and has lived there with his wife Kristin since 1998. Kristin and Tony made Richmond their home in 2000 and are raising their toddler daughter Maya there. While back in the Bay area Tony has continued working for non-profit causes, particularly education, mentoring, and other programs to support youth. When he isn’t working or involved in political causes, Tony enjoys watching and playing sports and spending time with Kristin and Maya and friends in the scenic Bay area. Tony is also a trained actor who has appeared in a national cable commercial and in numerous training videos for Bay area corporations and non-profit causes. Tony also loves music and has sung on stage with his Jazz musician brother Jerome Dawson (airjazzproductions.com), a pop-rock band, and the Glide gospel ensemble in San Francisco.

Contact for More Information
510.223.4394 |tonythurm@aol.com

Send donations c/o:

The Committee to Elect Tony Thurmond
3409 Maywood Drive
Richmond, CA 94803

Deb Torticill, Campaign Treasurer