Tolland Election 2021 Profile: Dana Philbin

TOLLAND, CT — Democrat Dana Philbin, 45, is running for Board of Education in Tolland.

Occupation: Manager, Sunbelt Rentals Climate Control Division Ct, Western Ma, Vt And Upstate Ny

Family:
Jason Philbin, spouse
Mackenzie Philbin, daughter
Graham Philbin, son

Experience: Board of Education

Family in government: No

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

The Town of Tolland has many pressing issues, including emerging from the pandemic as a united community; budgetary constraints for the town and the school systems; contaminated wells; updated emergency planning and safety response; updated planning and zoning regulations to assist with primarily residential tax base; and providing economical housing, to name a few. However, the situation with crumbling foundations needs to be faced head on. It continues to present an issue for businesses, residents, fire houses and the public-school system. Over the last two and a half years, the town had to advocate for state support and grants to replace Birch Grove Primary School under emergency status. As a proud member of the Birch Grove Building Committee, with input from our Public Safety Leaders, educators, and other stakeholders, we were able to work cohesively to set up a temporary school, tear down the old school, and and rebuild a new school that is safe for all students and staff within the Tolland Public School System. I will continue to advocate for our homeowners and businesses alike to ensure the proper support for their respective issues.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

The difference between me and other candidates is like everything else in life: perspective. We’ve all had different life experiences that allow us to have different points of view on respective topics. What I excel at is embracing those points of view, and opening the door to the conversations. I pride myself on listening, not just waiting my turn to talk. I want to solicit feedback from people in the community, work to improve dialogue with my peers, and I pride myself on my ability to self-reflect. Without these qualities, it would have been very difficult to accomplish what we did with the Birch Grove Primary School project. My track record during my tenure on the Board of Education has shown that I am willing to work with, and listen to, all sides of an issue and make an informed decision based on what is best for the entire community, not just my personal opinions. I feel strongly that a BOE member needs to represent all of Tolland’s community members, TPS students, and and staff.

Accomplishments:

I am currently a member of the Board of Education. My duties on the Board include serving on the Finance and Facilities Committee, the Negotiations Committee, the COVID Committee, and and the Birch Grove Building Committee. I have effectively worked on bipartisan teams to do the hard work and get the job done with clear and evident results. One particularly notable result is the community gem that is the new Birch Grove Primary School.

Other issues:

These past eighteen months have provided challenges that my colleagues and I have been able to address. I have worked tirelessly along with my colleagues to ensure that all children in Tolland are able to attend school safely and in-person when possible during this pandemic. During the budgetary process, I’ve focused on proper and appropriate funding and resources for our students, teachers and administrators, while ensuring a fair and quality education for all, as indicated by the State of Connecticut Statute 10-220. I will continue to focus on ensuring opportunities, such as extracurriculars and sports, all the while safeguarding that the required high school curriculum is being provided by the Tolland Public School System for all students, regardless of their strengths or personal challenges. Being a leader sometimes means making difficult decisions. These decisions are not always popular, but if they are the right thing to do, they must be done. I will always do the right thing for the community, considering the input of the experts, residents, staff, and and students.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

Serving my community has always been a passion of mine. It’s so important to give back in any way that you can. The community of Tolland has been so welcoming to my family. I want to listen, serve and continue to impact the community positively now and for future generations. In addition to my multiple responsibilities with the Board of Education and all the sub-committees, I am a wife, a mom, a friend, community member, runner, and soccer player and volunteer. I’ve spent many hours helping with projects in Tolland and surrounding communities and currently volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Relay for Life.