Tom Williamson has 40 years of experience in School District 22 and now wants to utilize that experience by running for school trustee in Vernon.
Williamson was born and raised in Vernon — he attended both elementary school (Beairsto, St. James and Vernon Jr. High) and high school (Vernon High School) locally. He is married, has four children and nine grandchildren.
After graduating from Vernon High School, Williamson received his bachelor’s of physical education from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and a master’s of arts in counselling psychology from Gonzaga, Spokane, Wash. He taught for 30 years at Kalamalka and Vernon Secondary School.
During his tenure, Williamson was well-known for his involvement in both community and school sports, including coaching basketball, track and field and golf. He was an instructor at the Sarcee Seven Chiefs Hockey School. He was director of both Vernon Summer Hockey School and Rec Ex Summer Hockey School for 26 years. He also coached rep and house hockey for Vernon Minor Hockey for 20 years.
After his teaching years, Williamson was School District 22 career coordinator for all high schools in Vernon and Lumby for 10 years. Specific programs Williamson co-facilitated include Wood Links — students learn how to repurpose wood into value-added products; PawPrints—students learn how to silkscreen; promotional videos — students create promotional videos for companies in Vernon, like Riverside Forest Products; developed with Okanagan College the first ITA Dual Credit Certificate program in CNC (Computer Numeric Control) delivered at VSS; ACE IT (accelerated credit education industry training)—students work with Industry Training Authority for dual-credit apprenticeship training, technical and work based; secured $30,000 in funding from ITA for an Automotive Trade Sampler and Construction Trade Sampler supported in kind by Canadian Tire, Fisher’s Hardware and Dewalt tools; secured $50,000 in funding from Skills Canada for the support on the Professional Cook 1 program at VSS.
Other School District programs Williamson developed include the RCMP Youth Academy, Hockey Canada Skills Academy, Vernon Golf and Country Club Golf Academy and he was a recruiter for the International Program in School District 22 for four years.
Some of Williamson’s contributions also include being the Okanagan Representative for the Career Education Society, on the committee that helped Industry Training Authority implement ACE IT Dual Credit programs in the province of British Columbia. He also worked with Ed Wong, VP BC Business Council, on the book, The Third Option: Rewarding Careers That Require Post-Secondary Education but Not a University Degree. The success of this book was followed by the movie, The Third Option.
Williamson joins the race alongside Gen Acton, current trustee Mollie Bono, Ronald Burton, Jenn Comazzetto, current trustee Robert Lee, Paula Harned, Nicole Makohoniuk, Sheri Minard, Lori Mindnich, Mark Olsen, Christie Tujik and Mark Rivette.
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