THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — Danville School District 118 has three candidates and two write-in candidates running for the four open board seats in the April 1 election.
Candidates are current board member Darlene Halloran, former board member Christopher Easton, Toni Kimberline Towne and write-ins Tom Halloran and Harsha Gurujal. Three current board members in the four four-year terms up for election on the school board are not seeking re-election — President Randal Ashton (a 20-year member), Tyson Parks and Shannon Schroeder.
Election questionnaires were sent to the candidates.
Christoper Easton, 41, of Candlewick Lane, is married to Melanie (LCPC Alliance Counseling and Coaching) and they have a son, Isaiah (first year at University of Pennsylvania), and daughter, Bailee Easton (sophomore at Danville High School). Education: Grand Valley High School (Orwell, Ohio); Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Mount Vernon, Ohio; Bachelor of Arts, Nazarene Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Mo.; Master of Divinity. He’s employed as Illinois Department of Corrections chaplain at the Danville Correctional Center, Danville Area Community College course instructor (Literature and Philosophy) — part time and interim Pastor Grace Community Church of the Nazarene — part time. He was a school board member from Oct. 2021 to May 2023. He’s current treasurer with the DHS Choir Music Boosters.
Darlene Halloran, 71, of Denmark Road, is married to Tom and they have three grown children and seven grandchildren. Education: Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Syracuse University. She’s retired, and this would be her third term on the school board. She’s also worked on numerous political campaigns.
Toni Kimberlin Towne, 57, of Rue Conti St., is married to Curtis and they have three daughters. Education: Schlarman HS Fr; Danville HS So – Sr; DACC Associates of Applied Sciences (Accounting & Business Administration); Illinois State University Bachelor of Science (Marketing). She’s currently a stay-at-home mom/grandma and a volunteer. She’s currently serving on the Danville Public Library Foundation Board and Danville Country Club Board of Directors.
Thomas Halloran, 74, of Denmark Road, is married to Darlene, who was a counselor at District 118 for several years and an incumbent on the school board for past eight years. They have three children, all DHS graduates with all of their primary and secondary education at Danville public schools. Five of their seven grandchildren are in Danville schools, from two high school seniors to preschool. Education: Biology B.S. at St. Bonaventure University, Doctor of Medicine at State University of New York Syracuse, Residency Internal Medicine US Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Va., Board Certified Fellow American College of Physicians, staff physician Naval hospitals Guam and Bremerton, WA, Commander, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy, 13 years active duty, Navy Achievement Medal. He’s an adult medicine physician with Carle Health, Danville Carle at the Riverfront, for 40 years.
He says he’s not served on a school board. However, “there is a long family tradition and I feel it is my turn. My wife Darlene is an eight-year incumbent and community involved citizen. My dad, and both my grandfathers, had in aggregate over 50 years on the school board in our home school district in Western New York.” Tom also is founder of Trees for Danville, notable for having planted thousands of trees in Danville, and associated with Danville Soccer since before the soccer complex was even an idea.
Harsha Gurujal, 62, of Walnut Street, is married to Susie Gurujal Their four children are graduates of DHS. Education: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate with a B.S. in Basic Sciences and Speech Communication. He’s worked on a post graduate degree in marketing and in social work. He’s taught at DACC in the Speech, Math and Adult Education departments. Employment: Manager with Outback Steakhouse in Champaign. He said he has political aspirations, but he’s lost every election he’s been in. He’s served on several boards in the Danville community including with the 708 Board, United Way, Peer Court and YMCA. He’s an ambassador for the ALS Association.
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