COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY
NOVEMBER 7, 2017
VOTE COLUMN B!
Meet Don's Council Slate
Meet Don's Council Slate
BAILEY, KAMMERMAN & TONACCI FOR CITY COUNCIL
Meet Don's Council Slate
Ron BAILEY
“I’m running for City Council to help rebuild an Atlantic City that is for everyone by working with a successful mayor who is making real changes for a more stable economy and a safer community for everyone.”
Ron Bailey, 31, is a lifelong Atlantic City resident, emergency medical technician and member of the Atlantic City Volunteer Community Emergency Response Team.
“My background in community work has taught me that our city needs collaboration to help young people stay away from drugs and make positive life choices,” Bailey said. “With my City Council colleagues and I working as coordinators, we can give Atlantic City’s youth a bright future.”
Bailey was 11 when he first volunteered with the “Turn Around Atlantic City” anti-drug group, which organized marches in neighborhoods plagued by drug use and crime. At age 12, he joined the American Red Cross as a volunteer and was awarded the Youth Volunteer Award for his contributions. He received the Distinguished Citizenship Award by the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement for participating in anti-drug marches. As a 12-year-old, he joined the Atlantic City Surf as a bat boy, eventually working his way to the Assistant Director of Grounds Crew.
Bailey recalls being mentored by Dennis McGurk, Jr., an Atlantic City police officer who taught him and other youths how to ride dirt bikes and convinced him to join the Urban Youth Golf Program.
“I like to sit with homeowners and business owners to listen to their concerns and discuss ways to make our city safer and more prosperous,” Bailey said. “I will be available 24/7 so residents can feel free to call me day or night. The people of Atlantic City should always feel they can bring their issues to City Council and be heard. Mayor Guardian sets a wonderful example of how an elected official should honor their office. I vow to follow that example.”
Bailey was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 by AC Weekly in 2010. He has received the Distinguished Citizenship Award from the Chelsea Neighborhood Association and has been honored with two CPR Save Awards. Bailey also volunteers with the Atlantic City Fire Department’s Muscular Dystrophy Telethon.
Stacey KAMMERMAN
“I’m running for City Council because Atlantic City needs leaders who are tough enough to get things done and who care enough to do what’s right.”
Stacey Kammerman, 48, is a fourth-generation Atlantic City resident who earned her BA from Stockton University while working two jobs and raising three children on her own. She is the founder and CEO of an international workplace language training and publishing company, and the owner operator of Kammerman’s Atlantic City Marina.
Kammerman’s passion for cultures and the Spanish language led her to become a certified K-12 Spanish teacher and later became a teacher trainer in the Atlantic City School District. She also founded her company, KAMMS World Wide, that publishes a series of job-specific language programs that were available in Walmart and Kmart nationwide and are now distributed digitally in seven countries. About six years ago, she took over a failing marina business and turned it into a profitable one, by making tough decisions. As a small business owner, she’s experienced in finding creative ways to decrease expenses and increase revenue. Kammerman sees untapped opportunities in Atlantic City, that call for an entrepreneur’s can-do attitude.
“Atlantic City residents deserve council members who share the mayor’s vision and who are focused on getting things done,” Kammerman said. “Don Guardian is a mayor I can truly get behind for all the amazing things he has accomplished in such a short amount of time. And as the only woman running for City Council, I’m committed to empowering and listening to the voice of women in Atlantic City.”
Kammerman is married to Atlantic City Police Officer Chris Kammerman, who oversees the city’s Patrol Division. “As a mother, and the wife of a police officer, public safety is very important to me,” Kammerman said. “I know how hard our first responders work to keep the community they love safe, and we all want our kids to be safe.”
Kammerman is the former president of the local chapter of the NJ Association of Women Business Owners and received the association’s Teal Heart Award for Exceptional Service. She also developed the Latin American Dream initiative to provide resources for the Hispanic community. Kammerman has been recognized by Casino Connection Magazine’s People to Watch and AC Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2007, South Jersey Magazine’s Top Ten Women in Business and the Small Business Development Success Award.
Paul TONACCI
“I’m running for City Council with a unique perspective as a businessman with Hispanic heritage, and will be devoted to reaching out to the Hispanic community to ensure their voices are heard.”
Paul Tonacci, 32, has made Atlantic City his home since 2013. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, has studied abroad in Madrid, Spain and Valparaiso, Chile, and is fluent in English and Spanish. He is a board member of the Hispanic Leadership Association of NJ.
Tonacci opened a restaurant and liquor store in Atlantic City, and now promotes South Jersey tourism and lobbies with the Congressional Wine Caucus to increase local agri-tourism. His drive to give back to the community moves him to participate in events such as the American Cancer Society’s Bike-a-thon from Philadelphia to Atlantic City and Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Over the Edge, where he’ll rappel down the Sheraton Atlantic City to raise money for the organization.
Tonacci is ready to work with all Atlantic City residents to help reduce taxes and create better and safer communities by working directly with the city’s emergency services, including early-morning Beach Initiatives to assist homeless people and getting Narcan training to aid individuals suffering an opioid overdose. He is committed to drawing new businesses into Atlantic City to lower taxes for residents.
“As an entrepreneur, I know that private investment will help us rebuild Atlantic City both physically and financially,” Tonacci said. “We need to follow Mayor Guardian’s lead to reach out to new businesses and industries that can bring stable, in-demand jobs back to Atlantic City.”
Tonacci is the former vice president of National Account Sales for Vinedrea Wines and the former managing partner of the Atlantic City Bottle Company and The Iron Room. He is a member of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce, the Metropolitan Business and Citizens Association of Atlantic City, and the SoPro Young Business and Professionals Network. Tonacci is a former guest columnist for the Press of Atlantic City and Wine Industry Network, a Lead Atlantic City Tomorrow Fellow, and one of AC Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2015.