FOSTER TOWNSHIP - Jessica Ellison Thomas of Foster Township has launched her campaign for Madison County Board District 5 Representative. District 5 is primarily comprised of Foster, Moro, and Fort Russell townships, inclusive of Holiday Shores, Moro, Dorsey, Fosterburg, and portions of Bethalto and Edwardsville.
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Thomas moved to Fosterburg because she and her husband wanted to raise their son in the community she had always called home. She was raised in the Bethalto home where her parents still live. Both her father and husband are small business owners in Madison County which has given her invaluable insight into the mechanics of developing and sustaining growth within the community.
Thomas cares deeply about the issues facing Madison County. She has served as Secretary of the Fosterburg Fire Board of Trustees since 2014 and has a strong commitment to the betterment of her community. “I want what is best for my family and my neighbors,” said Thomas.
Listening to constituents is the foundation of Thomas’ run. She wants District 5’s concerns brought before the County Board, a task she feels the district’s current representative is not doing. “Several members of the district have expressed their dissatisfaction with our current representation. It is time for a change. Our community needs to be represented at the board meetings,” Thomas said.
Thomas further expressed that the current representative has served two terms with little progress to show in District 5. “Six years on the board, and you can see how few projects have been in our district – we pay our share of taxes here, too,” Thomas said, “Instead, our representative votes to disrupt our local governmental boards by aligning with our Chairman’s wishes to place his own people on them.”
Thomas feels that local control and local votes should determine who serves on boards. “I know from my experience on the Fire Board that most of the people who make these commitments do so because they care so much about the communities they serve,” she said, “and that is exactly what motivated me to run for County Board.”
Fighting for Internet access across District 5 is one of the goals Thomas will bring to the Board when elected. “There are federal and state dollars available, and our district has been waiting too long for equitable access,” she said. “Countless internet expansion projects have happened all over Southern Illinois and it’s past time for our district to get connected,” she further commented.
Thomas is an energetic and dynamic business professional with extensive experience in new business development having worked for Lee Enterprises, U.S. Foods, and Pinnacle Entertainment. Currently, she is the Senior Digital Marketing Manager for Amplified Digital Agency, a digital marketing company based in St. Louis, MO. She is confident that her extensive business acumen will serve her well in representing her constituents.
While Thomas is hopeful that the district will vote for her, she feels what is most important is that everyone gets to the polls to make their voices heard. “We are so fortunate to live in a free nation where we are at liberty to express ourselves and take an active role in the leadership of our country,” said Thomas. She reminds everyone to be a part of history and make their voices heard on November 6.
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