Tom Myers, a life-long Democrat, is running for Congress because our country is headed in the wrong direction and we need new leadership to change its course. With new leadership, we can return to a time when American families believed in their government and citizens joined the fight to make our communities and our country a better place.
But right now, America is far from those days of belief and action. Somewhere along the line, public service has turned into self-service. Today we are embroiled in President Bush’s failed Iraq War. Year after year, we have lost good paying jobs due to unfair trade deals, and many of our neighbors in Western Pennsylvania are financially strapped. And everyday, more and more Americans find themselves without adequate health care coverage…if they have any coverage at all.
Tom is eager to address these challenges because they affect all of us. And Tom has the values, principles and experience to move our country in the right direction – Forward.
Tom Myers will work hard to bring out troops home from Iraq. And he is committed to refocusing our priorities and resources on reducing our federal deficit, making health care accessible to everyone and ending unfair trade deals that have stripped our communities and hardworking families of good-paying jobs. Tom will fight for a healthy legacy for our children and our grandchildren, so that we don’t continue down a path that is mortgaging their futures.
FAMILY
Born and raised in Erie County, Tom grew up on his parents’ 200-acre farm bordering Lake Pleasant. An avid sportsman, Tom has been a hunter and fisherman his whole life. And he supports and belongs to Trout Unlimited and Duck’s Unlimited, both strong conservancy-minded organizations.
Growing up in a strong union family and in an agricultural area, Tom learned early on the value of hard work, compassion and community service. His family has deep roots in the labor movement and boasts five generations of Iron Workers. In 1922, his father, Vern, chartered the Iron Workers’ Local 348 in Erie and was its business agent as well as President of the Erie Central Labor Union Body for much of three decades. Tom’s mother, Naomi, now 86, was well known in the 1960’s & 70’s for operating the Lake Pleasant Snack Bar where fisherman could buy food, bait and fishing tackle, rent boats and share fishing stories.
Tom and his wife, Kendall, share a deep commitment to community service. Kendall, a registered nurse, graduated from the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 1995 and has since served at both Hamot Medical Center and Saint Vincent Health Center where she has worked primarily in post-surgical intensive and cardiac care. Tom’s legal career was his path to help others in need in his community. Tom and Kendall currently live in Millcreek Township their two daughters, Madison and Makenzie.
EDUCATION
Tom believes that quality education is the foundation for our country’s successful future – it is the great equalizer that unlocks the door to hopes and dreams. And Tom is committed to ensuring that Pennsylvania’s children, and all children, receive a quality public education.
After graduating from Seneca High School [Green Township, Erie County, PA] in 1978, Tom attended The Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Labor Studies. Following graduation, Tom immediately enrolled in law school at California Western School of Law in San Diego, California, and earned his law degree in 1985. During his law school years, Tom interned for the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the San Diego Square Senior Center. After law school, Tom returned home to his family in Erie County to begin a private law practice and his long commitment to community service.
OCCUPATION
Tom is part owner of the Erie law firm of Nichols & Myers, P.C. and has over 20 years of broad legal experience battling for the rights and interests of his clients. Counted among his many organizational clients, labor and otherwise, are the IBEW Local 56, the United Roofers Local 210, the Great Lakes Building and Construction Trades Council, the Erie Community Credit Union and the Kuhl Hose Co. Volunteer Fire Department. Tom also serves as a Mental Health Review Officer for the Erie County Department of Human Services. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and a 20-year member of the American Association for Justice. Through quality education, hard work and determination, Tom has had the opportunity to share in the American Dream. He believes that all Americans should have the same opportunity, which is why he will work to strengthen our public education system and make higher education more affordable.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Tom is currently the Chief Volunteer Officer and Board Chair for the YMCA of Greater Erie which has four branches and approximately 19,000 members in Erie County. He has chaired the YMCA’s Glenwood Park and Downtown Branch Advisory Boards and has been actively involved at the YMCA for over 10 years. He is presently a regional delegate for the YMCA of the USA’s National Assembly. Tom firmly believes in the YMCA’s core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility and he is passionate about its mission of building strong kids, strong families and strong communities. He enjoys coaching youth sports at the YMCA, such as soccer and basketball, and has also coached girls’ softball through the Millcreek Youth Athletic Association, another excellent and long-standing youth and family-minded organization serving the Erie area.
Tom is also a man of faith and has been actively involved in his church, the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, where he served as a Deacon for three years as well as Moderator of the Board of Deacons for one year. He particularly enjoyed the Deacons’ mission-related work including the Christmas and Easter food basket programs benefiting those in need in the community. Tom has served as volunteer solicitor for the American Lung Association of Northwestern Pennsylvania for nine years and represented the Erie County Federation of Fraternal and Social Organizations for 15 years. Everyday, Tom lives his values of community service and helping others through his actions, both in his law practice and through his extensive record of volunteerism.
