Tom Ceraso…The Man…The Husband And Father…The Commissioner

The Early Years
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Westmoreland County Commissioner, Tom Ceraso, has been a life-long resident of Westmoreland County. The son of Attorney Tom Ceraso and Janet Venturini, he grew up in Vandergrift, a fun place to be a child. During the summer he could go and play pretty much all over the town with his friends Mark Calderone and John Depanicis. It was great growing up in that small town where they could walk to friends’ houses and play, no matter where in the town they lived. The boys would even walk or ride their bikes to the Vandergrift pool to swim. Tom also has many fond memories of playing stickball and football throughout the year. It was a time when everybody knew everyone in the town. If he did something wrong his parents knew about it before he got back home. The neighborhoods were safe and the community kept it that way.
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School Days.
Tom attended Adams Elementary School, which helped to mold his life. One of his favorite teachers at Adams was his fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Smith, who always really cared about her kids. Tom remembers one day when she had chicken and biscuits for the entire class for lunch. The whole class stayed at school for lunch that day and it was like a big party. It was also during the fifth grade that Tom got to meet kids from outside of Vandergrift for the first time. A group of kids were bussed into Adams from Parks Township in Armstrong County and this changed Tom’s life because he met his life-long best friends David Frickanisce and Keith Hansen. Tom still has fun getting together with them and discussing politics with these two great, supportive Republican friends.
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Discovering The Love Of Sports.
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When Tom was growing up, his parents and their friends introduced him to the world of tennis. Tom enjoyed playing the game with them as they regularly got together at the courts in Vandergrift. This early introduction to tennis was responsible for Tom and Mark Calderone being chosen to play tennis on the Kiski Area High School’s team. That was also Tom’s introduction to bussing, as members of the tennis team would be bussed to the high school to practice and play on the team. Mark and Tom both lettered in tennis all four years, and Tom was proud when he was chosen captain of the tennis team in his senior year.
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Scholarly Interests
Science was always one of Tom’s favorite subjects in school and has had a great influence on his life. Science opened doors that allowed Tom to explore his curiosity about how and why things worked the way they did. This curiosity has continued throughout his life and is instrumental in his current position as County Commissioner.

Tom’s college career began at the University of Pittsburgh and continued with his transfer to Penn State during his sophomore year. At Penn State he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. College brings back a lot of fond memories for Tom. It was the first time in his life, as happens often when young men and women first move away from home, he had to learn how to budget his money, and delivering pizzas helped him earn the extra money needed for everyday necessities.

He also met a group of students who went skiing in Vermont for spring break. That fun and camaraderie began a love affair with getting out during the winter and skiing that continues in his life today. Tom is looking forward to introducing this fun recreation to his children, as they get older.
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A Primer In Labor-Management Relations
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In 1986 Tom left State College and returned home to his roots in Westmoreland County. Once home, he began working at the Westmoreland County Municipal Authority. This employment was enjoyable and provided many opportunities to perform different jobs important to the total success of the Authority. Tom felt fortunate to be able to learn several of these different jobs while at the Authority which allowed him to understand the important aspects of the Authority’s water industry. While employed there, Tom was the active elected official in his Union. He had the honor of serving as the Vice-President of the Utility Workers Union of America Local 164. In this important position Tom was provided the opportunity to interact with the management of the Authority. Tom also represented members of the Utility Workers Union of America Local 164 when they needed their rights under their contract protected. Tom also gained bargaining experience through his direct involvement in the negotiations of the union contract. For Tom this became one of the single most fulfilling and learning experiences in his career with the Authority. It was great trying to put the pieces of the employee-employer relationship puzzle together while making sure that all of the different parties’ needs were heard and addressed.

The work and union experience he gained at the Municipal Authority has proven invaluable in Tom’s day-to-day management of Westmoreland County. There’s always a third party at the table whenever management and labor make decisions in the public arena, and it is the job of the Commissioners to make sure their needs are heard when crafting an agreement.
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Finding His Soul Mate And Starting A Family
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In 1988, Tom’s high school sweetheart, Dana Colpo from Washington Township, accepted his proposal of marriage. Tom and Dana are not only husband and wife but also best friends and are very happily married. She has been a commercial interior designer for over 22 years and owns Parkview Interiors.
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Tom and Dana’s early marriage was “as if they were just dating,” but when they had children everything changed. Tom says, “We were no longer the center of our own lives. We had these precious little ones that were totally dependent and who couldn’t survive without us. It has been wonderful watching our kids grow and being there to help guide their development.
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Our son, Thomas, has similar interests as I did when I was young. He likes to figure out how things work, but he is also an avid hockey player. This, like other sports, is a year-round activity, so we get to spend a lot of quality bonding time on the road traveling to watch him play.
Our daughter, Abby, loves to read, ride horses and is one of the most ardent fishermen I have ever known. Abby recently caught an 86-inch Sailfish while we were deep-sea fishing. My children were one of my overriding reasons for running for office. I want them to be able to stay and raise their children in Westmoreland County.”
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Leisure Time In Westmoreland County
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It’s often said that the difference between a man and a boy is the price of his toy. When Tom turned forty, Dana, bought him his toy, a Jeep. Tom really enjoys spending time in the outdoors, fishing and taking the Jeep off road. He supports and adheres to the principles of an organization called "Tread Lightly", a not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting the great outdoors in an age where outdoor recreation is the sport of choice. Tom and his Jeep have participated in Jeep jamborees and in local Jeep mud bogs. He has also been reconnecting with fishing because of his daughter’s love for the sport, and he tries to get out with her as much as possible.
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A Working Person’s Commissioner
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Tom was first elected to the office of Westmoreland County Commissioner in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003. Tom says, “I truly believe County Commissioner is probably the most diverse elected public position one can be elected to. As County Commissioner, we do every thing from managing a budget of over $300 million to overseeing Westmoreland’s many human service agencies, lovely county parks and the many services and infrastructure needed by the citizens of the County.” The Commissioners are also responsible for Westmoreland’s researching, planning and economic development for the future of the county and its citizens. While doing all that, the Commissioners must interact with the municipalities when issues arise that the county can assist in and partner with for the benefit of Westmoreland County.
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Being a member of the Board of Commissioners has provided Tom with the opportunity to serve on many boards. He currently serves on the Advisory board of Penn State New Kensington, The Valley Points YMCA, Westmoreland County 4H, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and has been unanimously elected to a third consecutive year as the southwestern PA representative to The Board of The County Commissioners’ Association of Pennsylvania, the statewide organization that represents counties on all issues to the state. Tom considers it a great honor to have been elected by his peers, both Democrat and Republican, to represent them in this organization.
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Tom looks forward to ongoing service to Westmoreland County and its citizens in the future. Working together with the people, he can continue to help move the county forward in the right direction.