Although Tom Blon officially joined the Executive Board in March of 2020, before that time, he served the school in an unofficial capacity helping to facilitate the school’s sustainability goals by researching and eventually helping to build the school’s biodigester, which provides clean cooking fuel and compost for the school’s gardens. In addition, Tom taught HEART students the use of solar kits to help generate energy. Also, during March of 2020, he took a formal role in the school’s fundraising efforts by becoming the Chair of the Buddy Committee.
Tom’s passions for learning and service show in all that he brings to the HEART board. Not only was he a high school physics teacher at Middletown High School for 12 years, he also continues to teach astronomy for SUNY Orange Community College. His efforts to use science to improve the lives of the school’s faculty and students help to support the school’s mission of creating a sustainable, cutting-edge environment in which our students can truly thrive. As an avid gardener and scientist, he understands the value of creating green spaces in order to feed the community and to create healthy, welcoming spaces for learning and relaxation. During his service with the Middletown Shade Tree Committee, he helped to distribute trees for Arbor Day, surveyed public spaces, and helped to plant trees in public locations.
Tom is an experienced traveler. During his 5 years of service in the US Navy, he saw much of the world. One of his most eye-opening experiences came in a June 1988 port visit to Nouakchott, Mauritania. He explains, “The level of poverty was staggering— nomads had come into Nouakchott because of the drought, and were living in cardboard or sheetmetal shacks. When our ship’s cooks cleaned up after lunch, throwing several large plastic bags of uneaten food into the dumpsters on the pier, the garbage was then removed by Mauritanian workers on the dock and quickly redistributed.” This was a crushing example of the poorest country on the planet’s poorest continent. This experience made quite an impression on Tom, and eventually led him to participate personally in the school’s efforts. He traveled to Haiti 4 times to assist with different projects ranging from construction efforts to administrative missions to teaching on sustainability.
In addition to all of this other service, Tom continues to help his local community as a volunteer driver with the Rock Hill Emergency Medical Service in Sullivan County.
