NORWICH – Thomas L. Morrone was born Sept. 30, 1942 in Norwich. The theme of Tom’s life has been his work ethic. Before graduation Tom held many jobs – whether it was shoveling snow or sweeping floors at the Fair Store or working at Winan’s Men shop, Tom was always working. At age 16 he started working at, Christman Motors, the dealership he runs today.
On Aug. 24, 1962, Tom married Sally Owens of Sidney. The happy couple had two daughters Mary Ann and Kimberly, both of which continue to live in Norwich, and one son Thomas Jr., who currently resides in Chicago. Currently the Morrone family has seven grandchildren.
Tom is currently has the distinction of being the longest tenured dealership employee at the same dealership in the county. Tom started at Christman Motors as an automobile prep person. He would wash cars and prepare them for customers. After a couple of years, he convinced Bob Christman to let him do some selling, and his success in this field has propelled him to the top position in the business. He is presently vice-president, secretary, part owner, and general manager of the successful Chevrolet/Buick dealership. He has received several professional awards from the Chevrolet and Buick organizations. These awards include the Chevrolet Legion of Leaders and the Buick Salesmaster Awards.
Tom was elected to the Board of the NYS Automobile Dealers Association in 1989, and continues to serve in that position. He was elected President of the NYSADA in 1998, and has served as chairman of several committees, and as a member of the executive committee from 1993 until the present. In 2006, he was nominated for the prestigious national Time Quality Award.
Tom has served his community as a member of the Traffic Commission, the Greater Norwich Local Development Corporation, the Chenango County 20-20 Commission, the Chenango Memorial Hospital Building Fund committee, the St. Bartholomew Church Fundraising Committee, the Town of Norwich Planning Board, and as president of the Chenango County Unit of the American Cancer Society. He has been a member of the Chenango County Chamber of Commerce and its Governmental Affairs Committee since 1985, and was the recipient of the Chamber’s Commitment to Community Award in 2006.
In addition to his business and professional career, Tom has been elected Chenango County Republican Chairman for the last 26 years. In this position, he has managed the delicate balance between local support for state and national representatives, and state and federal benefits for Chenango County. His pragmatic understanding of the workings of our political system has benefited our municipalities in countless ways over those 26 years. Giving credit to the more visible personalities, he has quietly engineered what is best for Norwich and Chenango County. His compassion for those who need help is known only to its beneficiaries, but it is his most outstanding quality.
