Tuscarawas County has always been my home. I was born and raised in the Twin Cities. My parents – Armand DiDonato, a World War II veteran, and Jean DiDonato, who hailed from Boston, Massachusetts, together raised five boys of which I was the oldest. I graduated from Dennison St. Mary’s High School in 1969. From there I pursued a college education and graduated from Akron University with a BA in English in 1974 and ten years later I earned a master’s degree from Dayton University in Educational Administration. I was employed as an English teacher and head baseball and head football coach at Indian Valley Schools for 31 years until 2005 residing in the village of Gnadenhutten for 25 years. From there I served as the high school principal at Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School for six years before being hired by Quaker Digital Academy as an instructional supervisor. I then finished my educational career at Conotton Valley High School where I was the athletic director and dean of students for five years.

The Tuscarawas County Recorder office performs a key and indispensable duty in maintaining vital and accurate land ownership records which are necessary to enable people to purchase land or lend money with land as security. These records must be current and easily accessible to the general public.

As a long-time administrator, I spent my career maintaining accurate student and student-athlete records which had to be both current and easily accessible. The protocols involved in educational administration essentially parallel the protocols of the Tuscarawas County Recorder’s office. The only difference is the content.

Therefore, my experience as a long-time educational administrator in both Tuscarawas and Carroll Counties for over 45 years is an invaluable experience (perhaps even a prerequisite) to enable a smooth and natural transition into a full-time Tuscarawas County Recorder position that I am seeking this fall, and with your vote, we can make this happen.