St. John Neumann
Catholic Church

Tom Tarantino - Chairman

Tom Tarantino is the Chairman of the St. John Neumann Facility Committee and, as such, plays a vital role in the Building a Legacy of Faith project.

Tom's route to St. John Neumann was a circuitous one.  Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he grew up in Ft. Myers, Florida, as one of 12 children.  Tom's dad was a general contractor, and working with his dad positioned him perfectly for the construction business.

For the past 18 years, Tom has served Emory University, starting in the contracts department overseeing renovation projects.  He then moved to the engineering side of facilities at Emory.  His next step was managing capital projects, and he continues in that role today as senior project manager.  Tom's most recent project was Emory's $35 million School of Theology/Center for Ethics Building.Tom and his family have been members of St. John Neumann Parish for 26 years.  He and Meredith, his wife of 35 years, have two sons - Joseph and Jonathan, both of whom were married this past summer... to Erin and Hilary, respectively.

The Facilities Committee that Tom chairs was formed in 2008 to be the Parish's eyes for all things regarding its new BLF facilities.  This includes working with the designers and builders on the new church, making design suggestions to ensure that the building meets the needs of the parish.

Tom and his team will be involved in overseeing such facility components as the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems; cabling; low-voltage maintenance issues; communication and data systems; security; "green" initiatives; sound design and equipment; disability access; and - once construction is completed - maintenance of the new church facility.

The committee's responsibilities include planning for both short– and long-term maintenance and repairs on all facility components from rooftops to parking lots.

How does Tom like his new role?

"When I volunteered, I did not realize how much time and effort had already been put forth by many of the committee members and parishioners.  As I got more involved, I saw how serious and passionate people were about the project."

Tom adds, "Once the project is complete, it will give me a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing that I was a small part of the Legacy."