Council Member Thomas took the oath of office at the Capital Metro board meeting this afternoon. The oath was administered by Vice-Chairperson Margaret Gomez. Capital Metro board members and staff gathered to welcome Mr. Thomas. "I look forward to working with Council Member Thomas," stated Commissioner Margaret Gomez.
In 1979, Thomas graduated from the Police Academy and joined the Austin Police Department. Thomas considers helping people survive and cope with the trauma of losing family members, his most rewarding experience. Seven of those years, Thomas worked in the Recruitment Division promoting diversity, leading to the highest number of minority hirings in the department's history.
Throughout his 21-year career with APD, Thomas was actively involved with the Austin Police Association. He was elected district representative for the Texas Peace Officers Association and eventually became the state association's vice president, and the local chapter's President. Through his participation in the Police Association, Thomas worked with youth groups mentoring students, and providing chaperoned security for youth activities.
In 1997, Thomas, a Baptist preacher, became Administrative Pastor at Eph'phatha Full Gospel Baptist Church Ministries. Compelled to a higher calling, Thomas soon realized he would serve the public in a larger capacity and in December 1999 announced his candidacy for the Austin City Council. He was victorious in his first run for elected office and was sworn in as Austin City Council Member on June 15, 2000.
Councilman Thomas serves on several other subcommittees such as: the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE), the Joint City/County Subcommittee, the Public Safety Task Force, and the Police Retirement Board.