Senita resident Maurice Thomas is in the zone.
Councilmember Henry Wade appointed Thomas to a vacant position on the Planning and Zoning Commission during a city council meeting Tuesday. Council members unanimously voted in favor of the appointment.
During the meeting, Wade referred to Thomas as “a worker” and “a dude who gets things done.”
That comment made Thomas chuckle.
“I’m glad I get that type of description because I don’t mind being the person doing the gopher work, as long as the job is getting done,” he said. “I think he must’ve picked up on that. I guess that engineering side always comes out.”
Wade told InMaricopa Thomas’s dedication to the community elevated him to the top of the pile.
“His commitment stands out,” Wade said. “He’s been committed to the community and always wants to make a difference and be informed. I think he’s going to be a great asset to the commission.”
Thomas is the newest member since Robert Brems joined the commission in November.
From Illinois with love
Former commissioner Jim Hughes stepped down from his role earlier this month to return to Illinois, Planning and Zoning Manager Rick Williams said during a May 13 meeting.
“We accepted his resignation letter late last week and didn’t get a chance to say thank you for everything he’s done for us up to this point in being a member of this,” Williams said. “Mr. Hughes, if you’re watching on TV, thank you very much and safe travels back home.”
Thomas also hails from the Prairie State. He and his wife Vicki moved to Maricopa from the Chicago area seven years ago, where he had a career as a chief stationary engineer with Chicago Public Schools.
These days, he works as a maintenance technician at Lactalis Dairy in Casa Grande. It’s not too different from his previous job operating and maintaining boilers and cooling systems.
“I’ve always been in the field of maintenance and taking care of equipment,” he said.
Thomas will attend his first meeting as a commissioner June 10, which will include reviewing a traffic engineering study.
