The City of Revelstoke has announced Mike Thomas, P. Eng., as the city's new Director of Engineering.
Thomas most recently worked as Manager of Engineering Services in Langley, B.C. and before that as City Engineer in Rossland.
“I am excited to live and work in Revelstoke and provide engineering direction and leadership to the city," Thomas said in a statement. "My family and I are looking forward to becoming part of the community and experiencing the diverse activities that the region has to offer."
"We are excited to have Mike join the city staff and look forward to his expertise and energy as he addresses the challenges ahead of us," mayor David Raven said in a statement.
Thomas studied engineering at the Australian Defence Force Academy and completed his Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia.
Thomas maintains a blog called UrbanWorkbench along with another engineer. "We have an interest in sustainable engineering design within urban areas, having worked on the design and construction of municipal infrastructure, as well as large scale residential housing, road corridor and industrial sites where sustainability has been a driving design criteria," states the blog's 'about' page. "Other experience includes road and subdivision design, golf course subdivision, on-site sewer and stormwater treatment, waste transfer station design, sewer force main design, and solutions for sustainable total water cycle management strategies."
Thomas took part in the Australian Federal Government's House of Representatives Standing Committee for the Environment, working with others to contribute a paper "on the role of green roof technology in the the goal of developing sustainable cities in Australia."
Thomas lived in Castlegar while working in Rossland. While there he participated in sustainable community initiatives including the Creston Grain Community Supported Agriculture Project, the Castlegar Integrated Sustainability Planning Process and the TransitionCastlegar project.
Thomas starts work here on Nov. 29. Those interested in meeting Thomas can attend a meet and greet at city hall from noon to 2 p.m. on Nov. 29.
Thomas takes over the position from Brian Mallett, who tragically passed away suddenly in May.