Since he was 12 years old, the development of the land has always fascinated Thomas as one big puzzle to solve. “You have all of these pieces that you’re are trying to fit together to create a picture that complements and aligns the proposed changes with the social needs and wants of a community,” he says.

Since 1999, Thomas has focused on developing a well-rounded knowledge base by working on a broad range of projects in the land use, economic development, environmental, and transportation planning fields.

He has worked at both the county and municipal levels, bringing a regional-based planning mindset to help solve local issues. Thomas is known for developing local legislation for new environmental standards, including adopting the Green Building code for new site development and revisions to the local Energy Star code. He has also co-chaired a seven-county planning consortium to develop a Regional Sustainability Plan that tied into the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council’s 2011 Strategic Plan.

Thomas brings to BFJ Planning a focus on economic development and knowledge of land-use planning, which helped direct over $6 billion in economic development to the City of Stamford, making it the fastest-growing city in Connecticut with one of the largest waterfront redevelopments in the Northeast.

Our Perkins Eastman

As an Associate Principal at BFJ Planning, an affiliate of Perkins Eastman, Thomas applies to each project his expansive public- and private-sector knowledge of regional planning and economic development. Thomas encourages a big-tent approach to engaging the public, where inclusion and consensus building are the cornerstones of successful project development and execution.