“The land use decisions the city makes today will be felt through many decades in the future, and together we
have the responsibility to get them right. I’m excited to join the team that’s at the forefront of this effort.”
Thomas has a bachelor’s degree in geography from Brigham Young University and a master’s in urban planning
from Harvard University. He also was a Fulbright graduate researcher at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan.
He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and has presented at professional planning
conferences.
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About the City of Milpitas
Located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay, Milpitas is a progressive community that is an integral part of
Silicon Valley. As a full-service city of 389 full-time employees with water utility, sewer utility, police and fire
services, Milpitas serves a diverse population of nearly 80,000. The city has an annual $191 million operating
budget and a $315 million capital improvements budget.
Milpitas is the eighth-fastest growing city in the United States according to the US Census, and the second-
fastest in California. It has the third highest job growth among the 515 qualifying cities rated by Wallet Hub. The
homeownership rate is close to 70%, and the Milpitas housing market remains relatively affordable in Santa
Clara County. Milpitas is often called the “Crossroads of Silicon Valley” with most of its 14 square miles situated
between two major freeways (I-880 and I-680), Route 237, and a county expressway. In June 2018, Livability
Magazine ranked Milpitas fifth in the nation for “Best Cities for STEM Workers” out of more than 2,000
American cities.
More information at: https://www.milpitas.gov/
