Tom was raised in the Gridley area and attended Gridley Schools. He graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara, after which he received his commission as an officer in the U.S. Navy, making three deployments to Vietnam. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of California at Davis, and was admitted to practice before the California Bar in 1974. Tom’s practice has focused on business and real estate transactional law, as well as litigation involving business, real estate and construction disputes. In the past several years he has expanded his practice to include eminent domain.

Tom served two terms on the Gridley Planning Commission and two terms as a member of the Gridley City Council, serving as Vice Mayor all eight years. He was selected Gridley’s Man of the Year in 1995. From 1993 until 2009 Tom represented the City of Gridley at the Northern California Power Agency (“NCPA”). While representing the City at NCPA Tom chaired the Legislative and Regulatory Business Unit, served eight years on the Executive Committee, two years as Vice-Chairman of the Agency and two years as Chairman of the Agency.