Honor Chris Thomas Service

Senate Resolution No. 1308 BY: Senator BRESLIN HONORING Chris Thomas upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Excellence in Community Service Award by the University at Albany Alumni Association WHEREAS, The unity of our State and Nation is built upon the compassion of individuals such as Chris Thomas who uphold the values of community life and who, through their great actions, epitomize the best of humanity; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Chris Thomas upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Excellence in Community Service Award by the University at Albany Alumni Association to be celebrated with a Gala on May 4, 2019, at Wolfert's Roost, Albany, New York; and WHEREAS, This auspicious award pays tribute to University at Albany (UAlbany) alumni for time volunteered which benefits a community or its non-profit institutions; and WHEREAS, Chris Thomas graduated magna cum laude from the University at Albany's Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with honors in 1986; he went on to earn a J.D. from University at Buffalo School of Law, where he served as a public interest fellow; and WHEREAS, In his role as Counsel at Nixon Peabody in Rochester, New York, Chris Thomas represents individuals, corporations and non-profits such as universities as well as utility, construction and pharmaceutical companies; and WHEREAS, Chris Thomas also works on behalf of newspapers and television stations, including defense of defamation claims, public access to courtrooms and access to official documents, and has represented entities such as NBC and comedian Jay Leno; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, he recently was appointed to the first class of certified federal court mediators in the Western District of New York; and WHEREAS, Prior to joining Nixon Peabody, Chris Thomas served as an assistant public defender in Monroe County and as a staff attorney at North Country Legal Services in Plattsburgh; and WHEREAS, With a steadfast and unwavering commitment to his community, Chris Thomas devotes much of his time to LawNY, a not-for-profit provider of civil legal services to people of low income in Western New York; he began serving this vital organization in 2010, and has since aided in the successful implementation of its strategic plan and restructuring of program management; and WHEREAS, Chris Thomas has served on the WXXI Public Broadcasting Council Board of Trustees since 2015; he also chairs its government relations committee and is a member of its executive committee, representing the station in the community; and WHEREAS, In addition, Chris Thomas provides countless hours of pro bono services for clients who cannot afford representation; and WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individual for the benefit of others which Chris Thomas has displayed throughout his life; and WHEREAS, It has always been the objective of this Legislative Body to honor and support those individuals who have displayed their commitment to the betterment of their communities, and it is the intent of this Legislative Body to inscribe upon its records, this tribute to Chris Thomas, that future generations may know and appreciate his admirable character, his many benevolent deeds, and the respect and esteem in which he is held by his peers; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Chris Thomas upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Excellence in Community Service Award by the University at Albany Alumni Association; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Chris Thomas.