Chad Thomas

Chad Thomas was elected Mayor of West Liberty, Iowa, in 2009, after serving first as a City Council Member. He also serves as a part-time Judicial Referee in Johnson County, has a private law practice in West Liberty, and is part owner of a community coffee shop in West Liberty. Being Mayor in West Liberty provides challenges and opportunities; it is a community in which over 50% of the population self-identifies as Hispanic, and this population includes both persons newly arrived as well as families that immigrated to West Liberty generations ago. Although immigration is not a focus of his law practice, Mr. Thomas has volunteered with an immigration agency in Brownsville, Texas, and regularly deals with issues surrounding the role of immigration status in representation of clients and how it can impacts views on and approaches to our justice system. He holds a BA and JD from the University of Iowa.