The Board of Lane County Commissioners needs to work together as a team. We as workers and residents rely on them to function — the same way we show up to work every day even when it’s tough. My friend Thomas Hiura has repeatedly shown his leadership skills in team environments, through his lifetime of service to Lane County.

Thomas stays smiling through the busiest schedule of anyone I know. He produces multimedia for clients, serves the county as a school board member, hosts trivia events and helps nonprofits within our community. He does all these things while maintaining full-time hours at the family-owned restaurant we work at. Despite the busy schedule, Thomas always shows up and puts his best foot forward at work, all while maintaining an infectiously positive attitude. Thomas makes customers and co-workers feel welcome every day.

He is an everyday worker and positive role model who has cared about his community in the West Lane district his whole life. When he was on the planning committee for the Whilamut Natural Area, he didn’t just vote at meetings, but he got his hands dirty restoring the Kalapuya Talking Stones and protecting them from defacement. He personally gathered data on the use of the area near Autzen Stadium on game days, for greater safety and sustainability.

Over the past several months, Thomas has told me that, just like at the federal level, local commissioners have an accountability and transparency problem. Instead of having an uncontested race for his neighborhood’s representation on the Board of Commissioners, he wanted to give West Lane/District 1 voters a choice. He gave up his president role hosting public community forums at City Club of Eugene so he could provide an alternative to the West Lane district commissioner who is currently the board’s chair.

I know Thomas will help me be proud of where the county’s leadership is going. He is the kind of people-first collaborator we need, which is why he’s eagerly supported by so many of the people who work with him day in and day out. He is up to the task.

Blake Thompson
Springfield