Thomas Richards (mayor)
Encyclopedia
Thomas S. Richards is an American
lawyer, business executive and politician.
From 1972 until 1991 Richards worked in the law firm Nixon, Hargrave, Devans & Doyle (now Nixon Peabody
) where he specialized in civil litigation and served at various times as the managing partner and chairman of the management committee. In 1991 he joined Rochester Gas & Electric Corp. as general counsel. He later served as senior vice president for corporate services, senior vice president for finance and as president and chief operating officer. From 1998 until 2002 he was the chairman, president and chief executive officer of RGS Energy Group, the parent company of Rochester Gas & Electric. From 2006 to 2010 he was the corporation counsel of the City of Rochester
. On October 28, 2010, he was appointed Deputy Mayor of the City of Rochester
and inaugurated interim Mayor on January 1, 2011. On January 18, 2011, Richards resigned to ensure he could run in a special election without violating terms of the Hatch Act
, which could have jeopardized federal funding.
On February 5, 2011, Richards was officially nominated by the Democratic committee of Rochester to be the party's candidate in the special mayoral election scheduled for March 29. Richards won the election with 48.48% of the vote to former Mayor Bill Johnson
's 41.72%.
Richards is a graduate of Bucknell University and Cornell University Law School, and served in the U.S. Navy.
Richards is a trustee of the University of Rochester
and of George Eastman House
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer, business executive and politician.
From 1972 until 1991 Richards worked in the law firm Nixon, Hargrave, Devans & Doyle (now Nixon Peabody
Nixon Peabody
Nixon Peabody LLP is one of the largest multipractice law firms in the United States, with offices in seventeen cities in the United States, and in London, Paris, and Shanghai. It has more than eight hundred attorneys in twenty-five major practice areas...
) where he specialized in civil litigation and served at various times as the managing partner and chairman of the management committee. In 1991 he joined Rochester Gas & Electric Corp. as general counsel. He later served as senior vice president for corporate services, senior vice president for finance and as president and chief operating officer. From 1998 until 2002 he was the chairman, president and chief executive officer of RGS Energy Group, the parent company of Rochester Gas & Electric. From 2006 to 2010 he was the corporation counsel of the City of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. On October 28, 2010, he was appointed Deputy Mayor of the City of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
and inaugurated interim Mayor on January 1, 2011. On January 18, 2011, Richards resigned to ensure he could run in a special election without violating terms of the Hatch Act
Hatch Act of 1939
The Hatch Act of 1939 is a United States federal law whose main provision is to prohibit federal employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the President and the Vice President, from engaging in partisan political activity...
, which could have jeopardized federal funding.
On February 5, 2011, Richards was officially nominated by the Democratic committee of Rochester to be the party's candidate in the special mayoral election scheduled for March 29. Richards won the election with 48.48% of the vote to former Mayor Bill Johnson
William A. Johnson, Jr.
William A. "Bill" Johnson, Jr. was the first African-American elected mayor of the City of Rochester, New York. Elected in November 1993, Johnson was the 64th mayor of the city and was re-elected in 1997 and 2001...
's 41.72%.
Richards is a graduate of Bucknell University and Cornell University Law School, and served in the U.S. Navy.
Richards is a trustee of the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
and of George Eastman House
George Eastman House
The George Eastman House is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation and...
.
External links
- Thomas Richards on the City of Rochester webpage