Since completing engineering school at the University of Detroit and receiving a graduate degree in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania Tom Casey has had 35 years of uniquely diversified experience in the private sector, government, volunteer work and government reform activities. As an engineer and community planner his first employment at the Buffalo based firm of TVGA led to his heading a small group of engineers and architects that grew to 25 people in the very competitive municipal planning, design and construction field. He became one of the youngest partners in the 85-year history of the firm. His success was in large part due to cost-saving designs for municipal facilities coupled with client service for both municipalities and companies. After leaving TVGA he became an associate principal at Wendel- Duchscherer where he provided project management for the planning and design of public building, wastewater treatment and water supply facilities. His last six years has been as the managing public health engineer for the Erie County Health Department engineering and water supply group.

Tom Casey’s volunteer work included 15 years as a volunteer, board member and board president at St. Ann’s Community Center that served a Buffalo inner city, East Side neighborhood. In this capacity he oversaw after school educational programs and was successful in raising private and public funds for a strongly education based, all-day summer program serving 80 children that focused on remedial education needs.

His government reform, grassroots, organizational activities grew out of a strong desire to see improved educational standards in our public schools for all children, from our suburbs, where his children attended public school, to our farm county and inner city. This was coupled with the need for more disciplined spending by our school districts. As president of the Orchard Park Citizens Group that numbered over 400 families at its peak he continually encountered laws written in Albany that prevented parents from meaningful input into the functioning of their local public schools. In this activity he encountered first hand the unfortunate and incredible fear parents have of criticizing any aspect of their children’s public schools.

Tom has resided in the Village of Orchard Park in Erie County for 31 years where he and his wife sometimes miss the hectic presence of their four grown children.