A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Mary Jane Thomas

mary-jane-thomasIt was “very challenging” for Mary Jane Thomas, the now retired director of community development and planning for the city of La Porte, to make it through her final day on the job last Wednesday after serving three decades in the position.

“My last day was very challenging, but I had lots of visitors come in and give me well wishes and some of the city staff came in with presents, so that did make it a little easier,” said Thomas, who first became the city planner in 1984 and switched to the director of community development and planning when the position changed two decades later during the Leigh Morris administration.

But it was even tougher for Thomas to recall specific memorable moments during that time span and narrow it down to a few favorites.

“There are so many I’d have to write a book,” she said. “How do you stick 30 years worth of people, projects and citizens into one sound bite?”

After some thought, one unique memory, which was understandable nerve wracking at the time, did stand out.

“When we were rehabilitating the Rumely Hotel, them Mayor (Carl) Krentz wanted to go through the building before we took the shovel to renovate,” the longtime planning director remembers. “So he and I went through the building, which was in bad shape, when he looked up and saw lights. He told me ‘There’s a window up there, get me a ladder.’ I told him he couldn’t go up there, but he insisted and we got the street department to get us a ladder and he went up and exposed the skylight in the hotel.”

Krentz, who Thomas said was well-connected in the Indiana arts community, found the company that made the stained glass window that is still a highlight at the Rumely Apartments, and helped secure grants needed to rehabilitate the window.

“We’ve never had a Mayor do anything like that,” Thomas said. “I was worried at the time that he would fall, but with his knowledge in the art world, he was able to connect us with people who could rehabilitate it. It was phenomenal to watch that be re-done.”

Thomas is originally from Detroit and earned a degree in urban planning from Michigan State University. It wasn’t until Brian, “the love of her life” and now husband, landed a job as a fisheries biologist in La Porte County that Thomas came to the maple city.

“I migrated here from my first position as a planner and park superintendent in Angola, Indiana and became La Porte County Planner in 1983,” she said. The next year, she was appointed city planner under the Dennis Smith mayoral administration and remained in the same virtual position during six more mayoral administrations and five more Mayors: Krentz, Morris, Elmo Gonzalez, Kathy Chroback and current La Porte Mayor Blair Milo.

“I had the pleasure to serve for six different mayors and it was truly a pleasure to serve,” she said. “I never became involved in politics myself, just enjoyed making a difference. It was very enjoyable to have a lot of consistency through many city departments over the last 30 years and I am happy to be a part of that. The consistency speaks to the level of everyone’s professionalism and performance of duties.”

Serving with “all those talented and knowledgeable people” was vital.

“I couldn’t do anything myself without their resources,” she said. “My inspiration has been the people I serve. They are the experts, all have phenomenal talents and knowledge. I’ve been able to help take those ideas, make them into reality and make things happen.”

The aforementioned Rumely Hotel project, rehabilitating City Hall and the Depot project on Michigan Ave. stick out as some of the projects Thomas is most proud to have been a part of.

“The downtown beautification is truly awesome in the hub of awesome,” she added. “The planters are phenomenal and inspiring and spawned the creation of the business improvement district. We did the infrastructure for Thomas Rose Industrial Park and created many TIF districts.”

While many city projects are not noticed until the construction phase comes about, Thomas points out that the planning is the toughest part.

“It takes longer to plan something than it takes to build it,” she said. “People only see construction, they don’t see the planning behind it. To design the idea, find the money to build it and all those steps take years while construction may just take a year or two.”

“We can build anything, but the planning is the challenge,” she added, noting that the moment construction does begin is “awesome” and a reward for the hard work she and others put into planning something that will change the city of La Porte in a positive way for years to come.

Ten years from now, Thomas sees the city growing drastically through the expansion of Thomas Rose Industrial Park and NewPorte Landing.

“That’s going to change the landscape of the city and provide more employment and dining options,” she said while encouraging her successor to listen to “a lot of good ideas that are out there.”

“The people and the citizens you work for are your experts. If you listen to them they will guide you in good directions.”

Thomas herself may be retiring from being an employee of the city of La Porte, but says she is “open to new possibilities,” wishing to continue to be employed somewhere soon.

“I’m searching out different employment opportunities,” she said. “I may want to enter the consulting world or seek other positions as well.”

But wherever life takes Thomas next, one thing is for sure: it will be in La Porte.

“I’m staying in the neighborhood,” she said.