Two-term Commissioner City Rodney Thomas said he wants to continue to be a part of the momentum that Henderson and the area has going.
He is the second person to file for a seat on the Henderson Board of Commissioners.
Thomas said that the current members of the board of commissioners are all working towards the same goals, as are other local government and quasi-governmental bodies.
That inter-governmental teamwork was on display when leaders from all different governments and utilities gathered to discuss and dole out tasks as they prepared to bring Pratt to town, Thomas said.
A planned two-hour meeting was completed in minutes, he said, because everyone was ready to pitch in to get the job done. He said this level of cooperation is something he’s never seen locally.
“We’re all on the same page,” he said. “We want to see Henderson finally grow. Not just talk about it growing, but to see it.”
One major piece of growth currently in the heads of government leaders and residents is what I-69 will bring. Thomas said there’s going to be so many opportunities that come as the new interstate is completed, adding “we can’t even foresee” all the different development opportunities right now.
Additionally, Thomas said he wants to ensure that the new athletic complex Airline Road currently being built on gets started and running smoothly. The complex needs to be done “top notch the first time,” he said.
Thomas’ civic involvement includes three terms on the Henderson Chamber of Commerce board, 10 years on the Henderson Tourist Commission board and seven years on the Henderson-Henderson County Joint Planning Commission Board, among other positions, he said.
Thomas, 61, said—if elected—he’s not sure how many more terms he’s got left.
“We’ll see,” said Thomas with a chuckle. “I might have two terms left in me.”
Thomas owns and runs Rookie’s with wife, Liz, whom he has been married to for 32 years. He also has a grown son, Quinn, and a granddaughter.
He is a 1980 graduate of Henderson County High School and a 1985 graduate of Western Kentucky University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he said.
He ended the brief interview with the Hendersonian conducted at Rookie’s Friday afternoon with an on-the-spot poem.
“If you like the direction Henderson is in, consider me for office again,” he said.
As of Friday at about 4 p.m., Thomas and Tom Williams are the only candidates who have filed to run for city commissioner. The deadline for filing is Jan. 5.
