Tom is a native of Portland, Oregon, and has worked as a city planner in the Portland area for more than 20 years. Since 1993, he has worked for Metro, the elected regional government in Portland, where he manages the transportation planning program. Tom earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geosciences at Oregon State Univeristy (1984) and Master of Urban Planning degree at Portland State University (1986). In 1990, he was certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and is an associate with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

Tom lives with his wife Deborah and their many cats and dogs in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland, and he continues to be active in a number of community planning projects there. He is also an avid photographer, and has developed this web site as an outlet for his interests in urban design, community activism, photography, history and the outdoors.