James Thomas 

James Thomas was appointed to the Planning Commission by the Board of Supervisors in April of 2025 to represent Springfield District. His term will expire in December 2026.

Commissioner Thomas is a long-time Fairfax County resident with extensive experience in policy and strategic planning. Like so many in the nation, James was deeply impacted by the attacks of September 11, 2001, and left college at 19 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served as a Marine infantryman and is a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF I and OIF IV). 

After finishing college and his service in the Marine Corps, Commissioner Thomas went on to serve in a variety of positions in the federal government focused on national security and foreign relations policy, eventually transitioning to the private sector. With over 18 years of government relations experience on Capitol Hill, in the Executive Branch, and in the private sector, James brings a vast array of government and non-governmental experience to the Planning Commission to better serve all residents in Fairfax County and represent the Springfield District. Currently, James works for a tech start-up microgravity-enabled life sciences company that focuses on the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules.

Commissioner Thomas is a graduate of the University of Dayton. James and his family reside in Fairfax Station, Virginia.

To contact Commissioner Thomas, please utilize the contact form at this link.