Chris Thomas

Chris Thomas has a diverse work experience spanning over two decades. Chris currently serves as the Vice President and Head of Public Affairs at Divert, a cleantech company focused on decarbonizing food waste. In this role, they lead all public policy activities, including government relations, public engagement, and external communications. Prior to Divert, Chris held various positions at Lyft, where they served as the Senior Director for the US West and Canada, leading public policy efforts. Chris also served as the Major Markets Lead for Lyft in Washington state.

Before joining Lyft, Chris worked at WSP USA, where they held two senior positions. Chris served as the Senior Vice President for National Business Development and External Affairs, overseeing sales and external affairs activities for the Property & Buildings sector. Additionally, they were the Government Market Head for WSP USA's Property and Buildings sector, responsible for growing the government facilities business.

Prior to WSP USA, Chris worked as the Senior Vice President at CH2M, where they had two roles. Chris led the US Government Relations team as the Managing Director, strategizing policy and political activities. Chris also served as the Director at Clark Construction, where they handled project development, government relations, public policy, and project advisory tasks.

Chris began their career as a Special Legislative Assistant for Congressman Ray LaHood in the US House of Representatives. Chris conducted issue research, helped obtain co-sponsors for legislation, and provided constituent support. Chris also held positions at Jones Lang LaSalle, F.H. Paschen Group, and Exxon early in their career, where they gained experience in project management and engineering.

Overall, Chris Thomas has demonstrated expertise in public affairs, government relations, public policy, business development, and strategic leadership across various sectors throughout their career.

Chris Thomas earned their MBA degree in Finance, Strategic Management & Public Policy from The George Washington University School of Business, where they attended from 2001 to 2003. Prior to that, they undertook coursework in the Executive MBA Program at The Wharton School in 1998. Chris also holds both a Master's and Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which they completed from 1994 to 1997.