Thomas Shaw is a true gem and leader in our community. We are incredibly lucky that he volunteers his time to lead the Knottwood Board of Directors. He is passionate about Knottwood plus his humour, energy and enthusiasm naturally brings people together, puts them at ease and gets everyone excited to be involved.
Thomas wears many hats as the President. He chairs our monthly board meetings and represents our community on the Mill Woods Presidents’ Council. He is a community champion who constantly promotes connections between not only board members and Knottwood community members but also fosters relationships with other communities, our local schools, government officials, community organizations and the media.
He is our league handyperson and keeps our facilities maintained. He spent an entire summer renovating our Knottwood Community Hall, doing the bulk of the work himself. He also regularly spends evenings and weekends keeping the hall and our Ekota rink facilities maintained. In the wintertime, you’ll find him working on keeping the rink operational for the community – working with the rink manager, interviewing attendants and more.
Thomas works diligently on new amenities for our neighbourhood. He has spent the last few years campaigning for the build of a new Knottwood Community Hall – spending countless hours preparing business cases and plans, working with multiple stakeholders, including the City of Edmonton, MLAs, provincial and federal governments and architects. He is also spearheading the build of our Knottwood Community Garden in Menisa. His tenacity and natural problem-solving abilities have come in handy with these tasks — he works hard to make things happen and persists until he finds a way forward.
Thomas is one of our most reliable and dedicated board members. He is always one of the first people to offer help during the planning and execution of events, whether it be hauling tables, picking or dropping off equipment and fun bags. And always with a smile. He keeps the Board working together – managing issues and keeping morale high. He offers help to everyone when they need it and handles tasks when we can’t find a volunteer to do them. He often takes vacation days from his regular job to fulfill all of these duties.
When we get together as a board, there are friendships formed, we have fun and it feels like family. Our President is the core of this. His role is often a thankless one. We are lucky to have him as a community leader, neighbour and friend.
From everyone on the Knottwood Board of Directors, thank you, Thomas, for all of the time and attention you give to our community.
About
Name: Thomas Shaw
Role: President
How long have you been a resident of Knottwood?
I grew up backing on to Knottwood from Lakewood. In 2007, my wife and I moved into Knottwood, purchasing my wife’s childhood home. We’ve spent the last many years renovating our house to make it our own.
Why do you choose to volunteer and why do you dedicate your time to us?
It started by being voluntold a few years back to see how I could help the Board in their hopes of building a new Community League Centre. This then turned into becoming the President. At the heart of it all is that I just really like to help in any way I can. Over the years we’ve built a great Board and now with some enthusiasm to really get things rolling in the planning and development of our new Centre, I am really excited to aid in the success of our project.
I take a lot of pride in my neighbourhood and want to be a part of making it the best we possibly can. I’ve spent a lot of time in my yard with gardening/landscaping, which has been a great way to build strong relationships with many of my immediate neighbours, and being on the Board has allowed for even greater outreach to many others in our community.
What is your favourite part of living in Knottwood?
The people and the environment. Everyone always seems so easily approachable and welcomes conversations. I’ve built lifelong friendships and am able to provide my kids with the same sort of neighbourhood experience that I remember growing up in. Bikes on lawns, kids coming to doors unannounced asking to play, groups of kids walking together to schools (ones I went to), backyard fires with several families of Knottwood, and periodic garage beer “meetings”.
I am an avid gardener and enjoy renovations, so with the large lots, mature landscapes, and the fact that so many take pride in the neighbourhood, it really fit what I wanted for my family.
What do you do as a career?
I am a Project Manager for Capital Management at Alberta Health Services.
What do you like to do for fun?
I gained a green thumb from my Mother so gardening has always been a bit of a passion. I’ve also grown to love woodworking and am constantly coming up with new renovation projects for my home.
If you are interested in learning more about the positions available on the Knottwood Board of Directors (or any other volunteer position), email vp2@knottwoodcommunity.ca.
