The city of Goleta has announced the selection of George Thomson as parks and open space manager for the Public Works Department. This is an important role for the city, which prides itself on its variety of parks and open spaces. Thomson will take on the job of planning and managing Goleta’s open space system.
A Goleta resident, Thomson brings more than 20 years of experience managing local ecosystems and developing hands-on community education and stewardship programs. He starts in his new job on Feb. 3.
Thomson most recently worked for the city of Santa Barbara where he managed the design and construction of the city’s major park improvements and recreation facility renovations.
During his time with the city of Santa Barbara, he also oversaw habitat restoration projects, invasive plant removal programs, and the development of constructed wetlands to improve creek and ocean water quality.
Thomson also served as reserve steward at the University of California’s Coal Oil Point Reserve and worked for five years at UCSB’s Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. He attended UCSB, UC Davis, and the University of Tasmania in Australia.
His graduate school research through UCSB focused on management of California’s Central Coast grasslands.
“We are thrilled to have George Thomson join our city team,” said City Manager Michelle Greene. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the area of habitat restoration on the South Coast, which will be of great benefit to the city, particularly for our efforts to restore sensitive habitats on the Ellwood Mesa and enhance the Lake Los Carneros open space area.
“These areas are gems of our community, and we look forward to working with George on preserving and enhancing them and other open space areas within our community.”
“Ellwood Mesa and the Butterfly Grove, Lake Los Carneros, Stow Grove Park, Evergreen Open Space, and other local treasures are so critically vital for our community’s quality of life,” Thomason said. “These are places we love and I am so excited to begin this new decade working towards the best possible stewardship of our open spaces.”