Full Biography for James M. "Jim" Thor

Candidate for
Council Member; Proposed City of Rancho Santa Margarita

Jim Thor has been an active civic volunteer in our community for 13 years. He is married and has 2 young daughters. The event that catapulted his activism was the notice of intention to build a Rock and Gravel mine in Trabuco Canyon; he joined a group of local residents to fight the project. That such developments could happen with out local input, alerted Jim to the need for local control.

This activism led to becoming involved in a planning review committee, which voiced comment and made recommendations upon development in the areas including RSM, Foothill Ranch and Lake Forest. Here Jim learned many of the skills of land use planning and review, and interaction with county officials that he now utilizes in his position as director of the RSM Civic Council Planning Advisory Committee. The experience gained while on the planning review committee, prompted Jim to form the Rancho Santa Margarita Civic Association in 1989, so that our area would have a forum for residents to discuss issues in the community, as well as a recognized voice in land use and planning issues at the County level.

Besides being a current Board member of the RSM Civic Council, Jim Thor is a member of the Economic Development Committee and a member of the Santa Margarita Water District Advisory board. Jim has been active in the Cityhood Committee, working with a dedicated team for the last 4 years.