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LOU ANN THOMS, Chair, Real Estate
ANTHONY VILLEGAS, Labor
TERRY CROWDER, Labor
JEROME WILLIAMS, Industry
CLYDE HOWARD, Vice-Chair, At-Large
DAVID A. HANSON, Legal
The Commission meets monthly at various locations throughout the state. Commission meetings are open to the public. In January 2010, the Commission voted to reduce its meeting schedule to the third Friday of the month at 11:00 a.m. This action was taken due to reduced budgetary resources. The location for these meetings, unless otherwise noted, is the Commission's main office in Topeka. The meeting schedule and location is subject to change. Commission meetings are open to the public and conducted in accordance with the Kansas Open Meetings Act. Requests for reasonable accommodations by persons with disabilities should be submitted to the Commission office no later than 72 hours in advance of a Commission meeting. Individuals interested in attending may obtain more information by contacting the Commission's main office.
David A. Hanson
Commissioner Hanson is originally from Concordia, Kansas, and now resides in Topeka. He was appointed to the Commission by Governor Graves in March 2000.
The Commissioner graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor's degree and obtained a law degree from Washburn University. Out of law school, he interned with a firm where he eventually was hired and has now worked for more than 25 years.
Commissioner Hanson has served on the YWCA Career Assistance Network Advisory Counsel.
Anthony Villegas
Commissioner Anthony Villegas, Kansas City, was appointed to the Kansas Human Rights Commission by Governor Kathleen Sebelius in August 2005. He was reappointed to the Kansas Human Rights Commission by Governor Mark Parkinson in May 2010. Commissioner Villegas retired from the Board of Public Utilities, Kansas City, Kansas in 2004. He had been employed at the Board of Public Utilities since 1978. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Heritage Committee and is a commissioner on the Kansas City Kansas Housing Authority.
Commissioner Villegas also served as Assistant Coordinator for the National Council of La Raza awards presentation of scholarships for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund of Greater Kansas City.
Jerome Williams
Commissioner Jerome Williams, Wichita, was appointed to the Kansas Human Rights Commission by Governor Kathleen Sebelius in August 2005. Governor Mark Parkinson reappointed Commissioner Williams to the Kansas Human Rights Commission in November 2010. Commissioner Williams retired from Raytheon Aircraft Corporations, where he last served as Program Manager T-6A International Programs. He was employed by Raytheon from January 1973 until August 2003.
Commissioner Williams received his Master of Business Administration Degree from Friends University and served in the United States Marine Corps for two years.
Terry Crowder
Terry Crowder, Topeka, has worked at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for 40 years. A past sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and a Vietnam Veteran, Crowder continues his public service by volunteering with several local organizations. He has served as vice-chair for Community Action Inc., as a board member for both the Topeka Youth Project and the Brown Foundation; and as a volunteer for the Salvation Army and United Way. Commissioner Crowder was appointed to the Kansas Human Rights Commission by Governor Kathleen Sebelius in February 2009.
Clyde Howard, Vice-Chair, At-Large
Vice-Chair, Clyde Howard was appointed to the Kansas Human Rights Commission by Governor Kathleen Sebelius in August 2005. Governor Mark Parkinson reappointed Commissioner Howard in May 2010. He currently serves as Director of the Office of Affirmative Action at Kansas State University. Commissioner Howard also served as the Director of the State Equal Employment Opportunity Office from October 1988 to July 1994. He also worked as an Investigator for the Kansas Commission on Civil Rights (now the KHRC) from July 1978 to July 1979.
Commissioner Howard received his Master of Public Administration Degree with Honors from the University of Kansas, and a Bachelors of Science Degree from Kansas State University. He also served in the US Army and was presented the Vietnam Cross and several other awards.
Commissioner Howard currently is a member of the Racial and Other Profiling Task Force, and resides in Manhattan.
Lou Ann Thoms, Chair
Chair Lou Ann Thoms was first appointed to the Kansas Human Rights Commission by Governor John Carlin in July 1982 and served two terms through July 1990. In July 2002, Commissioner Thoms was appointed to the Commission by Governor Bill Graves.
Commissioner Thoms was raised on a farm in rural Smith County. She attended high school in Downs, Kansas, and received an undergraduate degree from Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas. She graduated cum laude, and was named to the Who’s in College Students of America. Commissioner Thoms has completed post-graduate work in Remedial Reading from Kansas State University and in Library Science from Emporia State University. For ten years, Commissioner Thoms was an elementary school teacher in Kansas and for one year on Guam Island. In addition to general curriculum, she taught music and art both in Kansas and Guam.
Commissioner Thoms holds a Real Estate Broker’s License and currently, works in real estate sales with the Coldwell Banker/Griffith and Blair. During her 35 year career in real estate, Mrs. Thoms served as the Director for the Topeka Institute of Real Estate for 28 years, offering educational courses for Realtors. She also sponsored seminars and educational classes on topics such as Fair Housing. For 11 years, Mrs. Thoms served as Sales Manager specializing in home sales, relocation, and sales to diverse cultures.
Commissioner Thoms has been very active in the field of real estate. Some of her many accomplishments are as follows:
Recognitions: Who’s Who in Outstanding Real Estate Agents of America; Kansas Salesperson of the Year; Topeka Salesperson of the Year (2X); Woman of the Year Women’s Council of Realtors, Topeka; Woman of the Year Women’s Council of Realtors, Kansas; Omega Tau Rho National Real Estate Honorary; Topeka Masters Club recognizing outstanding consistent sales volume; top real estate agent honors; Volunteer teacher/trainer in real estate related fields; Volunteer for TOTO (Topeka Opportunity To Own) a program for low income buyers.
Designations: Certified Residential Specialist; Certified Residential Broker; Certified Real Estate Appraiser; Accredited Buyer Representative; Relocation and Referral Certification; Certified International Property Specialist - a study of cultures and real estate around the world.
Memberships and Offices Held: Past State President for Certified Residential Brokers, Certified Real Estate Specialists, Women’s Council of Realtors, and Kansas Chapter of International Specialists; Member of Topeka Board of Realtors, Committee Chair and Board of Directors member; National Association of Realtors; Real Estate Buyer Agent Chapter; Association for International Property Specialists; National Chapter for Certified Residential Specialists and Certified Residential Brokers; Kansas Chapter for Certified Residential Specialists and Certified Residential Brokers.
Commissioner Thoms is also active in the community as a volunteer and a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, an organization that helps build homes for the needy; and for Go Topeka, an organization tasked with bringing business into Topeka.
Commissioner Thoms has two children, Lori of Olathe, Kansas and Bryan of Dallas, Texas. She and her husband Robert currently reside in Topeka where in her spare time she enjoys golf, painting, water and flower gardening, and playing the piano and organ. She was a church organist for 18 years.
Her greatest accomplishment: Being a parent to two wonderful children!
