Meet the Candidates: Thomas Wight

This is the fifth in a series profiling all candidates of local political offices on Lilburn-Mountain Park Patch.

Thomas Wight moved to Lilburn on a cold Christmas Eve in 2000. Wight and his wife, Kay Lynn, decided on Lilburn because they wanted good schools for their four children. They settled on the district because of the warm reception they received at the church next to the school.  

“Schools and church is what brought my family to Lilburn,” said Wight. “I want to bring people back to Lilburn that care about those quality of life issues.”

Career and Service

Wight graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in . He then went on to Wake Forest to get his Law degree, and a faculty advisor there convinced Wight to join the Army JAG Corps. He was stationed in Fort Bliss in Texas assigned to trial defense from 1989 to 1996. Wight spent two of those years stationed in Korea. He left the Army when President Clinton decided to scale back the military and offered incentives to those who left.

Wight worked as a general counselor to a mental hospital in Decatur upon moving to Atlanta. He then went on to work as the assistant district Attorney in Fulton County as well as the assistant DA for Enotah Judicial Circuit. But when his boss decided not to run for re-election, Wight knew his job was in jeopardy. So he set up his own practice here in Lilburn. He now handles both criminal and civil cases.

He once took a case to the Supreme Court, where the justices united in ruling against him.

 “That really humbles you when all nine Justices say you are wrong,” joked Wight.

Wight is a giving man who said he loves to spend time with his family performing service in his church. He attends the Lilburn ward in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, on the hill at the corner of Cole and Five Forks. He served in the California San Diego area for two years as an LDS missionary from 1981 to 1983.

And his passion to help those in need has yet to diminish as he continues to work and perform service in his church. Wight and a fellow member from his church went to Thailand in 2004 after the tsunami to help in the relief programs. They helped one man recover his livelihood by rebuilding his destroyed well, boat, and fish farm.

He also provides free and reduced-cost legal services as a volunteer with the Lilburn Co-Op.

He has served on the board and as the president of the Woods of Parkview Homeowners Association.

Family Hobbies

Wight says he has a love for a myriad of sports. He played recreational hockey until 1995. His injuries finally forced his wife to literally take his skates away. Now the lawyer enjoys spending time with his kids.

“Swimming is a big part of our life,” said Wight. His eldest daughter, Lisa, was a Parkview standout swimmer and received a swimming scholarship from the University of Utah. Wight has actively participated the Parkview Swim & Dive Team booster club for 10 years, and he has been a Gwinnett Swim League official for 10 years. Wight has also coached lacrosse, soccer at GSA, baseball and football at Mountain Park.

Wight is an avid outdoor enthusiast. He loves to take his two sons hunting, fishing, and backpacking. He has been involved in the Boy Scouts of America as a Scout Master, Assistant Scout Master or Scout Committee member since 1989. Wight volunteers often at Boy Scout activities and summer camps.

His family can be found a few weekends out of the year mountain biking around Fort Yargo and the Yellow River Park. Wight ensures his family hikes part of the Appalachian Trail at least once a year. They also have a tradition of going to Utah during spring break to ski.

“I’m not an adrenaline junkie, but it is a rush skiing as fast as you want to,” said Wight.

Even with all the work on his plate, Wight is an energetic man. His passion for his family, church, and work shine through as he talks, and he says he hopes to bring that same passion into making Lilburn a better place if elected to the Lilburn City Council this November.   

Articles published in this series so far: