Get to know F&S: Romy Thomas

The big task of delivering on big projects at the University of Toronto is everyday for this associate director

Romy Thomas, associate director, project delivery with the Infrastructure Planning and Implementation team, is thinking big: big picture, big buildings and big projects. With an MBA and a background in healthcare and management consulting, Thomas honed his skills in management, both of people and of major projects, before joining U of T in 2020 as a Senior Manager in the Property Management team. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Thomas had had only a few short months to acclimate to his new role. Thomas recalls it as a “tumultuous” time, but also one where the F&S team effectively pulled together to deliver help and resources to the university’s community, setting up an on-campus vaccination clinic.  

Thoughtful planning and the effective delivery of infrastructure projects has been a recurring theme for Thomas in the years since then. With the dawn of U of T’s third century, supporting the beautiful and historic St. George campus, and its myriad of iconic structures, is a privilege Thomas and his team take seriously.  

“Each building has its own character and requires individual attention,” says Thomas. “Picking a favourite building would be like picking a favourite child.” 

Thomas cites the university’s legacy of excellence and mandate of transformative work as a guiding principle through the complex projects he has been a part of. 

One of those projects is the RISE Program, a $300M dollar infrastructure renewal program within the deferred maintenance portfolio. The program’s goal is to preserve, enhance and future-proof the St. George campus, through major projects like roof replacements, HVAC upgrades and more.  

The age, condition and use of every building require individualized solutions, and a whole lot of expertise from the teams assigned to them. They have overseen the replacement of copper panels and slate tiles on the University College roof, the replacement of the main fire alarm system with a state-of-the-art, code-compliant model at the Rotman School of Management, and much more.  

Working to ensure client needs are met (whether the client be an external partner with the university, a faculty or F&S itself) is paramount. Budgetary and scheduling requirements are always front of mind, but the importance of a client’s satisfaction cannot be overstated. Thomas ruminates on the questions his work seeks to address: “Can the client do what they need to do in the space? Are faculty satisfied with the space? Is it accessible?” 

This work exists at the intersection of infrastructure upgrades, building occupant comfort and the university’s long term investment in its legacy, history and grounds to support academic excellence and a thriving campus community. 

When he is not on campus, Romy enjoys photography in his spare time.  

Learn more about deferred maintenance, the RISE program and capital projects.