Mike Thornbrough
Georgetown Divide Public Utility District, West Slope Representative
Mike Thornbrough has lived in Georgetown for over 31 years. After attending Board meetings of the Georgetown Divide Public Utility District for several years, he decided to run for a Seat on the Board of Directors for GDPUD and was elected in 2020. Mike became a member of the EDWA Board of Directors in 2021.
Mike is retired from his previous position as an Assistant Director of Maintenance & Facilities for a Public School District. His many responsibilities in that position included controlling operating budgets, procurement of supplies for all Public Schools within the District, issuing RFPs and subsequent contracts for various construction projects, overseeing construction projects including the building of new schools, and maintenance, repair, and replacement of the District's infrastructure. He was also responsible for preparing and maintaining the District's 5-year Capital Improvement Plan for annual submission to the State in pursuance of "matching funds" from the State for large Capital Improvement/Replacement Projects.
Upon realizing that millions of dollars of Public School funding was having to be "kicked back" to the State in the form of State Sales Tax on purchases, Mike got a Bill authored in the State Senate, and another Bill authored in the State Assembly, to exempt all K-12 Public Schools from having to pay this tax. With support from the State's Franchise Tax Board, and the State President of the California Teachers Association, and with no opposition, the Senate Bill was well on its way to passage. Unfortunately, the Energy Crisis hit the State and all Bills creating a loss of revenue to the State were instantly "killed".
After his retirement, Mike and his wife Charlene decided to become Contract Mail Carriers in Georgetown figuring that would be a good way to get to know pretty much all of the local community, it was a good excuse to buy a Jeep, and it would be fun. They performed this service for about 7 years.
Recognizing a need for simple ventilation for Shipping Containers, which thousands of people across the Country use for storage on their property, Mike designed Vents for these containers and started a business manufacturing his Vents, called CON-VENTS®, which he and Charlene currently operate from their home. Mike is also a U.S. Navy Veteran.