Juan Thomas, Aurora

Aurora Township clerk Juan Thomas has been active in politics for years. He first met the president-elect in 1998, when Barack Obama was a state senator.

"I'm not in his inner circle, but our relationship dates back to before a lot of people cared about him," Thomas said. "I brought him to the black churches in Aurora in 2003." Thomas and his wife Angie, who is a native of Washington, D.C., are excited to be back in what Thomas calls "one of my favorite cities," and especially excited to be witnessing history. "I enjoy the theater, the public moment of politics," Thomas said. "I like the ceremony and pomp and circumstance. It will be inspiring and give a renewed sense of hope." Thomas is an attorney and lives in Aurora, where he grew up. He is a graduate of West Aurora High School.

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