Our dedicated volunteer board provides considerable knowledge and expertise to meet the needs of the communities we serve.
Our Board of trustees is comprised of Indiana Lions members and are responsible for establishing policies, providing leadership and supporting the strategic direction of VisionFirst.
Keith Thomas, Chairman
Lion Keith was born in North Carolina at USMC Base Cherry Point. When his dad’s enlistment in the USMC was complete, they moved back to Petersburg Indiana. Keith graduated from Pike Central High School in 1988 and from ITT Tech in 1990 with a Tool Technology degree. He was employed for a couple of years at Systematic Control Design in Evansville before moving on to Three I Design where he has worked more than 30 years in the electrical department.
Keith’s dad had been a member of the Petersburg Lions Club for many years. He had often asked Keith and Erica to join the club. They finally went to a meeting to see what it was about and to get him to drop the subject. That night, PDG Myrna Thompson was at the meeting presenting the Operation KidSight program. They joined that night as they saw the value of being Lions and helping others.
Since then, they have both held multiple terms of office in their club. Keith has served as club secretary 6 terms, 2 terms as president and one term as Zone Chair. Keith is currently serving his 9th year as trustee for the Indiana Lion Eye Bank where he is the board secretary. Keith served as Cabinet Secretary for 8 years. At the April 2018 State Convention, Keith was elected as Council Chair for the 2018-2019 Lions year.
Keith received the multiple International President’s Certificate of Appreciation, the International President’s Medal in April 2015 and a Melvin Jones Fellow in April 2016, 2 Club Excellence awards, Lion of the Year in 2016 from the Petersburg Lions, a progressive Melvin Jones Fellow, District Governor Excellence award in 2018, and an International President’s Leadership medal in October 2020.
Keith and his wife Erica have been married for over 25 years. They have no children, and are down to 1 cat inside, Junior. Keith has decided cats are worse than kids… At least kids grow up and leave the house!
District A:
PDG Kevin Roe
Lion Sally Davis
Lion Vicki Morris
District B:
Lion Kathy Cooper
FVDG Jim Bush
District C:
PID Nick Xinopoulos
PCC Ross Drapalik
Lion Mark Owens
District D:
Lion JoAnn Karaffa-Owens
Lion Stephen Gross
Lion Christine Woodward
District E:
PDG Bob Kamman
Lion Dr. David Hyndman
PCC Keith Thomas
District F:
Lion Mike Crull
Lion Reed Fish
PDG John Scott
District G:
Lion Duane Griner
FVDG Ron Guth
PDG Tom Polk