Gov. Deval Patrick has appointed Willie Thomas to the board of the Springfield Housing Authority (SHA) for a five-year term.

"The governor has certainly named a skilled and experienced professional to our board," said William H. Abrashkin, executive director of the SHA. "Mr. Thomas knows our organization, is an expert in public housing, and has had success in state and federal grant writing."

Thomas is also the executive director of the South Hadley Housing Authority. He has served as a consultant for the Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants in Boston, as housing service director and tenant relations advisor for the SHA and as a social worker associate for Child and Family Service in Springfield.

He is a member of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials’ (NAHRO) legislative committee, and has received awards related to his public housing service including recognition by the Massachusetts NAHRO, the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and the Federal Housing and Urban Development department.