After earning his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech in 1955, Tom Blair received his commission as a Second Lieutenant with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the summer of that year and began work on a Master's degree in the fall. In 1956 he received an honorable discharge from the Corps of Engineers and, as the result of a competitive examination, was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Public Health Service. Stationed in Charlottesville, he provided technical services in the development of wastewater facilities to communities located in Region 3 of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Meanwhile, he completed his M.S. in Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech in 1957.



The next year Mr. Blair went to work for Kelley, Gidley & Staub, Inc., a consulting firm in Charleston, West Virginia, specializing in environmental engineering projects. As a Project Engineer he worked in all aspects of water and wastewater facilities planning, design, review, rights-of-way acquisition, and inspection. In 1966 he became Vice-President and Treasurer of the firm. Since 1974, he has been President and CEO of Kelley, Gidley, Blair & Wolfe, Inc.



Mr. Blair has given a great deal of his time to professional development and service. Active in the West Virginia Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), he has served as Secretary/Treasurer, Trustee, and as a member of the Board of Directors. In 1969, the state section elected Mr. Blair "Utility Man of the Year" in recognition of his service to the industry. In the 1980s, he served two terms as AWWA's International Treasurer, three years as Chairman of the Exposition Committee, and four years on the Board of Directors of the National Water Alliance. In 1987, AWWA presented Mr. Blair with the Outstanding Service Award.



After becoming a registered P.E. in 1960, for several years he taught the Environmental Engineering refresher course for the P.E. examination in West Virginia. He also served for many years as a member of the Visiting Committee of the West Virginia University College of Engineering, and was Chairman for 1988-1989.



He received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Clay Pipe Institute in 1981 and was named Engineer of the Year in 1983 by the West Virginia Society of Professional Engineers. He is a past President of both the West Virginia Section and Charleston Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. In 1994 he was included in the Ninth Edition of Who's Who in Engineering, sponsored by the American Association of Engineering Societies.



Active as well in his community, Mr. Blair is a member of the Rotary Club of Charleston and served eight years on the State of West Virginia Capitol Building Commission. He was the 1980 Chairman of the Planning Committee for the Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce and Development's Decennial Presidents' Event. He also is a past President of the Lawrence Frankel Foundation, which is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of healthy aging. He also has been active in banking, currently serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of United Bankshares, Inc., which has operations in West Virginia and Virginia.



Mr. Blair's ties with Virginia Tech remain strong. He is a charter member of the university's Ut Prosim Society and has served on the College of Engineering Committee of 100 since 1983.