Laguna Beach resident Dan Thomas has...

Laguna Beach resident Dan Thomas has been named January Employee

of the Month by Harbors, Beaches and Parks, a division of the Orange

County Public Facilities and Resources Department. Thomas, a

supervising park ranger for Historical Parks in South Orange County,

was recognized for his outstanding work ethic and exceptional

results. Over the years, Thomas has made cost-effective improvements

to resources and visitor services at the four facilities he oversees:

Heritage Hill Historical Park in Lake Forest; Arden-Helena Modjeska

Historic House and Gardens ; Irvine Ranch Headquarters in Irvine; and

the Archeo/Paleo Curation Warehouse in Santa Ana. Most recently, he

combined donated materials, funds and services with staff and inmate

labor to convert previously unusable sloped terrain at Heritage Hill

into a usable terraced area for special event activities and a nature

trail. The new area and trail add opportunities for visitors to

experience and enjoy the park, without additional costs to the

county. Thomas has been a park ranger at Heritage Hill since 1988 and

has been employed by the county since 1972. He has resided in Laguna

Canyon since the late 1970s with his wife and family.

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