Thomas Berns

Thomas Berns earned a degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was active as a student in the late 1960s. As a senior from Piano, Illinois, he studied civil engineering and received the Rayner Award from the Civil Engineering Department. He participated in organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers (A.S.C.E.), serving on executive boards alongside peers like Fred Gau, James Nichols, and others. Berns was also inducted into Chi Epsilon, the national civil engineering honor society, recognizing his scholarship and character.

As president of Berns, Clancy & Associates, P.C., located at 405 East Main Street in Urbana, Illinois, Berns led a firm specializing in civil engineering, land surveying, agricultural engineering, transportation engineering, and planning services for municipal and private development. In 1987, the firm hired a full-time professional planner, followed by a second in mid-1988, enabling expansion into broader planning services. Additionally, a full-time transportation engineer joined in August 1987, supporting new opportunities in transportation planning and engineering. These developments, coupled with growth in traditional areas, prompted a physical expansion starting in early fall 1988 to add space for 12 new offices, expected to complete in early 1989. Berns held professional registrations as an Illinois Professional Engineer (No. 30889) and Registered Land Surveyor (No. 2006). He served as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, teaching surveying and sharing practical expertise. In public service, Berns represented Illinois' 103rd House District as a Republican state representative from 2000 to 2003. He contributed to local initiatives, including roles in Champaign County facilities committees and defending public projects as board chairman.