Varnum estate planning attorney David M. Thoms has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.
Founded in 1921, the KSO is approaching its 100th anniversary this year. Members of the board establish policy and work to further the KSO mission of serving the community through outstanding musical listening and learning experiences.
Based in Varnum’s Kalamazoo office, Thoms provides sophisticated counsel to individuals, families and businesses on gift and estate planning needs, wealth transfer issues and business succession planning. He has a concentration in the area of not-for-profit organizations. In addition to his law degree, he holds a degree in taxation and he frequently advises on economic development incentives, commercial real estate finance and tax planning.
Thoms is the recipient of numerous recognitions and awards, including the Vanguard Award from the Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association. He is an accredited estate planner by the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils. In 2015, Thoms was named Lawyer of the Year in Nonprofit/Charities Law by Best Lawyers®.
In addition to the KSO, Thoms is active in numerous arts and nonprofit organizations, including the boards of Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, the Salvation Army of Metropolitan Detroit and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He also served on the boards and as president of the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA Inc. and as president of the Alliance Française de Grosse Pointe board. He is past president of the French Festival of Detroit, Inc.
Outside of Michigan, Thoms serves on the boards of the French American Foundation of New York and the International Advisors Committee at the Hillwood Museum in Washington, D.C.