Thomas J. Hall

Trustee, President & Board Chair

Thomas J. Hall brings more than five decades of legal, civic, and philanthropic leadership to his role as president and board chair of the George W. Gillemot Foundation. A longtime Reno-Tahoe resident, he has practiced real estate law in northern Nevada since 1972 and founded his own firm in 1985, focusing on land use, water rights, and real estate. His career includes precedent-setting case work at Lake Tahoe, authorship of major Nevada land-use publications, and decades of service across professional and community organizations.

A lifelong aviator, Mr. Hall has held a pilot’s license since 1966 and has blended his passion for aviation with education through leadership roles with the Reno Air Racing Foundation, where he co-founded Pathways to Aviation—an outreach program designed to inspire young people through hands-on aviation learning.

His commitment to Nevada extends deeply into higher education and community service. For more than 50 years, Mr. Hall has supported the University of Nevada, Reno as a trustee, foundation chair, and three-term president of the Alumni Association, while championing scholarships, athletics, and the arts. His contributions have been recognized through multiple honors, including the establishment of the University’s Thomas J. Hall Endowment and receiving the Distinguished Nevadan award from the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents.

Mr. Hall began working with George W. Gillemot in 1984, developing a friendship through their shared interests in aviation and a love for Nevada. He helps carry forward Mr. Gillemot’s legacy of innovation, education, and workforce development. By leading the Gillemot Foundation’s transformational investments in northern Nevada—he helps support educational programs that prepare the next generation for careers in aviation, drone, and aerospace industries.