Thomas P. Koch was sworn-in as the 33rd Mayor of Quincy in January 2008 following an upset election campaign built around a 20-year career in public service and a pledge to create a more open, efficient and responsive City Hall.

In his first several months in office, Mayor Koch has tackled a series of tough issues head-on, ranging from attacking the city’s drug problem to keeping the city’s major school construction projects “on time and on budget.” He pushed successfully for an overhaul of the city’s financial systems, embarked on a major reforms of the city’s Water and Sewer Department, and brokered an agreement that will save taxpayers and city employees millions of dollars on health insurance costs.

In his inaugural address in front of nearly 1,000 people, Mayor Koch touched on the value of public service and the important role it plays in improving the lives of citizens, and the community.

Using a line penned originally by John F. Kennedy that “every citizen holds office,” the new mayor urged Quincy residents to play an active role in the community and vowed to lead the city with values based on openness, honesty and respect for every person.

“I ask each and every citizen of Quincy to get involved; get involved in your government; get involved in yourschools; get involved in your church; and get involved in your neighborhood.

“Each and every one of us has a responsibility today to shape the Quincy we want for tomorrow. So let us get to work right now, and face our challenges head-on; together as a community,” Mayor Koch said.

Tom was born the sixth of seven children to Simone and Richard J. Koch, civic leader and founder of Quincy’s “Koch Club.”

Tom graduated from North Quincy High School in 1981 as class president, and went on to start his own business and work in local politics. In 1988, Mayor McCauley appointed him director of the Quincy Council on Aging. Afterward, Tom volunteered to become the chairman of the Flag Day Celebration, which continues to be one of Quincy’s biggest annual celebrations.

In 1990, newly elected Mayor James Sheets appointed Tom his top aide, a job that placed him at the center of nearly every facet of city government. He played a key role in negotiating labor contracts and developing the city’s budget, built positive and productive relationships with city councilors and other public officials, and shepherded a series of major initiatives from start to finish during the early years of the Sheets administration. In one early step toward improving the city’s appearance and inspiring a new sense of pride in Quincy, Tom spearheaded the idea that would become “Cleaner, Greener Quincy,” an annual volunteer cleanup effort held in neighborhoods across the city.

Tom realized one of his lifetime goals in 1995 when he was appointed commissioner of the city’s park department, the title his father held for 25 years. It was no coincidence that in the same year, the city approved its first financing package for park improvements.

Always with an eye toward the city’s appearance, Tom led a major beautification effort that continues today, which includes the decorative banners that hang from the city’s light poles, dozens of new plantings around the city’s gateways, and painstaking landscaping around public buildings and other important landmarks in Quincy. Tom co-founded Quincy ArtsFest with the leaders of the Quincy Art Association, and the event is now one of the biggest art shows in the Boston area.

The mayor’s life-long dedication to Quincy doesn’t end at the office, as he’s actively involved in a number of groups and organizations around Quincy, including Sacred Heart Church, the Quincy City Club, and the Quincy Partnership.

Most importantly, Tom is a family man, raising children in the city where he was born and loves. He married his high school sweetheart, Christine Keenan, in 1990 and they have three children: Cornelius Richard, 11, and twins Thomas Jr. and Abigail, 8. The family lives just two doors down from the Mayor’s childhood home on Newbury Avenue in North Quincy.