Thomas to return to Irvine Co.

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- Larry Thomas, who quit his job as the Irvine Co.’s

head of corporate communications in February 2000, will return to the

company as senior vice president for public affairs in mid-July.

While Thomas said Monday that he’s still in talks with company

officials about the specifics of his new position, he will be working as

an internal strategist on the company’s relations with government

agencies and also will oversee the corporate communications department

again.

By doing so, he’ll partially take on the responsibilities of Gary

Hunt, the company’s former executive vice president who handled

negotiations with government agencies. Hunt left the company in February.

Thomas, 53, began his career as a reporter covering politics in San

Diego and served as press secretary to former Gov. Pete Wilson and

then-Vice President George Bush. We worked at the company for 13years

before leaving a year ago.

The Newport Beach resident resigned from his job to have more time for

himself and his 19-year-old daughter, Leigh, now a sophomore at Chapman

University.

“For well over a year, I’ve paused to travel, read, write, play, get

in touch with my place in the world and with old friends, sip the wine,

dress down, tee it up, explore, examine and ease into a different

routine,” Thomas recently wrote to friends in an e-mail.

But then Donald Bren, the company’s chairman and owner, called Thomas

to meet for lunch and discuss a comeback to the Fashion Island

headquarters.

And with a good 14 months of soul-searching behind him, Thomas said he

was ready to take Bren up on the offer.

“I’m going back with a slightly different perspective and richer for

the experience,” he said.

Company officials said they were delighted to have Thomas back.

“We were able to convince him to cut [his sabbatical] six months

short,” said Mike McKee, the company’s vice chairman and second in

command. “As he’s said, he’s got one more good job in him, and we’re glad

for him to commit and do that last big job with us.”

McKee added that Thomas’ return had not been arranged before his

resignation last year.

“We did not know that he would come back,” McKee said, adding that

company officials stayed in touch with Thomas after he left.

“Once we sensed he still had the spark” to work in a corporate

environment, they asked him to join the company again, McKee said.

And, as Thomas put it in his e-mail to friends, “it’s nice to be

wanted.”