Highland Village City Council approved the appointment of Michael Thomson as fire chief at its Feb. 26 council meeting. Thomson will begin serving as chief March 11.

“I am both humbled and honored to serve as the next Fire Chief for the City of Highland Village. The opportunity to serve the residents and high caliber staff brings me a great sense of purpose and I am ready to hit the ground running," Thomson said in a news release.

Thomson most recently served as the deputy fire chief in Addison. The release also noted prior to working in Addison, he rose through the ranks in Farmers Branch, achieving the rank of division chief of training and EMS.

He has extensive experience with developing and managing budgets, contract and compliance management, and grant writing. He also served as the project manager for the regional fire training facility shared by Farmers Branch, Addison, Carrollton and Coppell.

City Manager Michael Leavitt said in the release, “We received over 40 applications for the fire chief position. I am pleased to announce Michael Thomson as our new fire chief. He comes extremely qualified and will make a great addition to our team and the city of Highland Village.”