Elias Thomas III

Elias was born and raised in Portland, Maine. He is president and co-owner, with his wife Jane, of Key Real Estate, Inc., in Shapleigh, Maine. Elias is a member of the York County Board of Realtors, the Maine Association of Realtors, the National Board of Realtors and holds the GRI Realtor designation.

Elias has been active in his community, having served as member and chairman of the Acton Warrant & Finance Committee, and as Town Moderator. He has also served on several Boards of Directors, including H. D. Goodall Hospital, York County Community Concert Association, Sanford Maine Stage Company and is past president of the Board of Overseers of Berwick Academy. He is also active in his church, serving as a Lay Eucharistic Minister and a member of the choir.

In 1978, Elias was invited to join the Rotary Club of Sanford-Springvale, Maine, and served as its president in 1985-1986. In 1994, he joined the Rotary Club of South Berwick, Maine and served as its president in 1998-1999. He and his wife are Major Donors to the Rotary Foundation, members of the Rotary Foundation Bequest Society and Benefactors to the Rotary Foundation.

He initiated a hearing-aid project with the Rotary Club of Cozumel, Mexico; led a Discovery Grant Team to Cozumel for the purpose of investigating a viable solution to the safe disposal of waste on the island, while preserving the fresh water supply; he is a signatory of La Fundacion para Cozumel No Hace Basura. In 1997, he joined other Rotarians from his District in visiting Romania where the District became active in assisting various orphanages and hospitals.

Elias served as District Governor for District 7780 in 2000-2001. In January 2001, Elias joined other Rotarians in traveling to India to participate in a National Immunization Day (NID) against polio. Currently he serves as a member of the faculty of the Rotary Leadership Institute. In 2000, Elias initiated a cooperative effort with the Portland Sea Dogs baseball team in Portland, Maine, called ROTARY TAKES A SWING AT HOMELESSNESS. “As a result of the efforts of Rotarians throughout southern Maine and New Hampshire, and northeast Massachusetts, we have raised and distributed some $50,000 and look to continue this project for many years to come. Funds have benefited homeless shelters, food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters for battered women and children, transitional housing projects and many more.”

In 2003, Elias led a team of four non-Rotarians on a cultural and vocational exchange to India, where he once again participated in a National Immunization Day (NID) against polio. In February 2004, he will return to India leading a group of some forty-five Rotarians from England, Canada and the United States, in order to again participate in immunizing Indian children against polio.

“My involvement in Rotary is one small way in which I can give something back to the community, whether that community is in the Lakes Region of York County in Maine or on the other side of the globe. Jane and I strongly believe in sharing our blessings with others who are less fortunate, and Rotary provides that vehicle.”

Elias is married to the former Jane Fleming Leach of Sanford, Maine and the father of one daughter, Heather Thomas Matlosz (Mrs. J. Christopher) of Sanford, Maine. Elias and Jane reside in Acton. Elias enjoys singing, fitness training and swimming. He and Jane enjoy traveling, “time at the lake”, but most of all, they are enjoying the newest addition to the family, their grandson, “J.T.”, who was born in November 2001.