Jacek Tomasik Tomasik Embraces Embraces His Work As Wellington’s Wellington’s Building Building Official Official By Callie Sharkey
Wellington has seen an amazing amount of growth over the past two decades, and Building Official Jacek “Jack” Tomasik has been there making sure everything is done safely and according to the village’s strict codes and regulations. There are members of the to go and tell him,” Tomasik reWellington team who have been called. here for the long haul, and with Yet Schofield encouraged him 19 years of tenure with the village, yet again, telling it would be crazy Tomasik is one of them. not to take the position and have “The building official is a poa chance to grow. “Paul Schofield sition basically in charge of the influenced me quite a bit as a Building Department,” he said. manager,” Tomasik said. “I am the happy person to be just After coming on board with that.” Wellington, Tomasik worked his Tomasik and his family built a way up in the department by allife in Palm Beach County from ways looking for new ways to imthe ground up after moving here prove his skillset. The path took from Krakow, Poland, in 1989. him through senior inspector, He arrived with his wife, daughchief inspector and then to buildter, and no knowledge of the loing official in 2006. While he cal language, but he was always a has seen many changes over the hard worker. years, Tomasik is most proud of “I wanted to learn more to the department’s ability to work develop more,” he explained. smarter. “When I originally came here, I “We were able to streamline couldn’t speak one word of Engand automate tons of things Jacek “Jack” Tomasik reviews plans with Juan Sanchez. lish. As my language got better, I here,” he said. “I think the bigdecided that I wanted to stay with con- cation to stay on top of everything that gest achievement for Wellington, which struction, but I wanted to learn more.” happens in construction. You have to be was a whole group of people here workThis personal drive to learn and grow current and keep developing.” ing, was converting the whole permithas carried Tomasik throughout his Tomasik started with Wellington as a ting process to digital and electronic career. If one takes the time to count, building inspector, but prior to joining permitting. I was really proud of it bethere are 22 different certifications the team, he had been encouraged and cause Wellington was probably, in this decorating the walls in his office, all of given an opportunity by Paul Schofield, area, one of the very first to do that.” which are dedicated to his knowledge now Wellington’s village manager, when Through all the changes, Tomasik of the often technical building industry. Schofield was in charge of planning, and his family have kept a connection He is particularly proud of his most re- zoning and building in Royal Palm to their Polish roots. Both of his daughcent certification as a fire inspector. Beach. ters, even though the youngest was “You can’t really get too comfort“Paul hired me, and I was there a born here in Florida, speak his native able,” Tomasik said. “This is an ever- short time as a building inspector, and language and are able to converse easchanging job with new building codes then I had an opportunity to come to ily with his parents, who now also live in coming up. You need continuing edu- Wellington. I was really not so thrilled the area. 114
february 2019 | wellington the magazine