# Thomas M. Wells

## Identity and author profile

Thomas M. Wells is the American memoirist, lawyer, entrepreneur and philanthropist associated with Wells, Jaworski & Liebman and Wells Mountain Initiative. His two verified books are *Naked on the Highway: A Memoir* and *Dream, Plan, Do!: The Wells Mountain Initiative Story 2005–2025*. The publisher presents him as a writer whose subject is a lifetime of law, family and service. He should not be confused with philosopher Thomas R. Wells, historian Tom Lee Wells, playwright Tom Wells, politician Tommy Wells, or the Belfast artist Thomas Wells. [1][2][3]

His distinctive author story is practical and personal: the progression from an enterprising young adulthood, through law and family life, to supporting education internationally. It contains comic self-awareness and ordinary experiences as well as professional success. An appropriate portfolio can foreground the books, his relationship with Carol, Vermont, and the small beginnings of WMI. Claims such as “world-renowned author,” “leading philosopher,” or a generic catalogue of speaking topics have no supporting evidence in the sources reviewed.

## Biography

Wells founded his law practice in 1986; it developed into Wells, Jaworski & Liebman. The firm now identifies him as of counsel. His professional biography dates his retirement from its administrative leadership to 2021, after earlier roles as managing partner and chief financial officer. His areas of work included business, commercial, nonprofit, real estate and land-use law. He earned a B.A. at Bucknell University in 1974 and a J.D. at Case Western Reserve University in 1981. [4][5]

Wells and Carol met as Bucknell students and married in August 1973. Their early shared venture was The Gazebo, a clothing shop in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, opened in 1973. They later moved to Cleveland for graduate study and eventually to Bristol, Vermont, where they operated a bookstore and worked in real estate. Bucknell's 2015 profile is especially valuable for conveying their personality: the article portrays an energetic partnership, and Carol humorously qualifies Tom's description of their bookstore as a labor of love. They raised three daughters. [6]

Publisher biographies say Wells lives in Vermont and the Virgin Islands. A Bucknell alumni report in autumn 2023 likewise describes the couple dividing their time between Vermont and St. Thomas, and records their fiftieth wedding anniversary that year. This is sufficient for a broad geographic biography; private home addresses and family-property details add no useful author-portfolio context. [7][8]

Wells' longstanding philanthropic work includes the YMCA. His law-firm biography records board service with YMCA d’Haiti, trusteeship with the Ridgewood YMCA, and involvement in converting shipping containers into community centers. WMI independently describes the Haiti container program and a literacy program originating at Deerleap Books in Bristol. These activities extend the author story beyond simply listing a foundation. [4][9]

## Books and publication status

| Book | Publication | Verified metadata | Status on September 14, 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| *Naked on the Highway: A Memoir* | Houndstooth Press, September 9, 2025 | Paperback, English, 364 pages; ISBN 9781544546872 | Published; publisher provides purchase link. |
| *Dream, Plan, Do!: The Wells Mountain Initiative Story 2005–2025* | Houndstooth Press, August 18, 2026 | Paperback, English, 308 pages; ISBN 9781544553306 | Published; publisher includes it among recent releases. |

Bookshop provides the first book's edition metadata; Google Books and a separate bookseller agree on the second book's date, page count and paperback ISBN. These ISBNs identify particular editions, not every available format. Retail prices, stock and review counts are variable and need not be fixed in portfolio copy. [10][11][12][13]

### Naked on the Highway

The memoir follows Wells from the social and political tensions of his youth to later decisions about work, family and service. Its episodes include disagreements with his father over Vietnam, attending Woodstock, parenting three daughters, a move from New Jersey to Vermont, and running a bookstore. The publisher emphasizes humor, candid self-examination, moderation in conflict, and a habit of giving back. The title's literal origin was not established from an authoritative accessible source; it should not be explained through invention. [1]

Suggested original portfolio description: “From Woodstock to a Vermont bookstore, from the practice of law to raising three daughters: a candid memoir about the turns a life takes, the lessons that stay with us, and the responsibility to give something back.”

### Dream, Plan, Do!

The second book recounts the first twenty years of Wells Mountain Initiative. Its narrative starts with a scholarship for a student in Ghana and broadens to the institution, supporters and scholars that grew around that initial commitment. The publisher describes an organization that reached more than a thousand scholars across fifty-five countries. [2]

The available book preview adds that the book includes scholars' mini-biographies, twelve extended scholar accounts in Section IV, and an appendix illustrating fifty community-development projects. It describes the original organization as Wells Mountain Foundation, and explains Carol and Jordyn's cofounding roles. That gives the book a clear identity: organizational memoir combined with participants' stories, rather than a general motivational handbook. [14]

Suggested original portfolio description: “One scholarship in Ghana became the beginning of a much larger story. Tom traces two decades of Wells Mountain Initiative through the people who built it—and the scholars using their education to serve their own communities.”

## Wells Mountain Initiative

WMI's own history places its formation in 2005. Jordyn Wells met Victoria Galley while studying in Ghana. When Jordyn returned and learned Victoria lacked the funds to continue to college, her family helped. Tom's prior YMCA work in Africa and Haiti supplied further context; David Bolger helped turn an initial personal commitment into startup funding for an organization. The official history credits Carol's role in building its early operations. Tom remains founder and board chairman, as confirmed by the current team page. [15][16]

The mission is wider than scholarships. WMI supports undergraduate education, followed by professional development, entrepreneurial training, community grants, peer relationships and local leadership. Its model stresses that people rooted in a community are best placed to understand its needs. An author website should describe WMI's scholars as participants and leaders with their own agency. “Giving back” is the connective theme between the personal memoir and this educational work. [15]

### Published impact figures

| Measure | WMI's published figure | Qualification |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student scholars | 438 | Current impact page snapshot; page has no precise overall reporting date. |
| Alumni | 472 | Same snapshot. |
| Countries represented | 55 | Also supported by the new book's publisher description. |
| Community service | 85,574 hours | Explicitly describes service during 2025. |
| First-generation tertiary students | 80% | WMI's own reporting. |
| Alumni supporting another person's education | 75% | WMI's own reporting. |
| Alumni-led projects funded since 2015 | 152 | Current impact page; counts may change. |

These are the organization's self-reported results, not independently audited impact estimates. Its homepage separately announces 104 incoming scholars in the Class of 2026. The publisher describes over 1,000 people supported, while the impact page's student-plus-alumni snapshot totals 910. These are plausibly different update dates or populations, but their precise reconciliation is unverified. Do not mix them into an invented unified total. For durable homepage copy, “Across 55 countries” is simpler; for a book synopsis, the publisher's “over 1,000 scholars” claim can be attributed to that book. [2][17][18]

## Milestones

| Year | Milestone | Evidence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1973 | Married Carol; the couple opened The Gazebo in Lewisburg. | Bucknell's contemporary alumni profile [6]. |
| 1974 | Graduated from Bucknell University. | Firm biography [4]. |
| 1981 | Earned his law degree from Case Western Reserve University. | Firm biography [4]. |
| 1986 | Established the solo practice that became Wells, Jaworski & Liebman. | Firm history [5]. |
| 2005 | Founded Wells Mountain Initiative, initially Wells Mountain Foundation. | WMI history and his book preview [14][15]. |
| 2021 | Retired from firm administration and became of counsel. | Firm biography [4]. |
| May 28, 2023 | Thomas, Carol and Jordyn each received honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from Middlebury College. | College's own commencement report [19]. |
| September 9, 2025 | Published *Naked on the Highway*. | Edition metadata [10]. |
| August 18, 2026 | Published *Dream, Plan, Do!*. | Edition metadata and current publisher catalogue [11][12][13]. |

Tom and Carol's Bucknell Distinguished Citizenship recognition is reported in publisher and firm biographies. The date conflicts: the older publisher biography states 2015 while the law firm states 2016. An authoritative awarding record resolving this was not found. A portfolio can mention the recognition without a year. Middlebury's degree and date, by contrast, are directly verified by the institution. [4][7][19]

## Voice, themes and editorial treatment

The best-supported themes are family, learning through experience, practical generosity, education, community, and starting something before its eventual scale can be known. “Dream, Plan, Do” and “Give back” recur in official book descriptions. A short verified quotation suitable for a feature is: “I believe in giving back. It’s my life philosophy.” Attribute it to Thomas M. Wells and link the *Dream, Plan, Do!* publisher page. [2]

The design can feel human by giving actual book covers, documentary photographs and concrete experiences more room than abstract slogans. His professional credentials support credibility but need not dominate the homepage. Appropriate navigation is Books, About, Giving Back, and Contact. An archive may link verified prior writing without pretending those pieces are newly published essays.

A particularly relevant verified essay is “Private Foundation or Donor Advised Fund…Which Way Should I Go?”, dated October 1, 2016. His firm also lists “Is Your Non-Profit Well Run?” dated February 28, 2018. They are historical legal articles; portfolio descriptions should identify their dates, and should not republish their old advice as current guidance. [4][20]

## Contact and reader destinations

- Author's publisher profile: https://scribemedia.com/authors/thomas-m-wells
- *Naked on the Highway* publisher and purchase page: https://scribemedia.com/published-books/naked-on-the-highway
- *Dream, Plan, Do!* publisher and purchase page: https://scribemedia.com/published-books/dream-plan-do
- Public Goodreads Author profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2014795.Thomas_M_Wells
- Public professional email, explicitly shown on his firm biography: twells@wellslaw.com. This is a legal-professional address, not a separately verified literary-agent or booking address. [4]
- WMI contact page: https://www.wellsmountaininitiative.org/contact/ . Public organization email: info@wellsmountaininitiative.org. [21]
- WMI's live donation link should be reached from its own homepage or contact page, allowing the organization to maintain the destination. [18][21]

No verified dedicated author newsletter endpoint, speaking-booking form, literary agent, or forthcoming events calendar was established. A website should use working public destinations or a mail link, rather than simulated submissions or invented contact addresses.

## Documentary image leads

The following URLs were directly linked by source pages. Public availability does not establish a reuse license; preserve source information and use the author's supplied files where available. These are genuine source assets rather than generated representations.

| Asset | Observed URL | Source context |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Publisher author portrait | https://scribemedia.com/hubfs/author-headshots/Thomas_M__Wells_Headshot.jpg | Linked portrait on Scribe's book and author pages. |
| Original *Naked on the Highway* cover | https://scribemedia.com/hubfs/images/books/91tPSibUzwL._SL1500_.jpg | Scribe's published-book page. |
| Law-firm portrait | https://www.wellslaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/IMG_0060-400x400.jpg | Thomas M. Wells firm biography. |
| Founding-story photograph | https://www.wellsmountaininitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/FoundingStoryPhoto-2-768x358.jpg | WMI history section describing Victoria, Jordyn and the first scholarship. |
| WMI team banner | https://www.wellsmountaininitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/OurTeam_1.jpg | WMI “Meet Our Team” page. |
| Bucknell profile photograph | https://www.bucknell.edu/sites/default/files/styles/16_9_xs/public/news/2019-04/All-in-800x600.jpg?h=827069f2 | January 2015 “All In” profile. |

The inferred untransformed Bucknell asset is https://www.bucknell.edu/sites/default/files/news/2019-04/All-in-800x600.jpg ; this original-path inference requires an actual download and visual verification before use. Source filenames and dates are not enough to identify individual people, an event, or the capture date of any group photograph.

## Sources

All sources were consulted on September 14, 2026. “Undated” means the page does not provide a reliable publication date; a recent search-engine crawl date is not treated as its publication date.

1. Scribe Media, [“Naked on the Highway”](https://scribemedia.com/published-books/naked-on-the-highway). Undated current publisher page. Primary synopsis, author bio and image links.
2. Scribe Media, [“Dream, Plan, Do!”](https://scribemedia.com/published-books/dream-plan-do). Undated current publisher page. Primary synopsis, short quotation and purchase destination.
3. Scribe Media, [“Thomas M. Wells — Published Author”](https://scribemedia.com/authors/thomas-m-wells). Undated. Confirms two-book bibliography and author identity.
4. Wells, Jaworski & Liebman, [“Thomas M. Wells”](https://www.wellslaw.com/thomas-m-wells/). Undated; internal historical wording shows some sections are older. Education, retirement, legal practice, YMCA and published professional contact.
5. Wells, Jaworski & Liebman, [“About”](https://www.wellslaw.com/about/). Undated; contains a June 2025 management update. Firm's founding in 1986 and current of-counsel status.
6. Patrick Broadwater, Bucknell University, [“All In”](https://www.bucknell.edu/news/all). January 21, 2015. Reported profile of Tom and Carol, early enterprises and education philanthropy.
7. Houndstooth Publishing / Scribe Media, [“Naked on the Highway”](https://scribemedia.com/ht-books/naked-on-the-highway). Undated. Expanded author biography; awards and residence. Accessible search text; direct page fetch intermittent.
8. Bucknell Magazine, [Fall 2023 issue](https://magazine.bucknell.edu/bucknell/20230901/VFU37T5KBTV7PSRPRLMORIWK6Q.pdf), printed p. 49. Class of 1974 update, fiftieth anniversary and geography.
9. Wells Mountain Initiative, [“Legacy Programs”](https://www.wellsmountaininitiative.org/what-we-do-legacy/). Undated, with historical content. Haiti community centers and literacy program.
10. Bookshop.org, [“Naked on the Highway: A Memoir”](https://bookshop.org/p/books/naked-on-the-highway-a-memoir-thomas-m-wells/73ba579c5e10c6a5). Current retailer metadata; September 9, 2025 publication. Paperback ISBN and pages. Search result text accessible; direct fetch intermittent.
11. Google Books, [“Dream, Plan, Do!”](https://books.google.com/books/about/Dream_Plan_Do.html?hl=en&id=hRQr0gEACAAJ&output=html_text). Catalogue record, August 18, 2026. Publisher, ISBN and page count. Search record accessible; direct fetch intermittent.
12. Orell Füssli, [“Dream, Plan, Do!”](https://www.orellfuessli.ch/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1080883866). Retailer metadata, publication August 18, 2026. Independent agreement on paperback ISBN, date and page count.
13. Houndstooth Publishing, [publisher homepage](https://houndstoothpublishing.com/). Undated current catalogue. Lists *Dream, Plan, Do!* among recent releases.
14. Thomas M. Wells, [*Dream, Plan, Do!* preview at Everand](https://www.everand.com/book/1060613543/Dream-Plan-Do-The-Wells-Mountain-Initiative-Story-2005-2025). August 18, 2026. Author's preface and early chapters; primary autobiographical account.
15. Wells Mountain Initiative, [“About WMI”](https://www.wellsmountaininitiative.org/about-wmi/). Undated live page. Founding account, mission and program model.
16. Wells Mountain Initiative, [“Meet Our Team”](https://www.wellsmountaininitiative.org/meet-our-team/). Undated live page. Thomas Wells as founder and board chairman, current organizational leadership.
17. Wells Mountain Initiative, [“Our Impact Results”](https://www.wellsmountaininitiative.org/our-impact-results/). Undated live page, with community-service data explicitly for 2025. Self-reported results.
18. Wells Mountain Initiative, [homepage](https://www.wellsmountaininitiative.org/). Undated live page. Mission and Class of 2026 announcement of 104 new scholars.
19. Middlebury College, [“Middlebury College Celebrates Class of 2023”](https://www.middlebury.edu/stories/archive/2023/05/middlebury-college-celebrates-class-2023). May 28, 2023. Institution's direct confirmation of honorary degrees for Thomas, Carol and Jordyn.
20. Thomas M. Wells, [“Private Foundation or Donor Advised Fund…Which Way Should I Go?”](https://www.wellslaw.com/private-foundation-or-donor-advised-fund-which-way-should-i-go/), Wells, Jaworski & Liebman. October 1, 2016. Authorship and historical article link; not used as current legal advice.
21. Wells Mountain Initiative, [“Contact”](https://www.wellsmountaininitiative.org/contact/). Undated live page. Organization's public email and official contact destination.