I was born in Lyons and grew up in Tonganoxie. I live in Hays with my wife, Chelsea, and our 3-year-old son, Thomas. I grew up the son of civil servants, my father was a police officer, and my mother was an elementary school teacher. From an early age, I learned the value of hard work, proper planning, and financial awareness. My upbringing played a pivotal role in my chosen career path.
What do you now do for a living? How did you end up choosing this career path?
I am the Director of the Robbins Banking Institute at FHSU and the Director of the Kansas Bankers Education Foundation through the Kansas Bankers Association. Honestly, I fell into finance and banking as a career. I had a series of jobs with little opportunity for advancement when a friend of mine reached out to see if I wanted to join him in doing residential mortgages during the first refi boom. This was my first foray into the financial industry.
Why did you choose to attend FHSU?
My wife took a position as a pediatrician at HaysMed, and we moved from Kansas City to Hays. Since no mortgage consultant openings were open then, I decided to return to school and finish the degree I had started years before.
What are your favorite memories from your time as a student?
Getting 4th place nationally in the financial planning competition.
What advice do you have for current or prospective FHSU students?
Don’t be afraid to fail. You learn far more from your failures than you do from your successes.
Tell us about someone at FHSU who has left a lasting impression:
Dr. Christina Glenn oversaw the financial planning team, and throughout my time at FHSU, she has been an invaluable resource, instructor, colleague, and friend. It is safe to say that my time at Fort Hays State would not have been half as successful without her.
In what ways are you proud to be a Tiger? Before he passed away, I promised my father I would find a way to return to school and finish my degree. FHSU allowed me to keep that promise, and that was one of the driving reasons that I returned to campus to take the directorship of the Robbins Banking Institute. You can read more about Tommy’s new position at FHSU here.