Before coming to San Francisco State University, he spent five years as a consultant in local economic development, market research, and PR strategy for high-tech companies. He began his academic career as an assistant professor in the University of Washington's School of Business Administration, where he spent eight years teaching courses in business, government, and society. While there, he conducted research primarily in business political strategy and corporate environmental management, and co-founded the first M.B.A. Environmental Managment program in the U.S.
Professor Thomas teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in Environment of Business.His current research focuses on corporate environmental management, sustainable business strategies, and how companies manage conflicts of interest.
- B.A. Social Science Analysis in (1976), University of Florida
- M.P.P. in Public Policy Studies (1979), University of Michigan
- M.B.A. (1985), University of California, Berkeley
- Ph.D. in Business and Public Policy (1989), University of California, Berkeley