Employee of the Month
Bobbie J. Thomas—November 2009 Employee of the Month
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| Bobbie J. Thomas |
Use this form to nominate someone as HISD Employee of the Month. Send completed form to info@houstonisd.org.
Bobbie J. Thomas, Employee of the Month for November, is a secretary at Houston Gardens Elementary School. She has been a member of the HISD family since 1997, when she was hired as a secretary to the Special Education director. She has also served as a secretary at Concord Elementary School (now an early childhood education center), as well as a supervisor at Chimex Systems (a subcontractor of NASA) and a manager at Link Flight Simulations, a pilot-training organization. Thomas worked at Shell Oil and in Texas Southern University’s Education Department, too, before coming to HISD.
As the school secretary, Thomas is responsible for recording the hours that all campus employees work, including crossing guards and substitute teachers. She handles the school’s purchasing and budgeting, orders food for catered events, monitors teachers’ supplies, makes travel arrangements, checks the school’s copiers, and sets up meetings with vendors. Thomas also assists people in her capacity as a licensed notary public.
A native of Houston’s North Forest subdivision, Thomas graduated from Southwest Christian College with an associate’s degree in business and Abilene Christian College with a bachelor’s degree in education. She lives in Houston, and enjoys cooking, sewing, and volunteering at her church.
“Ms. Thomas was so helpful to me when I came to Houston Gardens as a new principal four years ago,” explained Houston Gardens Elementary School Principal Tarawa Groves. “She is an administrative wizard with a business focus on correctness and compliancy. She cares about Houston Gardens, and that is reflected in the time and attention she gives daily to ensure that we present our very best. I thank my lucky stars that she was here when I came aboard, and I look forward to many more years to come. She is truly my right-hand person.”
“I first met Ms. Thomas 15 years ago at Concord Elementary School, and I couldn’t believe the type of work that she produced,” added North Region Content Specialist Alberta Sinnette. “She is very efficient and professional, and her work is first-class. A jack-of-all-trades, she can make bulletin boards, programs, and stage decorations look like they were purchased from a store. If there’s ever anything I need, she is still the person I contact. There is simply no task that she can’t handle.”
“Dedicated is defined as ‘wholly committed to something, as to an ideal, political cause, or personal goal,’” said Houston Gardens Information Technology Specialist Earnest Smith. “This definition summarizes Ms. Bobbie Thomas in every way: committed, dedicated, and caring. Ms. Thomas gives her all to the students and staff of Houston Gardens Elementary with her whole heart and soul. I am glad to work beside her. She has made my job much easier with her support.”
