Tom’s in his fifth year teaching at the University of Oregon, where he finds himself challenged and inspired on a daily basis. He guides students in making their work better, smarter, more unexpected, while helping ensure they don’t lose sight of the importance of strategic focus.

Prior to UO Tom spent 30+ years as a Copywriter and Creative Director – starting at Ally & Gargano and ending at DDB NY; with stops at Chiat/Day and Lowe along the way. He’s worked on everything from Angel Soft to Z cars; created and guided global launches for billion-dollar products, brand building for niche players, retail tent cards, Tom’s pretty much done it all…except a Super Bowl spot :( In addition to billions in sales for his clients, he even managed to win a few trinkets along the way.

Tom’s non-academic, non-advertising life has included stints as a waiter, electro-chemical research technician, and selling women’s shoes for Neiman~Marcus; each providing invaluable insights he leveraged throughout his career. Working in New York while living in a small Hudson Valley farming community provided a daily 2+ hour commute – each way – and loads of quality reading time; which he so desperately misses. But it also provided the opportunity to collaborate with some of the smartest, most talented, very best professionals in the world, across a diversity of fields, every single day. It doesn’t get much better than that.