Born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska and raised in Fort Collins, Colorado, Tom enlisted in the U.S. Navy upon graduating from high school. He retired 35 years later as a Navy Captain stationed at the Pentagon where he had been assigned for five years. He graduated with honors from Jacksonville University in 1974 with a BA in Geography and International Affairs. Tom later entered the private sector and was employed by ARINC, Inc., Annapolis, Maryland where he worked for nearly 13 years before retiring in 2005 as a Senior Director, Air Traffic Services and Communications.

He and his wife, Glee, live in Davidsonville, Maryland. They have three children and six grandchildren, one of whom has Downs Syndrome and lives with her mother and sister in Crofton, Maryland. Since retiring, Tom has worked as an independent consultant and continuing to devote much of his time to serving on the Board of Elders at McLean Bible Church (since 1991) and teaching adult classes. He joined the Board of Jill’s House in April 2007.