In The News

By PAUL FRANZ, Staff Writer
In the Spotlight
State/Local News: Sunday News
Lancaster, PA
October 5, 2008

After 33 years of working in higher education, Bob Thomas decided it was time for a career change.

He believed nonprofit community service would be a better fit.

"It's been a new world for me," he said. "But there have been some parallels. The goals are not dissimilar."

Thomas left Millersville University in 2006 after more than a decade as vice president of student affairs to become president of Tabor Community Services.

"I've really enjoyed the transition," Thomas said. "There's a lot of new things to learn and a lot of people to meet."

December marks Thomas' second year with Tabor, a housing and consumer credit counseling organization that also directs neighborhood revitalization projects.

As president of Tabor, Thomas directs the firm's counseling services, and works with two groups formed under the Tabor umbrella: the East King Improvement District and Lancaster City Living. Both focus on neighborhood beautification projects in the eastern portion of the city.

Age: 59.

Education: B.A., Rutgers University; M.S., Ph.D., Indiana University, Bloomington.

Hometown: Haddon Heights, N.J.

Favorite part of my job at Tabor: My job includes a lot of varied responsibilities, fascinating issues and interesting people. Together, they make it very absorbing. At the end of the day, I take the most pride in being part of an organization whose staff have a 40-year track record of teaching people how to be more self-reliant in solving their housing and financial problems and, in the process, rebuilding their lives and Lancaster.

My least favorite part: Balancing Tabor's operating budget. We always get the job done, but it usually requires deferring an important client or staff need.

The most difficult adjustment I've had to make since switching careers: I've had to learn a lot about the needs of our clients, Tabor as an organization and Lancaster as a whole, but doing that hasn't been difficult; in fact, it has been very interesting and energizing.

Quotation to live by: "Treat other people in the ways you want to be treated."

How do you think Lancaster is faring under current national economic conditions? Lancaster is fortunate to be doing much better than many other parts of the country, but we're still seeing the effects here. Tabor's clients and people in similar circumstances, in particular, are feeling them.

What can be done locally to rebound? Continue investing in things that will pay dividends in the long run: revitalization of the city, our schools, development of new businesses, affordable housing and programs that show those who are struggling how to help themselves. All of them contribute to Lancaster's health and will leave us well-positioned when the economy begins to recover.

What's the most important lesson Americans should learn from the mortgage crisis? One of the most important is never take on more debt than you can manage. Sooner or later it will catch up with you.

Did Tabor see the warning signs? Tabor's staff saw warning signs for a long time in the growing number of clients needing credit and mortgage foreclosure counseling.

The biggest challenge facing city revitalization right now is: Projects such as Clipper Magazine Stadium and the convention center are powerful catalysts for development in continuing to make the city a desirable place to live, work and invest. But we will also require smaller but vital efforts, such as neighborhood revitalization programs and increasing the number of owner-occupied homes. Their impact in improving the quality of life can be long-lasting.

A beautification project/event to look forward to from EKID: If we're successful in obtaining a new grant from the state, we'll have the last piece of funding we need to build a new urban plaza at the intersection of East King, Shippen and Church streets. The plaza will make it much safer for pedestrians and motorists there and provide a beautiful gathering place.

Who has been a role model for you in your professional life? I learned a lot from the president [Oscar Remick] of Westminster College in western Pennsylvania when I served as a vice president there from 1987 to 1996. In addition to being a great leader, he had an uncommon gift for generosity, sincerity and thoughtfulness in his relationships with others. People wanted to work for him and do things for the college in part because of the way he treated them.

Paul Franz is a Sunday News staff writer. Contact him at pfranz@lnpnews.com or at 295-5063.