Rear Admiral Thomas assumed duties as Assistant Commandant for Human Resources in June 2015. In this capacity, she is responsible for implementing the vision for human capital management; to recruit, develop, and retain a diverse, proficient, effective workforce to meet the current and future needs of the Coast Guard’s nearly 60,000 member active duty, reserve and civilian workforce.
Rear Admiral Thomas oversees most of the Coast Guard's human resources field activities, from accession of new military personnel to retirees’ pay and benefits. She is responsible for the Coast Guard’s health, safety, and work-life programs, sexual assault prevention/response victim support, and leadership and diversity initiatives. She serves as Chair of the Coast Guard Academy Board of Trustees, Diversity and Inclusion Chief, Warranting Officer Human Systems Engineering, and President of the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Board. Her previous Flag assignments include Commander, Fourteenth Coast Guard District and Assistant Commandant for Response Policy.
A 1984 graduate of the U. S. Coast Guard Academy, Rear Admiral Thomas served on CGC VIGOROUS, VALIANT, and was commanding officer of CGC MANITOU. Further operational assignments included Group-Air Station Atlantic City, Sector Miami Chief of Response, and Commanding Officer of Training Center Cape May, the Coast Guard’s 5th largest base and only enlisted accession source. In addition to her operational tours of duty, Rear Admiral Thomas served in the Coast Guard Academy Admissions Office and at Personnel Command’s Enlisted Personnel Management office. She was also a Program Reviewer at Headquarters, the Executive Assistant to the Atlantic Area Commander and the Atlantic Area Resource Director. Rear Admiral Thomas also participated various Coast Guard studies, including Project Kimball, Coast Guard Academy Task Force, was part of U. S. delegations negotiating international treaties, and as co-lead for the Force Readiness Command design team.
Rear Admiral Thomas graduated with distinction from the Naval War College with a Masters of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies. She earned a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Troy State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the Coast Guard Academy. She has served on non-profit boards, has completed U. S. Naval War College joint and combined force courses, as well as executive education through Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Institute, at the Asia Pacific Center for Strategic Studies and the Department of Homeland Security’s Pacific Executive Leadership Program. Rear Admiral Thomas earned certification as a Type II Incident Commander in 2006.
Rear Admiral Thomas’ personal awards include two Legions of Merit, five Meritorious Service Medals, a Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Department of State Superior Honor Award and various other personal, unit and campaign awards. She earned permanent cutterman status in 1994.
Rear Admiral Thomas retired on 1 July 2016.