Five Questions: Jennifer Thomas

In January, Jennifer Thomas was promoted to her current role as VP of operations for Sonitrol of Fort Lauderdale. She started with the company 12 years ago as an installation coordinator. Thomas said that her career at the company has been an “organic evolution. I've taken things on a piece at a time and they've all flowed together well.” Security Systems News caught up with Thomas and asked her five questions.

What brought you into the security industry?

When I interviewed with John [Ray, owner, president and CEO of the company], I wasn't looking for any specific industry to be a part of, but he was passionate about Sonitrol. It does have a unique offering. He was enthusiastic and he had recently purchased the franchise. So I felt like I could be part of a ground-up operation. He was so enthused it was infectious.

What do you like about where you live?

I really like this area because it is a big enough city to have lots of opportunities, but also still a pretty close-knit business community. So, there's opportunity and there's avenue for growing the company you work with, but at the same time you have relationships that you can establish and maintain. I like that mid-sized city feel.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I have two children, so a lot of my spare time is devoted to their sports and other activities. But, I also enjoy playing volleyball, and have recently taken up running and enjoy that quite a bit.

Do you have any pets?

I do. I have a dog, a cat and a fish. I have a lab-mix, and I have no idea what the cat is, but he's a beautiful black cat. … We call him Batman; he's black with bright yellow eyes.

What's something your coworkers might not know about you?

I've been here so long, and our company is like a family, so they probably know a lot. They probably don't know that German was my first language. Although I am not fluent, I was born in Vienna, and lived there the first couple of years of my life