Meet Fellow APA John “JJ” Thomas   

1. What is your job title? Administrative Business Analyst 

2. How long have you been at MSU? Started as a student in January 2013 (graduated May 2016) and returned in October 2016 as an employee. 

 

3. Have you been a member of the APA the whole time? No, I originally started in the CT Union, but joined the APA union when I started at the School of Criminal Justice in January 2018. 

 

4. What department do you work in, and can you tell me a little bit about what you do? I work in the School of Criminal Justice. I handle the School’s communications/engagement efforts such as the School’s website, social media accounts, etc. I am also the Assistant to the Director. 

 

5. What brought you to your job at MSU? I jokingly say “I grew up on this campus” because of the amount of time I spent in East Lansing as a kid (my mom worked here, so visits to campus were frequent). After graduating from MSU, I didn’t believe my story at MSU was finished so I decided to return here as an employee and see where they story led.  

 

6. What do you enjoy most about working at MSU? I would say the people: students, faculty, staff, guests, etc. There is an atmosphere on campus when everyone is around that I haven’t found replicated anywhere else.  

 

7. What do you like to do when you are not at work? I play the guitar, golf, mountain bike, read, spend time out on the water (paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing, or just simply being on a boat), doing house projects and building/fixing things. I am also enrolled in the Strategic Communication Master’s Program here on campus, which is actually a lot of fun. It is an amazing program. 

8. In high school I was known for ___. Well, I was voted the Class of 2012 “Best Shoulder to Cry On” so I guess either that or stating random music facts that really didn’t pertain to any particular conversation I was having at the time.  

 

9. People would be surprised to know I am skilled at ___ hmm… wood working and building things. That seems to surprise people  

10. I have ___ pets. A lot (ha-ha). But, really, my girlfriend Brooke and I have 4 cats: Rex, Mojo, Little Lion Man, and Scarla. Growing up my family had two dogs: Spot and Rimshot who still live with my parents. 

 

11. I like a lot of music. However, my favorite style is Rockabilly. 

 

12. My favorite area restaurant is any place with a patio, but my favorite food dish is Stir Fry.  

 

13.My favorite junk food is Gummy Bears because…I’m not entirely sure why…but they seem to make the world a better place.