Tom spent 32 years with the Iowa State patrol, including time as the Bureau Chief of the Iowa Department of Public safety Communication Bureau. During his service, he oversaw all State Patrol 911 Centers in the state, as well as the new Iowa Statewide Interoperability Communications System.

Tom served as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for Iowa for 8 years, keeping government officials appraised of the status of FirstNet. He was chairman of Iowa Statewide Interoperability Communications Systems Board for 8 years.

Most recently, he served as the Communications Director for the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. Overseeing a newly constructed 911 dispatch center, he introduced technology such as emergency medical dispatching, an automated paging system/call taker rating system, a new CAD server, and numerous software enhancements for public safety.