Getting to Know Dave Thomas, Computer Programmer in the Home Office

How long have you been with American Mining? I began work on March 31st, so I've been here one month. Already!?

Tell us about a typical day? What happens when you walk into the office every morning? On a typical day, I check email messages first thing in the morning. Corey, our IT Manager dispatches work to us through our issue tracking system. When that assignment has been made, meetings to determine the details of the work to be done ensue. The work to either change the computer programs, or write new ones, progresses through three different phases before it is completed.

What do you like most about your job? I truly enjoy helping others. And one of the ways I can help is to provide people with the information they need, and to automate many of the tasks involved in their jobs.

Have you worked in the insurance industry before working at AMIC? Most of my work experience has been in the insurance industry. I spent about seven years working for a property and casualty insurance company as a computer programmer. Then I worked as an IT Manager for about ten years at a life and health insurance company.

Where did you work before joining us? I was a self-employed contract computer programmer since 1992. I was working on a long-term contract with an international software company in the Huntsville area when this opportunity came along.

How are things different than where you worked before?  The first thing I noticed during my first few days of work here, was how genuinely friendly, and caring the people are. I immediately felt appreciated, and welcomed as part of the AMIC family. That means a lot to me, and I look forward to getting to know everyone.

Where did you go to school?  I attended and graduated from Lamar County High School in Vernon, Alabama. Go Bulldogs!!! After high school I attended Northwest Alabama State Technical Institute at Hamilton, Alabama. That is a state-supported vocational-technical school where I learned about computers and computer programming.

What would you be doing if you weren’t working here?  My ideal situation if I didn't have to work, is to spend time helping others. There are so many people with so many needs, that are struggling with challenges each day. I'd really like to help facilitate, through churches and other agencies, some help for them.

Spring is here at the home office and summer's just around the corner. Any plans for a summer vacation?  Camille and I will travel this weekend to my hometown of Vernon, Alabama. My home church has their homecoming Sunday, and I want to share that experience with Camille, and also to give her the "tour" of my birthplace and hometown. The last weekend in May we plan to travel to Waco, Texas for the dedication of her late uncle's wing of the Dr. Pepper museum. We also hope to get down to Gulf Shores for a weekend getaway with friends.

Tell us a little bit about your personal life. What do you enjoy doing when not in the office? How about family?   What a wonderful experience to be back "home" in these hills in Alabama! Camille and I met a little over a year ago at The Church at Brook Hills. After a magical courtship we were married last August in Yielding Chapel on the campus of Birmingham-Southern College. Camille is the Merchandise Manager at BSC, and has worked there for twenty-eight years. We are blessed with six children, and the four greatest grandchildren in the world! We enjoy spending time with family, and friends. And we especially enjoy spending with our grandchildren, and being involved in their activities. Having bought a new home in Moody last fall, most of our time these days is spent decorating and working in the yard.

Where did you grow up?  I was born and raised on the family's farm near Vernon, in Lamar county, Alabama. Growing up on a farm was such a rewarding experience, and a lot of work, too! My father retired from the U. S. Navy and returned home to work on the farm. My mother was a homemaker and mother of eight children.