Tom had set a goal to become a teacher at a young age so he enrolled directly in the Education program at UBC. He graduated from UBC with a Bachelor’s of Education degree and, later finished a Masters of Education degree at the University of Victoria.
Tom retired in June 2012 after 34 years in public education, 25 of those years as a school Principal. He has an extensive background in hockey that included a Junior Hockey career and a University Hockey scholarship. For the past 10 years, Tom has been the Educational Advisor for NCAA bound athletes.. During the past decade he has developed a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable people in the country, regarding how education and sport should be balanced. When Tom retired from public education, he quickly determined that his work in hockey and education would be one of the commitments he would pursue because it is a field that is terribly misunderstood and neglected.