Colfax native Randall Thomas has been brought on as Wartburg’s newest associate professor of accounting after 30 years with John Deere and 26 years teaching experience.

Thomas graduated from Ellsworth Community College with an associate degree before attending the University of Northern Iowa for a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He later earned an MBA from UNI while working for John Deere as an accountant and later as a quality engineer.

In eighth grade, Thomas’ dad told him he should be an accountant. As a freshman in college, he took a Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator exam that said he was best suited to be a certified public accountant or a business teacher He chose to pursue accounting without realizing that he would retire from that profession to become a professor.

Thomas said because of his Cedar Valley experiences during and after his time at John Deere he recognized he could be a good fit for Wartburg.

“I cherish the great respect the surrounding community has for Wartburg,” said Thomas. “I like showing students that accounting is more than crunching numbers. Accountants are important to any organization. Accountants must be able to analyze and help management to strategize not only for the road to survival but to business success.”

Though accountants can make good money, he wants the students he teaches to love the numbers and the work.

“Wartburg’s accounting program is already well-respected. I want to continue that and provide real-world examples of my experience at [John] Deere,” said Thomas.

In addition to his passion for accounting, Thomas also has a love for sports. He spent several years as an adviser for athletic teams at other institutions and has logged numerous hours on the sidelines watching and assisting in various games. He also served as a coach in several youth baseball leagues and was a coach and player for an adult softball league. These experiences, in addition to playing various sports in high school, led him to have a love for his students’ involvement outside the classroom.

“I most enjoy interacting with the students and supporting them in their sports. It helps keep people young. When my friends ask why I don’t just retire, I say I’m back at college where I never wanted to leave anyway!”