Hornet alumnus Susan Thomas will present the fifth address in the Sam E. and Jeannene Hayes Lecture Series on Thursday, Oct. 22, inside the Memorial Union’s Webb Hall at 7 p.m. Thomas will speak about “An Ordinary Life of Extraordinary Experiences” that led her to become the founder, president and CEO of 10Fold Communications.
Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in business from Emporia State in 1986, and has a master’s degree in industrial/organization psychology from the University of Tulsa.
Dr. Sam Hayes (BS 1962) of Mission Hills, Kansas, and his wife, Jeannene, established the lecture series as a way to engage Emporia State’s alumni in highlighting their successes. Individuals whose leadership qualities, skills and accomplishments have led to distinction are featured in each annual lecture.
Emporia State students attending the lecture are eligible to participate in an essay competition based on key leadership principles presented by Thomas in her lecture. A team of Blue Key students and professionals will review essay submissions, and winners will receive one of five Doug and Nan Smith scholarships valued at $1,000 each. The inaugural Hayes Lecture speaker, Doug Smith and his wife, Nan, of Leawood, Kansas, provided funds to create the scholarships.To be eligible for a scholarship, students must attend the lecture and complete a scholarship application, which includes a series of essay questions. The deadline for the submissions is 11:59 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. Recipients are selected by the Blue Key Leadership Honor Society, and will be notified by email and recognized via Buzz-In announcements on Nov. 6.
Thomas became the founder, CEO and president of 10Fold Communications in 1995. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, with additional offices in Pleasanton, California, and Capistrano Beach, California, 10Fold Communications provides public relations and content services for business-to-business (B2B) companies.
Since its inception, 10Fold Communications has won many awards for service excellence and innovation in public relations, marketing communications and video. 10Fold Communications has built credibility and thought leadership for more than 350 companies such as AppDynamics, Appcelerator, Brocade, CA/Nimsoft, Comcast, Data Domain, Nimble Storage, SumoLogic, General Dynamics, Proofpoint and YyMe.
Thomas also serves as a Board of Advisors member for the Heritage Bank of Commerce, Authenti-App and DataPhysics Research Inc. (DPR).
A native of Newton, Kansas, Thomas resides in Danville, California, with her four children, husband and dog.