Glen Thomas '83 and Joyce Densmore-Thomas '82
Establishing the first faculty endowment in the College of Business is one way Glen Thomas (BS, Accounting, ’83) and Joyce Densmore-Thomas (BA, Education and Credential, ’82) are repaying California State University, Chico for all the good it has brought to their lives.
“If there’s a way that I can give back—whether it’s through my time and energy through the accounting department, through guest lecturing, through the establishment of an endowment for the school—I’m blessed to be able to do that,” said Thomas, who is a founder and partner at the Bay Area accounting firm TYS, LLP. As he enters the second stage of his career and reflects back on the path that led to his personal and professional success, Thomas says the relationships he’s built at Chico State are at the center of it all.
“Positive, healthy, honest relationships are the basis of being productive and effective,” said Densmore-Thomas, who wants their gift to attract accounting faculty who are both leaders in the field and possess the “ability to inspire learning” and community among students. The faculty endowment is “really building capacity for the University to hire the best and the brightest,” she said.
College of Business Dean Judy Hennessey couldn’t agree more. Ever since her appointment to the role two years ago, Dean Hennessey has prioritized the growth and success of the accounting program. “It is where the College of Business started on this campus, and the prestige of our program overall depends upon this remaining a signature feature of Chico State’s business offerings,” Hennessey said.
Faculty fellowships are viewed as instrumental tools in sustaining the ability to attract and retain top talent. The Glen Thomas and Joyce Densmore-Thomas Family Endowed Fellowship is the first of its kind in the College of Business and is designed specifically to support the accounting program. Dean Hennessey hopes to inspire additional support for similar endowments in the near future, which span a variety of disciplines.
Thomas regularly recruits Chico State students to his firm and says they continue to stand out among graduates from prestigious research institutions.
“We have always taught people to go out and utilize applied learning,” he said. “And recruiting the best professors is key to that.”
Nicole Williams (BA, Journalism, ’09) is the advancement writer in Public Affairs and Publications at CSU, Chico.
