The Administrative & Professional Collaborative (APC) is the representative voice for the Administrative & Professional employees of FSCJ.

In an effort to build cohesiveness, awareness and collegiality, each month we put a “spotlight” on one of our members. February's APC spotlight shines on Dean of the School of Professional Studies and Public Safety Dr. Thomas Gauthier who was appointed in July of 2022. As Dean, Thomas provides mentorship, oversight and leadership facilitation for multiple career, technical and workforce programs.

Thomas earned an associate degree in Fire Science Technology from Bristol Community College and a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from New England Institute of Technology. After working as a commercial architectural designer and project manager, Thomas returned to school to earn a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northeastern University.  

In 2008, Thomas began teaching architectural and engineering courses at the local community college. From there, he moved to North Carolina where he was associate professor and chair of the architectural technology program at Guilford Technical Community College. Thomas moved to Florida by virtue of his appointment as Associate Dean of the Industrial and Technical programs at Palm Beach State College.

He designed tiny homes for the fight against homelessness, providing architectural design services and construction oversight for several Habitat for Humanity projects. Tom was a volunteer firefighter and EMT before going to graduate school and was a big brother for the Massachusetts social service’s program Mass Mentoring Partnership. He also served as a Skills USA judge and volunteered annually with Palm Beach County Schools as a science fair judge.

Thomas’ experience and several years of community college leadership guide his belief that excellent leadership is rooted in a holistic understanding of humanity to foster an inclusive, diverse, equitable and judgment-free environment. 

Thomas is a graduate school professor and researcher, focusing on community college career, technical, and workforce education perspectives, labor market trends, teaching and learning, leadership, and the role of higher education in society. He is the 2020 recipient of the Outstanding Research Award from the Journal of Career and Technical Education Research, and is an editorial board member for the Journal of Higher Education Research and the Global Journal for Educational Studies.

In his spare time, Tom enjoys traveling with his wife, spending time with his dog and cats, jogging and weightlifting. He enjoys pizza, Skittles, wine, and small-batch, craft boutique beer. Among other sports, he enjoys baseball, football, rugby and lacrosse.