David Thomas

David A. Thomas (Dave) is an experienced university teacher, management consultant, and business executive.  His comprehensive and diverse background includes key leadership positions in the computer systems integration and software industries, and extensive experience managing people and projects, both domestically and internationally, across several industries.

As a successful entrepreneur, Dave founded and grew several successful businesses, including Monarch Productivity Group, a corporate training and management consulting firm specializing in the development of customized results-based project management and continuous improvement training programs, and Thomas Enterprises / Marina Mobile Estates, a real estate investment and development firm which he grew to over four million dollars in holdings.  Dave “followed his bliss” (as Joseph Campbell would say) and “retired” into teaching at ASU full time in 1999.

In addition to a strong interdisciplinary background in business, Dave holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology as well as a Master of Business Administration Degree in corporate finance and investments, both from the University of Southern California.  He also earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from the California State Polytechnic University.  His primary areas of expertise center on key factors that affect human performance, including organizational psychology, adult learning and motivation, creative and critical thinking, project management and interdisciplinary team leadership, decision making, and problem-solving.

Dave received the President's Award for Innovation at ASU in 2016 - primarily for his work with developing OGL 375 Corporate Leadership: Starbucks - a course that any SCAP student may elect to take.  David is also well known as a "builder" of course content and curriculum across several degree programs here at ASU.  He has also developed several different kinds of study abroad opportunities for students and has spent 10 summers with ASU students in Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Czech Republic, and New Zealand for internship-based study abroad programs - and in the Baltics for cultural programming.