Thomas, John B.: - John Buckingham Thomas is a successful healthcare industry executive, having served nearly 20 years as a corporate officer at Abbott Laboratories, advancing through the ranks and being elected as Vice President of Investor Relations and Public Affairs as well as President of the Abbott Fund by the company's Board of Directors by the age of 41. Early in his career, he served as the Editor and Publisher of The Oxford Times, a weekly newspaper. Later, he became an Editor and Senior Writer for Meredith Corporation, helping to produce the second-most-circulated magazine in the world: Better Homes and Gardens. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) with a degree in print journalism and magazine publishing, where he is currently the benefactor of an annual scholarship endowment for students in need. John is also the current Executive Director of the Overby Center at the university. Additionally, he earned an MBA (Master of Business Administration) with an emphasis on strategy from The Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (Illinois). He is also a sitting member of the Endowment Committee at St. David's Episcopal Church in Glenview, Illinois, where he served as an acolyte as a child and was later the sole benefactor of the complete restoration of the original church, affectionately called The Chapel, which he dedicated in honor of his deceased parents, Arthur W. Thomas and Suzanne J. Thomas. John is a generous philanthropist, an avid golfer, a boater, a fitness enthusiast, a lifelong Cubs fan, a Christian, a family man, and an advocate for substance abuse rehabilitation. He was happily married for 28 years to Mary Elizabeth Schmitt, and they have three children: Emma, Kara, and John William (JT).
