By John Hinman, Managing Director with Nexus 5 Group
Grit and determination are the first of many words that come to mind when I think of Tom Cowan, VP of Operations. Other words that describe him are drive, doer, finisher, get it done, urgent, creative, winning mentality, relentless, caring, empathetic, family man, adventure, introvert, mentor, and of course stubborn (in a mostly good way).
A Decade of Impact
Tom joined us in February of 2012 and made an instant impact on this company and our team. From working through tough projects, to coming up with the “Nexus” name while we were rebranding, to being the brains/designer behind NexSys1 and many of our procedures, to mentoring our team, to being a sounding block for me, he has truly touched it all. Bottom line, Tom is always willing to step into any challenge or opportunity, take charge and get it done.
He has mentored many of our team members and has impacted our Serve Well culture more than anyone. He is always engaging with our team with the perfect mix of fun and candor. Accountability is very important to Tom. Tom is a partner to me and we’ve lived many challenges together and have celebrated many wins. He is a great teammate.
Here are a couple of quotes about Tom from our team members:
“I have had the pleasure of working with Tom for 8 years now. His determination and dedication for Nexus 5 Group is like none other. It has been a joy watching him research, plan, and implement multiple procedures here at Nexus 5 Group. Beyond his impact on the operations side, Tom has been the leading contributor to the culture here at Nexus 5 Group. He has undoubtedly been a huge part of our success.” - Jessica Bell, Project Engineer
“Tom has been an integral part of many people’s growth here at Nexus 5 Group, me included. Always ready to help anyone with any need, whether it’s career or personal. Door always open and ready for the next challenge. To say we have the Ultimate Team Player is an understatement. His fingerprints are all over this company from the development of our name, the programs we use every day, to the development of our employees within the company. For me personally, I could not ask for a better mentor to help develop the skills needed to further my career and help navigate the ins and outs of this business from a management view. We are all very lucky to have Tom in our corner and part of our team!” - Josh Green, General Superintendent
On the Personal Side...
Tom has been married to Glenda for 28 year and they have two kids, Tony, and Erika. When not working, Tom and Glenda are typically on some type of adventure. They love the Lake of the Ozarks hosting friends and family and working on the next project around home. When not at the lake, they are on their side-by-side or RVing across the country.
Tom and I have been through it all together. I would say that we could not have accomplished what we have done without him. We are truly blessed to call him teammate and friend.