Student Stories - John Tomassi Jr.

JIU 2006 alumnus John Tomassi credits his Master of Business Communication in Leadership and Influence for landing him a plum public affairs job as he transitioned out of the Air Force. Tomassi, who holds a BS in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, currently works in Germany with the United States European Command (EUCOM).  Here is an excerpt of an interview Tomassi gave to JIU regarding his experience here:

John, last year—during your Capstone—you were involved in a project unlike any other in your Air Force career. Tell us about “NORAD Tracks Santa” and your role in it.

You’re right; this was unlike any other project in my Air Force career. At first I was a bit skeptical about the whole concept, but as I began to learn the history and realize how big a role it played in educating the public about the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), I was hooked. My job was to inform the public about NORAD and its mission. What better way to show NORAD capabilities than to track the fastest vehicle on earth? I was the co-director of the program and I, with my colleague Jody Vazquez (a current JIU student), led every aspect of the planning, coordination and execution. NORAD is probably one of the most misunderstood military organizations around, and the opportunity to let millions of people know how we protect North American airspace was too good to pass up.

Did your Capstone involve the tracking Santa program?

NORAD Tracks Santa was my Capstone topic. It’s funny; the whole time I was going through my program, I kept notes on topics I thought might be good for the Capstone. One day, as I was in a meeting for the Santa program, it occurred to me that it was probably the largest community relations program in the world. It required the use of strategic and tactical planning and execution; it involved every aspect of communications, from video teleconferencing and email to conference calls and web creation. It included coordination and correspondence with AOL, Microsoft, MCI, Analytical Graphics, Inc. and dozens of others. It involved work with just about every major media outlet in the world: radio, television and print. It was such an extraordinarily global program, it only seemed right to study it and what made it so successful.

How did an organization like the NORAD become involved in a project like this?

In 1955, a Colorado Springs Sears store ran an ad inviting kids to call Santa on a special “hotline.” But the phone number was misprinted and put kids through to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), NORAD’s predecessor. The director of operations received the first call on Christmas Eve, and once he realized what had happened, he had his staff give Santa’s location to any child who called in. A tradition was born.

So NORAD has been doing this for more than 50 years! Is the public still interested?

Phenomenally. The program receives letters and notes from around the world all year long telling stories about how tracking Santa with NORAD has become a family tradition and how children can’t wait to start calling the hotline. We had requests for media interviews from all over, including every major network in the U.S. and Canada. After doing an interview with the BBC, I received dozens of calls from other British radio and television stations. I even did an interview with a radio station on the Isle of Man. Jody and I led the program through a very successful 50th Anniversary in 2005, almost topping one billion hits to the website (www.noradsanta.org). I’m sure they will reach the one billion-hit milestone this year, and my family and I will be one of those hits. It’s an amazingly popular program and I’m very proud to have been part of it.

You’ve now retired from the military, and yet you’re still very much connected to it through EUCOM. Please tell us about your new position.

I live in Stuttgart, Germany, and work as a U.S. Government civilian for the U.S. European Command Headquarters. This command is responsible for all the U.S. forces within 92 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I am the chief of community relations, which basically means that I am a link between the command leadership and the community. The challenge is that our community includes 92 countries. I work with a number of other offices within the command to enhance the understanding and communication between selective national public segments of these countries and the U.S. military. It’s an exciting job and I really enjoy my work.

And how did you get the job? When you graduated, you told us it resulted from the MABC you earned at JIU.

I actually worked here while I was active duty. While I was assigned to NORAD, I began the retirement process. Obviously, it’s not really retirement; it’s a change of careers with a pension. Anyway, I had no idea what I was going to do after retirement, and I saw this job advertised with a requirement for a master’s degree. Because I was just finishing up at JIU, I thought, “this is very fortuitous.” Normally, one would have to start at a more entry level, but my ten years of experience in public affairs, coupled with a fresh master’s degree, nailed me the job.

Colorado Springs to Stuttgart is quite a change. What’s life in Germany like?

Life in Europe in general is pretty cool. I spent more than 12 years of my military career in Europe and enjoyed every minute of it. For the most part, Germany is a lot like the U.S. We share most of the same values of life and enjoy freedom. We are both very economically strong and technologically advanced. The differences lie, obviously, in the language, but also in how we live every day. Most shops are closed by 6 or 8 p.m. and you’re lucky if you can find anything open on Sundays. Except for gas stations and some cafés, Germans typically don’t work on Sundays. That is time for family. We enjoy it here, but miss some of the conveniences of the U.S. You get used to it after awhile.

Looking back, what did you most enjoy about your experience at JIU?

I have to admit that when I first started with JIU I was a bit apprehensive about joining an online university to complete such an important step in my life. But within the first week of my first class, I was convinced I had made the right decision. JIU offered the flexibility and understanding of my schedule that I needed to complete my degree. I truly enjoy the fact that I’m part of an institution that has made education accessible to thousands of people around the world who normally wouldn’t have that access. I’m proud to be part of this organization and never hesitate to recommend the JIU programs to anyone who is seeking to further their education. The ease of access to the programs, the knowledge of the professors and the friendly counselors and staff are icing on the cake.

Do you have any words of encouragement or advice for current JIU students or prospective students who are thinking about enrolling in an online degree program?

Keep going. Sometimes it’s a struggle, but it’s worth it. Everyone has different reasons for completing a degree and I would remind anyone who is in a program not to lose sight of that reason.