Chris Thomas of EAPC Architects Engineers is a 2000 NDSCS graduate. Chris is one of two Project Managers for the latest NDSCS endeavor, the Career Innovation Center, currently under construction in south Fargo. He and his wife Marisa live in West Fargo and have three children, Avery (13), Holt (11), and Kenna (8).
Chris, originally from West Fargo has strong ties to the Wahpeton area. His mom, Darlys Thomas (NDSCS Class of ‘72) is a Great Bend native. Chris spent summers on the family farm helping his uncle farm. As he was preparing to graduate, he considered going into architecture, but decided to enter the Architectural Drafting and Estimating Technology program at NDSCS.
Chris appreciated the people at NDSCS and made several lifelong friends. He commented that having structured classes was helpful, especially starting college at 17 years old. Having small class sizes was also key to his success. Following his graduation, he worked for a small architectural firm in Fargo, prior to joining EAPC Architects Engineers in February of 2005.
Chris saw an opportunity to move into a higher position and chose to pursue his degree in Construction Management. He was hopeful it would position him for advancement. EAPC supported his goals and he attended MSUM with a young family, working 32 hours per week, with 15 credits of course work per semester, graduating in 2010.
Chris has continued his career at EAPC and has never looked back. When asked about the Career Innovation Center, he shared that this project is all-encompassing. It is challenging, rewarding, and he’s thankful to be working with a variety of entities and individuals. There are a lot of moving parts and Chris and his cohort oversee all that is happening on the day-to-day project. He is also excited to be a part of a vision that is focused on the workforce as he sees first-hand how the demands far outweigh the availability of skilled workers.
In his spare time, Chris coaches his children’s basketball and baseball teams and spends time with family at the lake.