Geist, Thomas - ISS

Certifications and Experience:

Certified Correctional Officer

Marine Corps and Iraq War Veteran

Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy Leadership Course

Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Course

Marine Air Ground Task Force Planning Specialist

Machinegun Instructor and Pre-deployment Training Instructor

Black Belt, 1^st Degree, Marine Corps Martial Arts

A little about me:

I am married to my beautiful senior prom date and high school sweetheart, Brittany.  Together we have 2 amazing children.  Brittany and I are both from Southern California and moved to North Carolina in 2011 when we received military orders.  We absolutely love it here, so we decided to stay after separating from the Marine Corps.

In 2015, I was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps and went to work as a Correctional Officer in a nearby county.  I built my own business during my off time and developed a strong ecommerce presence and distributor relationships.  After months and months of learning graphic design, search engine optimization, social media advertising and loads of other things pertaining to business, SoCal Hot Sauce® was born. The business became successful enough for me to resign from the Department of Public Safety and pursue my entrepreneurship full-time.   

During my time as a Correctional Officer and business owner, I was also volunteering as a youth wrestling coach.  In 2019, one of my 7^th grade club wrestlers told me his middle school needed a wrestling coach. I jumped on the opportunity and became a volunteer coach for Northwoods Park Middle School!  The wrestling season ended in December and the In-School Suspension Teacher position opened in February.  When I showed up for my first day and saw all the kids I coached, they asked what I was doing at their school.  When I told them I was their new ISS teacher, the looks on their faces were priceless! 

In the past, as a volunteer coach, I did my best to have a positive impact on all the athletes I interacted with.  Now that I am an ISS teacher AND wrestling coach, I can use my positions to work synergistically towards the betterment of our future leaders. 

I’m excited to see what the future holds for our young men and women at the park!