Tomas Flores, BA '92
Job Title: Director of Financial Services at the Oregon Department of Education
Major: Business Administration
Part of the Daily Emerald "Alumni Take Flight" Series

Tomas Flores is the Director of Financial Services at the Oregon Department of Education which provides leadership for all elementary and secondary students in public schools and education service districts. He is responsible for the accounting and fiscal grant management of the department. Tomas is a certified public accountant (CPA) and has 25 years of governmental accounting experience. He has volunteered as a board member of the Latino Educational and Recreational Network, serves on the advisory board of the State Employees Credit Union, and is a member of the UOAA Board of Directors.

What skills or key takeaways did you gain from your time at the UO that you now implement in your career?

I would say just being exposed to different perspectives or backgrounds and listening to different points of view that are around you. I think having those different perspectives always allowed me to really grow and is something I’ll always try to implement into my career. 

How does being in a leadership position affect the way you communicate with colleagues and clients?

I think it’s fundamental to bring people together as often as you can and focus on that unity in your communication. The way that affects me and my colleagues is that I’m always mindful of representing our agency and core values and our mission.

What type of leader do you admire the most?

I look for those who are honest and have integrity. It’s important to be honest in any business and is a really valuable quality. I also admire those who model the behavior that they learned from others, when you can see people learning and adapting. 

How did you initially get involved with business administration after graduation?

After I graduated I had my business degree and decided to focus on accounting. The first step I did was to start studying for the CPA exam. With that, I did various things such as meet with firms and frequently visited the UO Career Center. From there I just landed into an accounting position where it allowed me to use the skills I learned at the UO.

You have served on volunteer boards representing the Latino community, the nonprofit sector, and now the UO Alumni Association. What role has volunteerism played in your career?

A big takeaway from my time volunteering is how it’s helped me to connect with the community. I’m a board member for a Latino nonprofit based out of Woodburn and the focus of the community stemmed from there. Being a part of the Latino Educational Recreational Center, we’ve provided scholarships and hosted athletic events for those in the Latino community. Not only did others enjoy going to those events, but I got something back too, and I felt good about it. It’s a good feeling to give back to your communities, and you’re building relationships at the same time.

Since no single curriculum provides everything necessary to be effective in your first occupation, in what ways can students teach themselves to be competitive?

I would say in order to be competitive, the first thing to do is to always do the best you can. I think that’s fundamental in being in a competitive mindset. Try your hardest and set your goal as doing the best you can in your own power. Take the time to do research and look for resources. The UO Career Center helped me find my job. Within the accounting department we had ‘meet the firm’ events, so a big part of it is figuring out what your resources are and then making sure you’re using them. During college I was also a member of the business fraternity where they had events to meet people within the private sector or nonprofit sector to network with. Lastly, something I tell my kids is to look at internship opportunities, and I know that can be hard—especially if they’re unpaid—but if you’re able to explore those opportunities then I think it gives you a leg up in the long run.

What advice would you give to UO students as they’re trying to navigate the current non-traditional university experience?

Please be sure to take care of yourself. Focus on what you need like getting good rest, eating well and exercising. There’s so much going on with family, friends, and distanced learning right now, it’s so crucial to take a moment for a deep breath and realize tomorrow will be better. It’s across the board, and everyone is experiencing this right now. 

Written by Shannon Enriquez, student reporter for The Daily Emerald