Photography by Little Rock Soirée
The 20th Annual Empty Bowls is chaired by Audra and Tony Thomas.
Tony Thomas is president and chief executive officer of Windstream. He was appointed to the position in December 2014. Thomas has more than 20 years’ experience in the communications industry. He was instrumental in the development of Windstream’s REIT spinoff and served as president of real estate investment trust operations at Windstream from October to December 2014.
Thomas served as the chief financial officer for Windstream from August 2009 through September 2014. During his five-year tenure as CFO, Thomas played an integral role in Windstream's expansion by completing seven acquisitions totaling more than $5.6 billion in transaction value. In addition, Thomas has deep capital market expertise, having led almost $10 billion in debt transactions.
Thomas joined Windstream as controller following the spinoff from Alltel Corp. He held a variety of financial and operational leadership roles at Alltel after joining the company when it merged with 360 Communications in 1998. Before entering the communications industry, he was with Ernst & Young in the telecom practice. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Wake Forest University and a bachelor's degree in accountancy from the University of Illinois.
Audra Thomas was born and raised in central Illinois. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy in 1995, followed by a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago in 1996. She earned an American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) Board Certification in Pharmacotherapy in 1998.
Audra has served on the faculty at colleges of pharmacy in Illinois and Arkansas. She also is a veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard, where she served as an Attack Helicopter Repairman.
Audra currently volunteers as a pharmacist vaccinator for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Arkansas Department of Health. She also works as a florist and tour guide for Moss Mountain Farm.
The Thomases have been married since 1996, are parents to two children and make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas.
