Thula Thomas receives Black History award

Thula Thomas receives Black History award

Realtor recognized for life of achievement

news@theeveningtimes.com “Things are more like they are now then they’ve ever been before,” so said President Dwight Eisenhower talking about ever changing new realities. Eisenhower said this before Crittenden County Realtor Thula Thomas was a born a share cropper’s daughter in Proctor. Over the course of her career Thomas experienced old realities and shattered glass ceilings on a path to new ground becoming the first Black woman in the county to achieve principal broker status.

Thomas runs All Seasons Reality and the milestone is being celebrated with a Black History month award from Pastor Lilian Hodges at Blessings Thru Faith Church.

Thomas talked about the honor of the award and provided a retrospective of her life experience that culminated in unprecedented achievement. Imparting confidence and wanting to help others is key according to Thomas who was the beneficiary of others believing in her.

“I always wanted to work,” said Thomas. “So, I told a little lie and got my first job when I was 15 years old. By 1990 my husband and I opened a shoe store on East Broadway. Lynda Avery was over Main Street West Memphis and she was instrumental in believing in me, and training me, and pushing me. She saw something in me that I did not even see in myself.

In every job I’ve ever done I exceeded even my own expectations,” she continued. “I broke the glass ceiling. When it was unheard of for a little Black girl from Arkansas that didn’t have an elite education would become a bank branch manager. After starting off as a teller, I became a loan officer and then assistant manger and onto branch manager at First Tennessee Bank. One day they called me in and said your are the best salesman we’ve ever seen and we want you to do our training. I kept my salary and got a bonus.”

A transition from banking and mortgages came when her husband imparted some more confidence suggesting a change in career.

“He said to me why don’t you go into real estate,” said Thomas.

Thula Thomas THOMAS

That’s when a new chapter opened up at Four Seasons Realty with Bill and Gail Haney,” said Thomas. “They trained me.

Devout in Christian faith Thomas quoted scripture often in the interview and says she changed the name of her company to reflect a time for the every season poetry in Ecclesiastes.

“I changed the name into All Season in 2013 when I became the principal broker,” she said. “My mortgage background has really contributed my success because I can bring it all together.”

Thomas gives according to how she has received, striving to instill confidence in others. She expressed a heart for service and helped many buyer which were first in the family to buy a home.

“People with bad credit that thought they’d never achieve the American dream,” said Thomas. “I understand what rejection means. I am a share croppers daughter that come from the cotton field. I understand what rejection means.”

Just as Thomas again and again hands over the keys to a new home rocketing toward the top in local real estate world, she closed by sharing her key to life lesson that daily propels her.

“You have to constantly build confidence in others,” she said.

By John Rech