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| How many years have you worked in the Movie Theatre Industry and how did you first become involved? This is my 33rd year in the industry. I was a fulltime student at Cal State Los Angeles majoring in Electrical Engineering and looking for an extra income to pay for my tuition. I took the job with Edwards Cinemas as a manager in training for 3 weeks and the first theatre I managed was the San Gabriel Drive–In. |
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| What’s the best part of your Job? Do you have any memorable experiences that you would like to share? I love my job! I love working with people and helping the new generation develop the true meaning of customer service. I love the times when a former employee stops me and says "Tom I used work for you" and they start telling me about their life and thanking me for the training they received from me and how they implemented it in their daily life style. |
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| What is your fondest movie theatre memory? My fondest movie theatre memory is from the grand opening of the Edwards West Covina 18 in 1997 one of the busiest mega-plex theatres at that time. It was a lot fun and a challenging experience that I will never forget. |
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| How old were you when you went to your first movie? Do you remember the theatre and the city? I was a teenager when I went to see Saturday Night Fever in Beirut, Lebanon. |
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| What is your favorite movie of all time? What is it about this movie that stands out for you? Alien is one of my favorite horror films. The film's title refers to a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature that stalks and kills the crew of a spaceship. It’s one of the first movies I saw in the States. |
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| Do you have any industry related hobbies or experiences? Please explain. I used to collect Disney movie posters. They have a great message behind them. I have given out the majority of them to schools to motivate young kids to continue their education. |
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| Do you have any special interests that you would like to share? I love being outdoors, especially the beach. I love traveling and exploring nature from different places of the world. I like to take advantage of every opportunity to get outdoors with family and friends. I also enjoy fishing as it relaxes me. |
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| What does being a member of NATO of CA/NV mean to you? I love what NATO does for our industry. It brings studios /exhibitors and the theatre circuits closer to each other through seminars. It helped by certifying our managers for the food safety program. NATO keeps the theatres up to date with all the latest industry news. NATO has awarded millions of dollars in Scholarship Program funds to the theatre employees and Dependent Children. NATO promotes community programs and helps in creating leaderships. |
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Of all the resources that the Association offers (seminars, scholarships, email advisories, etc.) which is most useful for you?
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