#SoCaltech: Ernesto (Don) Thomas

"I started roofing when I was 18 years old, and I'm 65 now. So, I have a lot of experience under my belt. I came to Caltech in 1980 after answering an ad for a roofer in the L.A. Times. I applied on a Friday, and they hired me on Monday. I love my roofs. I mean, I call them my roofs because they are my roofs. I know them like the back of my hand. Me and my co-worker, Ramon, are the only people responsible for all of Caltech's roofs, so when there's a leak there's only one place to look, and that's at us. We really take pride and have a lot of passion when it comes to our roofs. Nobody ever really thinks about the roofs until there's a leak, and then they start thinking about them. It's a rewarding job because when you can stop a leak and save an experiment, that's a good feeling. There are 90-something buildings on campus, and we're experienced with all the types of roofing: the tile roofs, the composition roofs. It's changed quite a bit over the years: the technology along with the materials we use. For one thing, it's not as dirty anymore. That tar, you'd just get a little drop on you and next thing you know, it's all over the place. Now they're just water-based products you can wash off, so it's come a long way. I learned roofing from older guys. They showed me the old-school way of doing things. Now I'm an older guy, and they're picking my brain because I'm almost ready to retire." 

Ernesto (Don) Thomas is a roofer at Caltech. He was honored at this year's Staff Service & Impact Awards ceremony for his 40 years of service to the Institute. 

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.