NED Bio
Douglas J. Thomas
Douglas was born in Ottawa in 1964. Growing up, he also resided in Halifax and Edmonton, but spent his formative years on the Rideau River in Manotick.
With a grandfather who was in the British Cavalry in WWI, a father who was a Royal Marine in WWII and an older brother who was both a Navy League and Sea Cadet, he carried on with the family's tradition and joined the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Corps Falkland in 1977.
As a CIL/CIC Officer Douglas eventually ended up for four years as the Commanding Officer of the RCSCC St. Lawrence Sea Cadet Corps in Kingston. Following that he was “called out” as a Class “B” reservist where he spent an additional three years working within the Directorate of Cadets in NDHQ where he was an advisor to the Navy on Sea Cadet matters.
In 1990 while serving within NDHQ, he was awarded a Chief of Defence Staff Commendation. This for providing emergency first aid treatment, while on duty, to a young girl during a commercial flight between Ottawa and Vancouver. The assistance resolved a serious life threatening medical condition and was also recognized by the Chairman of the Airline through a letter of appreciation. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1993.
In 2003, Douglas was awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal having been nominated by the Royal Canadian Legion for his advocacy on the part of veterans. In addition to his duties within the Navy League Douglas is also the Secretary of the International Sea Cadet Association – a position that has afforded extensive international travel and related experiences. Douglas has a BA in Political Science from Carleton University. In addition, Douglas is also a graduate of the Ottawa Flying School and holds a private license endorsement for single engine aircraft where he remains active within the Cessna 172 community.
Remaining true to his Sea Cadet training, other interests include SCUBA diving and boating. Beyond fourteen years with the Navy League and three years within NDHQ, Douglas was employed by the plastics engineering firm that he started with in Ottawa and that eventually saw him transferred to Kingston. The final position he held with the firm was Regional Manager for Canada and the Northern United States.
In 2006 Douglas incorporated the company “Strategic Defence Solutions” (SDS). SDS is a member of CADSI and serves as the official agent for an external defence enterprise and also liaises with a number of foreign governments interested in acquiring Canadian defence technology.
He is married to Shannon Urie, National Director of Marketing for the pharmaceutical firm "Mead Johnson Nutritionals". Douglas and Shannon have three young sons, Christian (13), Damon (10) and Gregory (6). They live in Central Park and enjoy time away at the family cottage in Westport.