Get to Know Flora Thomas
Officially, on September 25, 1980, the one-child policy came into effect across China. During this time, our very own Xiaofang “Flora” Thomas became her parents’ only child. “Being the only child to two Chinese parents, I experienced lots of expectations and pressure.” These values, instilled from a very young age, contributed to Flora’s development of a very strong work ethic. “Whatever I decide to go for, I strive to be the best and do my best. I learned early on to give 100% to everything I do and to push myself to achieve my goals.” Upon entering high school, the Chinese education system requires students to choose one of two paths: science or arts. “I decided at that time to choose the arts because accounting fell under this category.” Fortunately for us, Flora made this choice as today she is an essential member of our Tobias Financial Advisors’ team. Flora is our team’s resident tax expert, working with both advisors and clients to maximize available tax opportunities.
It was while working at Ernst and Young overseas, that Flora found her true professional passion, tax. “I enjoy that the answers are very concrete. With tax, there is little room for misinterpretation, making it easy to come to a clear determination; furthermore, providing opportunities for tax planning and strategies.” After moving to the United States at the age of 28, Flora encountered many new learning opportunities. One such opportunity was finally learning how to drive. “At first, I was nervous, but through practice I became more comfortable. I was just happy that I didn’t have to also learn a manual transmission because in China you have to learn both ways to pass the driving test.”
After moving to the U.S., Flora worked for a small accounting firm in their tax department. This experience solidified her interest and skills as a tax accountant. Today, Flora’s passion and excitement for tax benefits our team and our clients. “As a member of the Tobias team, I have enjoyed the opportunity to be creative. With encouragement to think outside of the box, I am presented with exciting, new challenges. I have enjoyed working clients, which has allowed me to continue enhancing my communication skills.”
As Tobias Financial Advisors celebrates its 40th anniversary during these unusual times, we look for ways to celebrate this milestone. “My wish is for COVID-19 to come to an end so we can welcome our clients to our beautiful new office space. I cannot wait to see you all in person.”