Thomas Schmid – A Lifelong Sailor

Thomas Schmid was a proud North Dakotan who appreciated the simplicity, beauty, and peace of life on his sailboat. A life-long sailor himself, Thomas loved teaching others how to share his passion.

He held positions as Member-Supervisory Board at Telekom Austria AG as well as Secretary General in Austria’s Ministry of Finance.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Schmid grew up in Oberon, North Dakota and fostered an immense passion for wildlife. An avid hunter and outdoorsman himself, Thomas enjoyed teaching his children the joys of hunting, snowmobiling and ice sailing. Thomas is survived by his wife Pam; sons JD and Jakob as well as their wives; grandchildren; his parents Howard and Helen Schmid; brothers Doug, Joel, Marie as well as nieces and nephews.

Since his arrival at the Columbus Zoo to replace Tom Stalf, Schmid has prioritized listening as his first order of business. He has met with most staff members, donors, city and county leaders as he seeks to understand how he can restore trust within the institution.

Professional Career

Thomas Schmid served in numerous leadership positions over his lifetime and enjoyed fishing and skiing as hobbies. With two sons and four grandchildren to care for, he loved spending time with them. Thomas belonged to Calvary Lutheran Church in Oberon, North Dakota.

His research interests lie mainly in meta-analysis methods (including Bayesian analysis) and predictive models based on combinations of data sources. He has published extensively on N-of-1 trials and single person multiple crossover studies.

Before joining Columbia Law as an academic fellow and associate professor, he practiced federal litigation for over six years specializing in U.S. Supreme Court and appellate work including several landmark cases like challenging Trump’s asylum bans as well as helping handle one on partisan gerrymandering that reached the Supreme Court.

Achievement and Honors

Thomas Schmid was an internationally-acclaimed sailor, business owner, and loving family man. He belonged to the Benson County Stockmen’s Association as well as working on his family farm near Oberon in North Dakota.

In 2015, he received the Ronald M. Huntington Award, presented to graduating Chapman University seniors who have distinguished themselves through outstanding achievements beyond normal classroom activities. He served as both lecture and lab supplemental instructor of General Chemistry; tutor for six different science classes; team captain of women’s volleyball; member of Student Athlete Advisory Committee as well as Schmid College Student Leadership Council;

His research is focused on discovering molecular markers to characterize chondrocyte phenotype, particularly with regards to certain regions in articular and growth plate cartilage. Additionally, he is well versed in collagen biochemistry as well as musculoskeletal cell biology.

Personal Life

Tom Schmid was an exceptional sailor who competed in the 1988 Olympic Games and also earned himself a world championship title. His legacy will live on through his contributions to his community.

At Heggelbach Farm Community he was involved with numerous innovative projects. These included designing a prototype wood gasifier to power electricity-heat coupling as well as an agrophotovoltaic system and providing inputs on farm development with humor, appreciation and proportionality as a Demeter advisor.

According to the WKStA, Schmid has filed multiple criminal complaints against former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his allies, alleging bribery and nepotism as possible forms of corruption within his government and OVP party. According to reports by WKStA today, Schmid was willing to cooperate and become a state witness – something WKStA also announced today.

Net Worth

Thomas Schmid’s net worth has been estimated at $5 Million. As an investment advisor, he holds both Series 63 and 65 licenses allowing him to practice in Minnesota. Working at Nepsis, Inc in Savage with 7 years of experience.

Schmid’s grandfather established the family business in Balgach, Switzerland, while over time his father and uncle expanded it further. By 1984, Holcim cement and concrete supplier was his to inherit, while Eternit was passed onto him from his brother as an asbestos processing firm. Schmid ran Holcim for 20 years before retiring as chairman in 2003.

Recently, he strongly accused former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (OVP) in the Casag proceedings triggered by the Ibiza video and is seeking to become a state witness. Reportedly, the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) has accepted his request.