Thomas was born in Luverne and was raised on Magnolia Shores in north Crenshaw County and attended Highland Home School. He is the son of Sylvester Thomas and the late Judy Thomas.

When he was in high school, his parents moved to Butler County to be closer to his aging maternal grandmother and while at Greenville High School he worked on the Tiger Journal staff and as a stringer for the Greenville Advocate.

Thomas graduated from GHS in 1988 and then graduated from LBW College and then earned his degree in journalism from Troy University’s Hall School of Journalism.

He began his newspaper career with The Greenville Advocate in 1996.

In 1997, he went to work as news editor of The Evergreen Courant and followed that with a stint as news editor of The Americus Times-Recorder in Sumter County, Ga.

After nine months, he was promoted to managing editor of The Cordele Dispatch, becoming one of the youngest people ever promoted to the position in the company.

In 2001, he heard his Alabama homeland calling and returned to the state as assistant metro editor at the Montgomery Advertiser.

Thomas is quite diverse in his interests that include baseball, concerts, theatre, reading, cooking and much more.

Thomas’ belief is that as editor of the Advocate, it is the newspaper’s responsibility to chronicle the lives of Butler Countians.

He can be reached at 382-3111, ext. 136 or via email at jay.thomas@greenvilleadvocate.com.