Meet the Founder

Tom Gittemeier aka Gatormeier

Growing up in St. Louis with F-15s and F-18s regularly flying overhead and a father who was an Air Force helicopter mechanic, I developed a love for aviation early on. Not having a lot of material wealth, my brother and I were always finding ways to make money. At school, we flipped KISS trading cards with a 900% markup (we bought the cards for a penny each and sold them for a dime), ran an illicit cinnamon toothpick operation until it was shut down. After school, we shoveled snow, held yard sales, and even ran an predecessor to “DoorDash”. We were never in one business for a long time, but always looking to make the next buck.

At 14, I took my first real job at my grandfather’s deli, learning the value of hard work and negotiation. After a short time, I negotiated a doubly of my pay from $1.25/hr to $2.50/hr. Still less than minimum wage at the time, but a victory nonetheless. I later worked in various roles, from meat cutting (with all fingers intact!) to fast food, retail, and bartending at a PGA event. During high school a counselor suggested engineering was the highest paying job one could get with a 4-year college degree. So with a knack for math and science, and a passion for airplanes, I pursued an Aerospace Engineering degree at the University of Florida. It was at UF I was clever enough to blend my last name with the school mascot to become Gatormeier

My plan to return to St. Louis and work at McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) on those F-15s or F-18s was derailed by a recession. So I pivoted and earned an MBA with a focus on Management Information Systems. This lead to a decade-long IT career at Verizon. It was during this time I was able to fulfill my lifelong dream of obtaining my pilot’s license. Twenty five years later, I am now an Instrument-rated Commercial pilot.

After Verizon, I took a leap and purchased a sandwich shop, fulfilling another dream rooted in my grandfather’s deli. It was a simultaneously gratifying, terrifying, exhilarating, and humbling learning experience. I would never trade the growth and financial reward that took place over those 4.5 years, but I had an offer to return to IT that couldn’t be passed up. I would be much more present as my kids grew. During the next decade and a half continued to grow while in consulting and strategic leadership roles across multiple industries.

Wise investments enabled my wife and I to step away from corporate life and travel the world—visiting destinations across the U.S., Canada, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. While traveling, former colleagues frequently sought career advice, sparking the launch of Gatormeier Professional Coaching. My diverse experiences—from engineering and IT to entrepreneurship and leadership—allow me to guide professionals in navigating career transitions, leadership challenges, and business growth.

I’m always learning, always growing, and always improving. Gatormeier Professional Coaching is just the lastes