AP Staff Spotlight: Tommy Hatfield, General Manager
If Apologetics Press had a central nervous system—quietly processing, coordinating, and helping keep the entire operation running smoothly—it would undoubtedly be named Tommy Hatfield.
For the past 21 years, Tommy has faithfully served as AP’s General Manager. That title might sound simple, but Tommy wears more hats in a single day than many people do in a year. From payroll and warehouse logistics to website updates and managing mass mailings, Tommy’s job description reads like a small novel.
You’ve heard the phrase “all talk, no action.” Tommy is “all action, no talk” (or very little—at least not any more than he has to).
A graduate of Faulkner University (B.A. and M.B.A.), Tommy combines intellect, resourcefulness, and Christ-like humility. He is one of the most diligent, “cool, calm, and collected” Christians you will ever meet.
Need a large shipment of books tracked and carefully unloaded with a forklift? Tommy’s on it. Something not working on the AP website? Fixed before most people even notice. Is the warehouse running out of a book that’s about to be reprinted? Tommy has already coordinated with the authors, contacted the printer, submitted the files, and arranged payment.
And while he manages all that, he also uploads content weekly to our website, troubleshoots technical issues, oversees building maintenance, and ensures (by the grace of God!) we never miss a payroll deadline. He also lays out the text of R&R every month. All while maintaining an easy-going, fun-loving, subtle sense of humor.
But beyond his remarkable Swiss-army-knife-like skill set, what has made Tommy so valuable to this work for over two decades is his character. He is a dedicated Christian—honest, principled, and thoughtful. He doesn’t seek the spotlight. In fact, he might prefer that this editor’s note never be published. (That’s just who he is: zero fanfare.) But honoring people like Tommy is important (Romans 13:7). The work of AP could not continue as it does without servants like him—quietly doing what needs to be done, never asking for recognition, and always putting the mission ahead of personal interests and praise.
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