Julie Thomas of Maumee, Ohio, has been honoured with one of the most prestigious individual awards in the lubricants industry. Her commitment to her profession and to the people around her was recognized when the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) presented Thomas, retired global director of environmental, health and safety at Perrysburg-based Master Fluid Solutions, with its prestigious John A. Bellanti Award during the 2026 ILMA Annual Meeting.
The Bellanti Award recognizes prolonged service and outstanding achievement by an ILMA member representative or an individual serving ILMA and the lubricant manufacturing industry.
Thomas joined Master Fluid Solutions in 1993 in a technical service role and spent more than 30 years with the company before retiring in 2024. She advanced through environmental, health and safety positions to become global director of environmental, health and safety, helping guide regulatory compliance, product stewardship and workplace safety across the company’soperations.
A Bowling Green State University graduate with a degree in environmental policy and analysis, Thomas built her career at the intersection of manufacturing, worker safety and environmental compliance. Her work helped manufacturers keep employees safe, solve problems on the plant floor, and meet increasingly complex health and environmental requirements.
Her career also kept her closely connected to customers. Thomas began by analyzing fluid samples, troubleshooting technical problems, and visiting customer facilities, experience that later helped her bridge complex health and safety requirements with the practical realities of manufacturing.
At one customer site, Thomas worked alongside the facility’s industrial hygienist to investigate employee skin irritation and air-quality concerns. That relationship continued for more than 20years, with Thomas and her team helping troubleshoot technical issues as they arose.“Julie has an extraordinary depth of expertise in environmental, health and safety, particularly in product stewardship and site safety,” said Dean Froney of Master Fluid Solutions. “She is an outstanding problem solver and someone you want involved when a difficult or urgent situation arises.”
Thomas also devoted decades to ILMA, serving on the association’s Metalworking Fluids and Safety, Health, Environmental and Regulatory Affairs committees. She held several leadership roles with the Metalworking Fluids Committee, including secretary, vice chair and chair. But colleagues say her impact went well beyond titles. Ann Ball, who worked alongside Thomas through ILMA committees and industry task forces, pointed to Thomas’ willingness to guide people entering the regulatory affairs, health and safety fields as one of her most important contributions.
Thomas said that being someone others could turn to for help became one of the most meaningful parts of her career. “People coming to me with questions is what matters the most,” Thomas said. “If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find someone who does.”
That willingness to share her knowledge, solve problems and help others succeed became a hallmark of Thomas’ career, and one of the reasons her colleagues say she has made a lasting impact on ILMA and the lubricants industry.
