A 2016 Alumni Achievement Award recipient:
Thompson
is
a
Canadian
Citizen
with
diplomatic
accreditation
to
Canadian
missions
serving
California,
Arizona,
Nevada
and
Hawaii,
where,
as
an
employee
of
the
Ontario
Government,
Thompson
is
the
senior
representative
in
the
Western-US.
As
head
of
Ontario’s
International
Marketing
Centre
in
San
Francisco,
his
experience
in
leadership,
strategy
development,
and
communications is
enhanced by 20
years’
experience
in
business
development,
investment
attraction,
international
trade
and
research
&
commercialization.
Thompson's
career
in
economic
development
began
in
Eastern
Ontario
in
1997
and
has
included
progressive
roles
in
cities,
regions
and
at
the
provincial
level.
Working
closely
with
both
the
municipalities
of
Niagara
and
Port Colborne,
Thompson
created
strategies
to
maximize
their
local
economic
sustainability,
earning
him
the
“Best
Marketing
Initiative
Under
$25,000.”
His
positive
influence
on
Ontario’s
municipalities
has
resulted
in over
600
jobs
and
$212
million
in
new
Ontario
investments
to
date.
Receiving
more
than
25
awards
in
economic
development
and
tourism,
Thompson
is
widely
recognized for
his
vision
and
success.
He
received
Niagara's
40
under
Forty
Business
Achievement
Award
in
2010,
and was
named the
top
new
economic
development
professional
in 2011 by
the
International
Economic
Development
Council
(IEDC).
Outisde work, Thompson is an accomplished nature and landscape photographer and enjoys time with family and friends.
He has been active on the boards of the Economic Developers Council of Ontario, the Economic Development Association of Canada and the International Economic Development Council for the past 16 years and contributes to the Economic Development Engagement Committee and the University of Waterloo Economic Development Program Committee, among many others.