Mr. Thompson IOM, CCE is the retired President and CEO of the Dixon Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Lee County Industrial Development Association, and was Zone Administrator of the Lee Ogle Enterprise Zone. He served the leading role in these organizations for nearly 30 years retiring in 2017. His tenure included numerous achievements in the world of economic development practice including recruitment of over $1.5 billion dollars of business investment and the creation and retention of thousands of jobs in Dixon, Lee County and his Northern Illinois region.
He earned many awards during his career, including the Illinois Development Council 2014 Distinguished Economic Developer of the Year, the Lester W. Brann Jr. 2000 Distinguished Chamber of Commerce Executive for Illinois, and the Blackhawk Hills RC&D’s 1998 Carson DeJarnatt Economic Development Award. Additionally, he is Past President and Legislative Liaison for the Illinois Enterprise Zone Association, Past President of the Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and a Past Director of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Thompson earned an A.S. at Sauk Valley Community College, attended Northern Illinois University and Western Illinois University. He is a graduate of the United States Chamber of Commerce Institutes for Organizational Management (IOM) program at the University of Notre Dame.