Staff Person of the Year: Ann Marie Thompson

"The amount of dedication and passion she puts into her work on behalf of our students is remarkable — and she does it all with flair and quick wit ..."

Michael M. Bowden
ann marie thompson
Ann Marie Thompson and Luna at home.

The Class of 2020 has voted Ann Marie Thompson — RWU Law's assistant director of Student Finance & Records —  as Staff Person of the Year!

A popular personality at RWU Law for a decade now, Thompson was born and raised in Barrington, R.I. She still lives there with her husband, Jim Thompson (with whom she celebrated 28 years of marriage this week), and their two daughters — Danielle, 20, a rising senior at Fairfield University in Conn., and Grace, 18, a senior at Barrington High School who will be attending the College of Charleston, in S.C., this fall. Just few days ago, the family got a little bigger when they adopted Luna, a rescue dog from Tennessee.

Trained in bookkeeping, Thompson spent the 90s working at Fleet Bank (now Bank of America). "I worked on all of their mergers and acquisitions, converting acquired banks' back-end general ledger operations to Fleet operations," she said. Thompson took a break from the workforce to raise her daughters, but continued to work part-time, doing bookkeeping "for a few small businesses." She also served for a while as a partner in the restaurant, The Nat Porter Inn, in Warren.

In 2010, Thompson joined the Admissions Department at RWU Law, where she quickly made an impression. "Ann Marie fights so hard for our students," said Michael Donnelly-Boylen, assistant dean of admissions. "I saw it in the admissions office on a regular basis. She is an advocate and really exemplifies the student centeredness that we celebrate at RWU Law."

After five years, Thompson moved to the law school's Student Finance and Record department. She remains well liked by her colleagues. "We consider Ann Marie the one who ensures that all is running smoothly," said admissions coordinator Wendy Clifford. "The amount of dedication and passion she puts into her work on behalf of our students is remarkable — and she does it all with flair and quick wit! She is so deserving of this honor!”

Dean Michael Yelnosky enthusiastically agrees. "We have always known what a treasure Ann Marie is," he said. "It is gratifying that the graduates recognize that her special blend of expertise and kindness have made their time here easier."

In her free time, Thompson can often be found playing tennis. She also enjoys summer days "spending lots of time on our boat" and fall days "watching the New England Patriots!" Her favorite inspirational quote? "My favorite verse is from Matthew 17:20," she said. “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Congratulations, Ann Marie!