Wilmington's 40 Under 40 Class of 2022: Logan Thompson
Age: 39
Birthplace: Pittsboro, North Carolina
Employer: Cape Fear Community College
Job title: Director of Advancement
Family: Husband, Mitch, and son, Trent, 6
Education: Bachelor of Arts in English from UNC-Asheville, Masters in Public Administration from UNCW
What community and professional groups are you affiliated with? I am a board member for the Cape Fear Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), board member of Voyage, member of the Leadership Wilmington Alumni Council, and a member of the WILMA Leadership Network
What are your guiding principles? 1. Kindness above all else. You never know what anyone else has gone through, or is going through, so always lead with a kind heart. 2. Put one foot in front of the other. Big ideas are great, but most important is rolling up your sleeves and getting the work done to create change in your community. 3. Always be learning. Read books, go to conferences, do anything you can to better yourself so that you can better serve others. 4. Always put on your own oxygen mask first. You can't take care of others without taking care of yourself.
How do you volunteer your time in the community? I serve as a volunteer for Voyage, along with being a very active member in my AFP chapter. I also volunteer through my son's elementary school PTA.
Who has helped you achieve success in your life and career? I am lucky to have so many people in my life to which I can credit success: my parents, who taught me that finding meaningful work that helps others is the highest calling; Kitty Yerkes, my first supervisor in my first fundraising role in Wilmington; Karen Pappas, one of the first people I met in Wilmington who has taught me so much about running a nonprofit, developing myself and others, and has given me the confidence to always shoot for the stars; Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreats (Shannon and Dave), who gave me the chance to spend a week learning more about myself and how surviving cancer can actually change my life for the better; all of my instructors at UNCW, who taught me how to be the best nonprofit leader I can be; my husband, who always supports me and my career growth; and every single one of my colleagues at Cape Fear Community College, who work tirelessly to help students improve their lives through training and education.
What goal would you like to accomplish before turning 40? Before I am 40, I would like to become fluent in Spanish. I took it in college, and can read it, but never became fully fluent.
What's your favorite book? “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy
What are your hobbies? Baking, weight training, reading, gardening, training my new rescue dog, Rocky, and spending time with my family as often as possible.
What's your most prized possession? A cowbell, autographed by Will Ferrell, which I received when I was awarded a scholarship from Cancer for College
If you had a theme song for your life, what would it be? “High Hopes” by Panic at the Disco
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington's 40 Under 40: Logan Thompson
