NAM PANELIST JUDGE THOMPSON FEATURED IN NY DAILY NEWS ARTICLE

April 21, 2009

NAM panelist Hon. William C. Thompson was recently featured in the NY Daily News on Sunday, April 12, 2009. The article focused on Judge Thompson and his son William C. Thompson, Jr. — New York City's first African-American controller and his likely bid for mayor.

In the article, the younger Thompson credited his father with inspiring him to enter public service. Judge Thompson was Brooklyn's first African-American state senator. His “get it done” attitude along with his wholehearted ability to build consensus among political adversaries made him a popular and highly respected bureaucrat.

With this admiration came some remarkable associations. Thompson Jr. recalled having had the opportunity to meet Bobby Kennedy in addition to having vice presidential candidate, Ed Muskie over to the house.

The younger Thompson, taking a page from his father's legacy, is not the kind of politician that makes a lot of noise. His low profile and calm demeanor makes his run for mayor quite an uphill battle. However, his father isn't worried, “he'd be a helluva good mayor.” The proud father believes that “when the time comes, they'll know who he is.”

Judge Thompson, now 84, is still committed to finding the middle ground though his work as a full time dispute resolution professional with NAM.

If you would like access to the full story, please see the NY Daily News website at www.nydailynews.com