Corey Thompson has nearly 30 years of leadership experience in a variety of fields. As a graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, Corey has extensive training under the guidance of numerous military, business, education, ministry, and civic leaders. Selected by the college to serve as Regimental Executive Officer during his senior year, Thompson was second in command and Chief-of-Staff to the 2,000-member cadet regiment. In this capacity, he was directly responsible for overseeing the training and discipline for The Citadel’s Corps of Cadets.In his professional career, Thompson has spent the past 24 years shaping many future leaders as a middle/high school teacher, school administrator, soccer coach, public speaker, and mentor, specializing in History and Student Leadership. He has been marked for leadership positions on multiple occasions, and was once a finalist for a prestigious national public school principal training program. Thompson has been recognized twice as the NC High School Soccer Coach of the Year by the North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association (2004 Boys Coach of the Year, 2015 Girls Coach of the Year). He transitioned from classroom teacher to school administrator in 2013, filling the role of Dean of Students and Student Life Director for 5 years. Corey currently serves as the Middle School Principal at Ben Lippen School in Columbia, SC, where his family has lived since 2018.Beyond the schoolhouse, Corey has worked with a number of ministries, civic groups, and service organizations, and he has consistently been selected to various positions of responsibility (including President, Youth Leader, Board of Directors, Chairman of Education, Community Relations Chair, Communications Director, and Political/Academic Liaison). In 2010, Corey received over 94,000 votes in his inaugural run for public office, falling just short of winning a seat in a highly-competitive race for Mecklenburg County (NC) Commissioner At-Large. In addition to his own political aspirations, he helped organize/manage multiple campaigns for local (Charlotte City Council, Mecklenburg County Commission) and federal (U.S. House of Representatives) candidates between 2008-2012.Thompson’s experience also includes public relations, communications, public speaking, and extensive writing on a number of projects. He hopes to publish his first book, a work on Christianity in the modern era, by late-2024.Corey has been happily married to his wife Jenny for 23 years. Together, the couple has a 16-year-old son named Charlie.