Jen Thompson

About

I should tell you up front that I am not, strictly speaking, your average candidate, though I suspect most candidates open this way and the claim has grown about as trustworthy as the weather forecast. I was, for a time, an Assistant Volleyball Coach at Fort Hays State University, before Covid rearranged everyone's plans. It remains my favorite title I've ever held, mostly because good coaching turns out to be the art of knowing what someone needs before they've worked out how to ask for it — a skill that, as it happens, transfers rather nicely to client work and marketing initiatives. I also have an unreasonable fondness for data, which I trace back to 2005, my first job out of college, in Database Marketing for the Cleveland Cavaliers — a franchise that had, at the time, just acquired a rookie named LeBron James and, with him, more daily ticket inquiries than any human sales team could reasonably field. I've been cleaning up spreadsheets and hunting for the truth hiding inside messy data ever since, on the theory that data doesn't lie, though it does need a good scrubbing before it'll tell you anything useful. The job I'm proudest of, oddly, is one where I was employee number two. At Prep2Prep, I was hired before the organization technically existed, which meant that naming it, marketing it, and recruiting both its staff and its students fell to me. Between us, we built something that drew roughly 20,000 unique visitors a month at its peak, a number I still bring up at parties more than is probably socially acceptable. I single-handedly ran a live California high school football scoreboard, pulling updates off Twitter in real time, and once organized a NorCal-versus-SoCal basketball showdown featuring future NBA player Lonzo Ball, along with a handful of future G-League talent. Before that, as Marketing and Communications Coordinator for USD 506–Labette County Schools, I built the district's first brand standards guide from scratch, working with campus administrators to bring some order to communications across six buildings scattered over 400 square miles. It taught me how to build consistency and reputation into an organization without flattening what made each of its communities distinct. Thank you for considering my application. I'd welcome the chance to talk about how all of this, as well as my tenacity, attention to detail, and knowledge of many random topics might be useful as your company writes its next chapter.

What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a remote role with a company that trusts capable people to do capable things without requiring proof of life every 14 minutes. I value collaboration—the kind that leads to decisions, momentum, and actual finished work—not a calendar packed with meetings whose only accomplishment is scheduling another meeting. I want a thoughtful, practical team that communicates clearly, gives people ownership, and knows the difference between being busy and getting something done.

Experience

Executive Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent of Instruction

Jul 2024 – Present

▪ Serve as a trusted executive partner, managing calendars, travel, communications, meetings, information flow, and complex operational details in a high-accountability environment. ▪ Plan and execute large-scale stakeholder events, including 400-person advisory meetings, 100+ person presentations, and the annual Hall of Fame dinner. ▪ Lead state data reporting, student follow-up analysis, curriculum planning initiatives, and strategic projects that support student credentials, scholarships, and leadership decision-making.

Event PlanningData ReportingCurriculum PlanningInternal Communication

Miami Valley Career Technology Center

Business Manager

May 2023 – Jul 2024

▪ Directed daily operations, HR processes, compliance requirements, and financial activity exceeding $100,000 per month. ▪ Implemented a time-clock system that reduced payroll costs by 59% while improving payroll accuracy, accountability, and operational visibility. ▪ Built systems for facility management, data tracking, employee lifecycle management, and staff training.

HR ProcessesPayroll SystemsFacility ManagementMarketing Management

Lincoln Community Center

Director of Marketing

Jul 2012 – Oct 2021

▪ Led integrated business operations, strategic planning, marketing, communications, content development, and social media strategy ▪ Developed website and mobile app content and UI/UX strategies to build brand visibility, strengthen audience engagement, and support the organization’s product portfolio. ▪ Recruited, onboarded, and managed a cohort of approximately 80 students and 25 adults.

Marketing StrategyUI/UXContent DevelopmentOnboarding/OffboardingSocial Media Management

Prep2Prep

Labette Community College

14 yrs 6 mos

Executive Assistant to the College President/Clerk of the Board of Trustees

Jul 2020 – Aug 2021

▪ Managed the College President’s calendar, meetings, communications, presentations, research needs, and day-to-day executive administrative support. ▪ Coordinated communication among the President, senior administration, employees, community partners, and other internal and external stakeholders. ▪ Served as Clerk of the Board of Trustees, preparing agendas, minutes, meeting materials, annual report content, and official Board communications.

Executive SupportBoard CommunicationsMeeting Coordination

Head Volleyball Coach | Sports Information Manager | Adjunct Professor

Mar 2007 – Jun 2012

▪ Directed all aspects of the women’s volleyball program, including recruiting, practice planning, strength training, scheduling, student-athlete academic success, and team operations. ▪ Taught courses as an Adjunct Professor in the Sports Management department and supported student learning and professional development. ▪ Served as Athletic Department media liaison and managed the department website, live-streaming operations, statistics, and public-facing athletic communications.

RecruitingSports ManagementLive-StreamingAdjunct FacultyPractice Planning

Fort Hays State University

2 yrs 11 mos

Assistant Volleyball Coach

Jan 2019 – Jul 2020

▪ Recruited prospective student-athletes by building relationships with high school and club coaches and evaluating prospective talent. ▪ Assisted with team and individual practices, academic monitoring, study-hall supervision, travel planning, equipment inventory, and apparel ordering. ▪ Managed and promoted team camps, including individual skills, satellite, and coaches camps, while overseeing social media content for team channels.

RecruitmentPractice PlanningSocial Media

Assistant Volleyball Coach

Sep 2017 – Dec 2017

▪ Recruited prospective student-athletes by building relationships with high school and club coaches and evaluating prospective talent. ▪ Assisted with team and individual practices, academic monitoring, study-hall supervision, travel planning, equipment inventory, and apparel ordering. ▪ Managed and promoted team camps, including individual skills, satellite, and coaches camps, while overseeing social media content for team channels.

RecruitmentPractice PlanningSocial Media

Database Marketing Manager

Jan 2005 – Dec 2006

▪ Designed season-ticket-holder graphics, messaging, and targeted communications to support customer engagement and retention. ▪ Verified and maintained incoming customer and sales data to improve accuracy and usability for the sales team. ▪ Coordinated deployment of season ticket holder campaigns and supported database-driven marketing initiatives.

Database MarketingGraphic DesignCustomer Data

Cleveland Cavaliers

Education

Fort Hays State University

Master of Science · Sports Administration

2021

Ohio Northern University

Bachelor of Arts · Sports Management

2005

Skills

Languages