By Journalist Kennedy Thomason (OSU).
This is Gov. Thompson’s last session as governor.
An end of an era.
Gov. Emmett Thompson will step down from his leadership role after this session concludes. This transition has Thompson reflecting on his history with the organization.
Encouraged by his freshman roommate, Thompson joined the organization in 2018. He spent a majority of his career involved in House leadership. Serving within various House and ALU positions, including Chief of Staff, Thompson decided to run for the highest ranked office- governor.
Elected during the spring session of 2022, Thompson has experienced the ups and downs that come with the weight of the position.
“I think the hardest thing was losing a lot of leadership that you would primarily have to help you and having to take on a lot on myself,” Thompson said.
The Chief of Staff position has remained unfilled since the 2022 fall session.
Self-described as a quiet presence and rarely outspoken leader in the House, Thompson said running for governor was not on his radar initially.
“It was never really a plan,” Thompson said. “Again, not the type of position I go into places thinking about, but I was thinking about what I love about the organization and what I don’t want to see get lost.”
This theme has continued throughout his term, serving the many delegations that make up OIL. Thompson faced unique challenges with one year in office while supporting OIL’s growth post-COVID-19.
Although Thompson was not able to accomplish all of his goals, such as creating a delegation resource guide, he remains optimistic about his impact.
During his time in office, Thompson aimed to be a resource and support his constituents to further the organization.
“Once you have that more intimate knowledge of [this] organization, you know how, what ways you can take, what steps you can take to make it better,” Thompson said. “That was really the goal.”
Even though his term as governor is coming to an end, this will not be Thompson’s last session. He plans to return to the House and pass internal legislation.