Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Administrator, City of Columbia
As the city of Columbia’s first DEI official, D’Andre Thompson is blazing his own path. What he wants people to know is that he’s not there just to tell city leadership and employees what they’re doing wrong under a DEI lens. He’s the conduit between the city and members of the Columbia community, serving both with equal vigor.
“I am more focused on recognizing our commonalities and utilizing our shared experiences to build relationships that will allow us to have difficult conversations about the realities faced by various social identities,” D’Andre says. “Having difficult but necessary dialogues will allow us to truly see and hear from one another to improve the overall quality of life for all our residents.”
That’s a big mandate for a 32-year-old, but one D’Andre happily embraces. He has already led or been involved with a long list of efforts, including the Boone County Upward Mobility Initiative, Source Summit Global, Soul Sessions COMO, Minority Men’s Network, and the Journey Toward Inclusive Excellence Committee.
“His community involvement is a testament to his commitment to be a curator of change and a connector for people in need of services that may seem out of reach,” says Brittany Hilderbrand, adjunct professor with the Mizzou School of Journalism. “Simply put – Mr. Thompson is the embodiment of servant leadership.”
Guided by his faith, family, friends, and mentors, D’Andre works to help people of various social identities see themselves living, working, and raising their families in Columbia. And he’s passionate about creating space and support for Black entrepreneurs and businesses.
“If Black Americans have the ability to control their own economic institutions, then you will see a radical shift away from many of the negative factors impacting impoverished sections of our country, even in a community like Columbia,” he says.
What will D’Andre do next to make Columbia a better place to live? How about developing an “Equity Lens Toolkit” the city can use to evaluate programs, proposals, policies, and procedures, organizing employee resource groups, and launching a DEI ambassador program with equity training opportunities and support?
D’Andre has high hopes for building a better City government and a stronger and more equitable Columbia.
Age: 32
Fun Fact:
D’Andre, a.k.a. DrizzyDre, recorded a rap album, “Cheney Boyz – Volume 1,” with some of his Michigan friends on Apple Music.
