YOLANDA THOMPSONVP & DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AFFAIRSYolanda M. Thompson is a Sierra Leonean-American lawyer who lives in the Washington DC Metropolitan area who is admitted to the District of Columbia Bar Association and is authorized to practice Immigration and Nationality law in all fifty (50) states in the United States of America.
She attended the Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, MD. There, she was a part of the French Honors Society and Vice President of the Black Students Association, in addition to her active participation in Track and Field. She was accepted to Howard University as National Competitive Scholarship Recipient and she received a full scholarship to Howard University which covered her tuition, books, housing and other incidentals. She was a member of the Arts and Science Honors Program, the Dean’s list, the Golden Key Honors Society and the French Honors Society. During her education at Howard University, she participated in a six-month exchange program at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in French, Ms. Thompson, following in her father’s footsteps, attended Howard University School of Law on a full scholarship. There, she was a member of Who’s Who Among American Law Students, Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, the International Moot Court Team, and the International Law Society. She also served as the Entertainment Law Student Association Secretary. Ms. Thompson has worked at various Fortune 500 Companies such as Microsoft, Nextel and Marriott, in addition to non-profit organizations and governmental agencies. Although born in America, Ms. Thompson has always had an affinity of and connection with her Sierra Leonean heritage. Ms. Thompson has served as the Secretary General of the People’s Movement for Democratic Change, a political party in Sierra Leone, West Africa and during the 2007 elections, she went to Sierra Leone twice to assist with the registration and electoral processes. Ms. Thompson has also served her Sierra Leonean community by functioning as the Secretary General for the 49thand 50thSierra Leone Independence Committees, groups put together by the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Washington. Ms. Thompson’s most recent ventures include spearheading the Stamp Out Violence (S.O.V) Campaign which was geared towards addressing violence within the Sierra Leonean youth community and successfully organizing a town hall meeting which was well attended by a cross-section of Sierra Leoneans. Ms. Thompson also served as the Facilitator/Moderator for a Symposium co-sponsored by the Embassy of Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leonean Episcopal Ministry to address Family and the Community and how to bridge the gap. In May 2013, Ms. Thompson was invited to serve as a panelist on a panel of attorneys assembled to discuss Review of the Sierra Leone Constitution and Institutional Challenges within Sierra Leone. Currently, Ms. Thompson is the owner of the Law Office of Yolanda M. Thompson and is spearheading Love of Sports Sierra Leone, a non-profit organization with a focus on the development of all sports from school to professional level within Sierra Leone. In 2019, Ms. Thompson was selected to be the Director of Legal Affairs for Africa Sports Venture Group. |