Christine Messina

Christine Messina was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to now retired consumer electronics executive Charles Thompson and to her mother, Carol Thompson, originally from Thailand. Ms. Messina grew up in Coral Springs, Florida. Uncommonly tall, she did well in school while playing competitive softball and soccer.

Earning her bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin, Christine Messina did modeling on the side, primarily for commercials and print ads. Her marketing work eventually led her to branding corporations and banks in Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Among other organizations, she once assisted Continental Airlines with its charitable endeavors.

She met her future husband, Louis Messina, a well-known figure in the concert promotion industry, while helping to raise funds for the then newly opened Hobby Center.

In 2013, she successfully opened The Candy Jar, situated in the Hill Country Galleria in Austin. The store offers over 2,000 selections of chocolates and confections as well as artisan chocolate bars that are locally made. Christine Messina and her husband continue to support a number of charitable institutions in Austin.