Rebecca Thompson

A native Detroiter, Rebecca Thompson has dedicated her career to advocating for social justice issues and improving the lives of others. She currently serves as the Senior Director of Engagement at the United Way for Southeastern Michigan where she oversees the organizations community engagement and public policy and advocacy efforts.

Rebecca’s work focuses on ensuring that Southeastern Michigan families have access to the resources they need to thrive by supporting initiatives that prepare students for kindergarten, college and careers and providing families across the region with access to food and financial stability. Rebecca also recently ran for State Representative in Michigan’s 1st State House District.

Prior to joining the United Way, Rebecca served as the Director of Young People For (YP4), a national leadership development initiative that works to identify, engage and empower the newest generation of progressive leaders. In this role, she provided mentorship, training and leadership development to young leaders across the country committed to social justice.

She has also served as the Program Manager for the District of Columbia Youth Advisory Council in the Executive Office of the Mayor and as the Legislative Director for the United States Student Association, the voice of students on Capitol Hill, in the White House, and the Department of Education. Rebecca has provided trainings to social justice and community leaders across the country and has been featured on C-SPAN, in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and numerous local, state, and national publications.

Rebecca has undergone extensive leadership training including the Michigan Political Leadership Program, EMILY’s List, the Women's Campaign School at Yale, White House Project, the Center for Progressive Leadership's Michigan Political Leaders Fellowship, and many others. She also serves as a national trainer for ElectHer, which trains college women to run for student government and elected office and on the boards of Political Parity and Women Under Forty PAC (WUFPAC), which work to increase the number of women elected to office. She is a graduate of Northern Michigan University and lives in Detroit.