Republic administrator resigns to succeed retiring CU manager

Thompson will begin at CU on March 26 as director of economic development. The position is similar to but more refined than Plumpe’s post as associate general manager of economic development, which has involved additional tasks such as natural gas hedging and financial analysis, Plumpe said.

Thompson will focus solely on economic development.

Plumpe’s last day is March 2.

He plans to use his background in finance as a registered investment adviser and will do some private land development on the side.

“The retirement plan here (at CU) is such that I can retire and do something that I feel, at this time in my life, much more passionate about,” he said, adding that he has appreciated the opportunity CU has afforded him for 25 years.

Plumpe is the only person to hold the economic development position.

When Thompson comes on board, he will not be part of CU’s executive staff but will still report to General Manager John Twitty. He’ll largely be responsible for communicating with city, Greene County and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce officials, Twitty said.

Previous experience

Thomspon said he feels many of his duties with Republic have prepared him for his role with CU.

“One of (Republic’s) main focuses is business retention and business attraction, and that’s very similar to that portion of (the CU) job,” he said. He plans to help CU take advantage of the many opportunities within its coverage area to bring on more customers and develop its current service base.

Thompson has been Republic’s city administrator since September 1994. During his tenure, he helped lead the city through its consolidation with the village of Brookline and through capital projects that included a wastewater treatment facility, a community center, an aquatic center, a municipal court, a police and emergency facility and a fire station.

He previously served on the Republic Board of Aldermen and was a research fellow for Congressman Roy Blunt in 2000; he also serves as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve.

He has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Administration from Missouri State University, and an Associate of Science from Drury University.

Thompson also is a past honoree of Springfield Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 awards.

No replacement for Thompson at the city has been named. Thompson said the Republic Board of Aldermen on Feb. 12 will consider hiring an executive search firm to fill the position; no timeline has been set.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s Feb. 7 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.