Vermont resident Bob Thompson, a Civil Engineer with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Vermont, is the recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Thompson is a native of Pennsylvania and moved to Vermont in 1995 and currently resides in Westford.
A 28-year employee of the NRCS, Thompson traveled to Washington, DC, last month to participate in the Abraham Lincoln Honor Awards Ceremony. Tom Vilsack, USDA Secretary of Agriculture, presented him with a certificate and medal. “The men and women receiving awards represent thousands of USDA employees around the country—and the world—who work each and every day in service to American agriculture, the people of rural America, and others whose lives are made better,” explained Vilsack.
The award recognizes those who have contributed a set number of service hours over a 12-month time period, or cumulative hours of 4,000 or more, over the course of a lifetime. Since 1983, Bob has contributed over 27,000 service hours volunteering for a number of organizations. “Bob’s life is the epitome of what it means to be a public servant, both through his volunteer efforts and his work in NRCS,” said Vicky Drew, State Conservationist for VT NRCS.
Bob served two and a half years in the US Peace Corps in Kenya, East Africa, where he taught agricultural mechanics and procured funds to construct a small irrigation system and other projects. “The Peace Corps was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” he said. “Most importantly, it is where I met my wife, Paula.”
Through his work with Pedals for Progress he helped collect used and unwanted bicycles and sewing machines for shipment to third-world countries. In total, over the last 17 years, he helped collect over 3,000 bikes and over 200 sewing machines.
For the past two decades, Thompson has served as an adult leader with Boy Scout troops in Westford and Essex. He has also been active with the Knights of Columbus, St. Luke’s Parish in Fairfax, coaching Little League baseball and middle-school basketball in Westford, and participated in the American Cancer’s Society’s Relay for Life.
Today, Thompson is still dedicated to volunteer service and participates in mission trips to Haiti. For the last three years he has traveled to Haiti with a mission group where they built houses and latrines, and also operated a medical clinic where thousands of people were treated. He looks forward to returning again this January.
When asked what motivated him to sign up for his first volunteering experience with the Peace Corps, he explains, “For the adventure and experience, and to hone my skills in agricultural mechanics and engineering.” NRCS salutes Thompson for his outstanding dedication to volunteer work both here in Vermont, and across the globe.
Photo Caption: left to right: USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, VT resident and award recipient Bob Thompson, and Assistant Secretary for Administration Gregory Parham at the September 13th USDA Abraham Lincoln Honor Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC. Photo credit: USDA