Mary Jean Thompson is an American honorary consul appointed by the ruling monarch and prime minister of the

Principality of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a doubly landlocked German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east and north and Switzerland in the west and south. Liechtenst ...

and accredited by the Department of State of the United States of America. She serves the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

from the consulate in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. She is the fifth consul representing Liechtenstein in the world and the only woman serving in that capacity.

Biography

Thompson was born in Salem, Oregon, the daughter of L. Wayne and Bernis Nelson Schrunk. She attended North Salem High School and received the degrees of Bachelor of Music, cum laude from

Lewis and Clark College Lewis & Clark College is a private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1867 and is situated on the historic M. Lloyd Frank Estate in South Portland's Collins View neighborhood. It is composed of three distinct but adja ...

and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design, summa cum laude, from the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

. Thompson founded Thompson Design Associates, Inc., in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

in 1970. Articles about Thompson and her work have been published by every leading national design magazine in the US including ''

Architectural Digest ''Architectural Digest'' (stylized in all caps) is an American monthly magazine founded in 1920. Its principal subjects are interior design and landscaping, rather than pure external architecture. The magazine is published by Condé Nast ...

'', ''

Interior Design Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. With a keen eye for detail and a Creativity, creative flair, an ...

'', '' Contract Design'' and ''Interiors'' and internationally. She has been a professional member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). In 1991 Thompson founded the Healthcare Design Research Alliance, a consortium of the 10 or more of largest manufacturers of healthcare products and furnishings in the US. She led these manufacturers for 14 years in conducting research in US hospitals and producing better products integrated with one another. Thompson has won numerous awards for

, including Best of Show, Honor Award, Merit Award and Citation Award in 2001 and two Citation Awards in 2003 by the Oregon Annual IIDA/AIA/ASID Interior Design competition. Thompson is a lifetime Regent of the George Washington Foundation in

Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 27,982. It is south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond, Virginia, R ...

and has served on the boards of the

Oregon Symphony The Oregon Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded as the "Portland Symphony Society" in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States. It ...

Alumni, Oregon Repertory Singers, and Reno Philharmonic Orchestra.

Diplomatic appointment

On March 24, 2010, Foreign Minister

Aurelia Frick Aurelia Cäcilia Katharina Frick commonly known as Aurelia Frick (born 19 September 1975) is a Liechtensteiner politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture of Liechtenstein from 2009 to 2019. Early life and educa ...

, accompanied by Liechtenstein's Ambassador to the United States,

Claudia Fritsche Claudia Fritsche (born 26 July 1952) is a former Liechtenstein diplomat who was Liechtenstein's first ambassador to the United Nations, the United States, and Liechtenstein's first female ambassador. Early life Claudia Fritsche was born on 26 J ...

, and Ambassador Roland Marxer, Director of the Liechtenstein Office for Foreign Affairs, installed Thompson as Honorary Consul of the Principality of Liechtenstein to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest Region of the United States of America and Head of Post. Thompson will help

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

to widen its outreach to the

and she will play a central role in increasing awareness of the Principality. She will promote academic and cultural exchanges as well as increase economic ties between the US and Liechtenstein.

References

External links

Principality of Liechtenstein website

US Department of State website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Mary Jean Living people Politicians from Salem, Oregon Lewis & Clark College alumni Year of birth missing (living people)