Consummate IT Professional Earns Nod as DBT’s Most Valuable Person for October

MC President Blake Thompson, left, and Bill Cranford, right, CIO, surprise Jackson Thompson with the October DBT's MVP Award.

People rarely call him unless they’re having a problem, but he never fails to address their concerns in a polite, friendly manner.

He exudes quiet confidence in the midst of any information technology “calamity,” from a simple printer disruption to a major server outage.

He’s developed a reputation for responding quickly to any technology needs, whether the request comes from a part-time student worker or the president of the university.

In short, Jackson Thompson is the consummate IT professional at Mississippi College. For his track record of exemplary service, the President’s Council unanimously selected him for the October DBT’s MVP Award.

“Jackson is an excellent employee,” said Bill Cranford, chief information officer at MC. “He’s an outstanding representative of the department and the Christian values of the University as a whole.

“Many people have responded to me about the service Jackson has delivered to them. He has always done a great job, and everyone always has something positive to say about him whenever he shows up.”

That includes MC President Blake Thompson – no relation. To surprise Jackson with the DBT’s MVP prize, the president sent word to the Help Desk that he was having issues with his iPad. Jackson promptly reported to the president’s office, only to discover the ruse.

“We are incredibly thankful for the way that you help take care of this campus,” the president told Jackson. “You continually solve problems and you do that for everybody, which is why you’re the MVP.

“This award is well deserved. We are proud of you and appreciate everything you do.”

The Clinton resident credits his training in MC’s IT department for his ebullient, “can-do” attitude.

“I’ve been taught by a lot of people whom I value, who came before me, who were my mentors, to have an attitude that we’re here to help people,” Thompson said. “We want to help run MC in a Christ-like way, so why not emanate that in the department as well? I’ve been trained by a lot of people, and I’m happy to be here.”

His training in the IT department predates his undergraduate education at MC. He joined the Help Desk as a student worker one week before he started classes as a freshman.

“I would always joke that I have been working at MC longer than I’ve been a student,” he said.

His ties to MC reach back three generations. Each of his maternal grandparents is a Mississippi College graduate, as are his sister, his mother, Liesl Wells Thompson ’89, and his father, Ashton Thompson ’92. However, that family connection didn’t completely determine where he would attend college.

“I have a lot of roots at MC, but when it came time for me to attend college, I also looked at different places,” he said. “Whenever I came to MC, I knew this was where I wanted to be.”

It turned out to be a life-changing decision: While earning his degree in computer science and his certificate in cybersecurity, Thompson met his future wife, Allie.

“We were in the same class and ended up doing a project together,” he said. “Once the project ended, we realized we didn’t want to stop spending time together. We got married a week after we graduated.”

IT department leaders didn’t want Thompson to stop spending time at MC, either. They hired him as a full-time IT support analyst before he graduated in 2021. Now, he’s working toward his master’s in cybersecurity.

“Jackson is a very valuable employee, and we certainly don’t want him to get away when he finishes his degree,” Cranford said.

As the DBT’s MVP Award winner for October, Thompson received the honorary bobblehead of the president to be displayed during his tenure as MVP, a T-shirt, a $50 gift card, and a special parking place for the month. Since he and Allie commute to work each day, Thompson concedes he may let her choose the space.

As a proud MC graduate, Thompson said receiving the honor carries great meaning for him.

“This shows me how much Dr. Thompson and Bill Cranford appreciate and respect the work that I do,” he said. “I love the Christian mission we get to show. We get to be Christian representatives for the students as they pursue their degrees here. I love that that mission guides us in how we operate as a university.”