Tyrone Thompson, a four-term Democratic assemblyman and longtime education advocate at the Legislature, passed away early Saturday morning while receiving emergency care at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center. He was 52.
Thompson, who chaired the Assembly Education Committee this session, was best known as a tireless advocate on education and homelessness issues. He had sponsored several high-profile bills this session to establish a Nevada Interagency Advisory Council on Homelessness and Housing, require schools to take a restorative justice approach before resorting to suspending or expelling a student, and repeal a mandatory retention provision in the Read by Grade 3 program.
“We are deeply saddened by Assemblyman Thompson’s sudden passing,” Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson said in a statement Saturday morning. “He was well respected by his colleagues in the Legislature for his dedication and leadership. His warm smile and larger-than-life presence will truly be missed in our Assembly chamber. We ask that you respect the privacy of his family at this difficult time.
He was also pushing for a bill to pledge Nevada’s electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote for president and sponsored a resolution to urge Congress not to ask a controversial citizenship question on the 2020 Census. Other issues Thompson championed during his time in the Legislature include improving services at state-funded resource centers, expanding HIV testing access and passing a “ban the box” bill to end employment discrimination against those with criminal records for government job postings.
Thompson was first appointed to Assembly District 17 in April 2013 to fill a vacancy after Steven Brooks was expelled from the body. He went on to be elected three times to represent the North Las Vegas-area seat with the overwhelming support of his constituents.
In his professional life, Thompson served as CEO and success coach at Thompson Career Solutions, a workforce strategy and training development company. He worked on homeless initiatives for the Southern Nevada Planning Coalition at the time he was appointed to the Assembly and was later a senior training coordinator at the Clark County Organizational Development Center.
Thompson held a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix. As a kid, he served as student body president at Valley High School.
He was extremely active in his community, serving on several boards and councils over the years including the Interagency Council on Homelessness, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and the American Society for Public Administrators. He also was a Court Appointed Special Advocate.
Thompson earned several awards for his work over the years including the Community Leadership Award at Las Vegas Soul Fest, the President Obama Volunteer Service Award and the Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada Community Enrichment Award and National Points of Light Award.