THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 39 Jane Thompson (right) chats with a participant from the Youth in Policy and Government Program in the Karnali region. At Christmastime, Thompson and her husband visited the school to distribute gifts to all 125 children. When they realized there would not be enough toys for everyone, they personally purchased more so that no child was left out. Her generosity, the nominator added, “made a lasting impression not only on the children but also on the school staff, who saw the sincerity of her care.” Beyond Asha Sansar, Thompson has supported a range of local organizations and several NGOs serving Nepal’s special needs community. Her consistent engagement, from mentoring educators to advising NGOs on program design, has strengthened Embassy Kathmandu’s relationship with the Nepali public and demonstrated the goodwill of American diplomacy at its most personal level. A special education professional by training, Thompson serves as the educational consultant for special needs, APAC, at Bennett International, continuing her lifelong work to support families and schools worldwide. In the United States, she previously directed early childhood and adult education programs in Montgomery County, Maryland, and led the Lourie Center Infant and Toddler Program. Overseas, she has worked with international schools, NGOs, and early-intervention programs across South and Southeast Asia and chaired multiple international school boards. In 2020 she received the Secretary of State Award for Volunteerism Overseas (SOSA) for her long-standing community service. Her dedication is rooted in both professional calling and personal conviction. Asked what the award means to her, Thompson said, “I am honored and humbled. My name may be on the award, but nothing was achieved by myself. There are others who are as or more deserving as I.” Asked what led her to Foreign Service life, she said, “I guess I could say ‘love,’ as I agreed to come along for this amazing ride.” Since 1994, that “ride” has taken her and her family through Dhaka, Asunción, Colombo, Kolkata, Bucharest, Kuala Lumpur, and Kathmandu, as well as Washington, D.C. Along the way, she has raised three children, welcomed a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, and shared the newest post with their energetic labradoodle, Bogey. In her reflections, Thompson emphasized her admiration for the Foreign Service community. “The value the American people receive from those serving overseas is enormous. The economic, political, security, and goodwill benefit to our country cannot be overstated. The Foreign Service and the programs they support are among the best investments per return that our country makes,” she said. She shared her guiding principle: “Be patient, be flexible, and always assume good intentions.” From classrooms in Kathmandu’s most vulnerable neighborhoods to embassy partnerships that model compassion and inclusion, Jane Krill Thompson has shown how one person’s steady commitment can ripple outward and change lives, build bridges, and advance the spirit of American diplomacy far beyond official channels. “The Foreign Service and the programs they support are among the best investments per return that our country makes.” —Jane Krill Thompson
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