When Isle of Palms resident Jim Thompson recently went to vote in the 2024 election, he was met in line by the newly elected city council candidate Rusty Streetman who said, “Couldn’t happen to a better guy.”
Thompson let the curious comment pass, but a few days later, he received an email from a woman with Friends of the Charleston National Parks, who also congratulated him in the same fashion.
“And I told her I had no idea what she was talking about,” Thompson said. “But when I shared this with my wife, she got that look on her face that said she knew something I didn’t.”
That something was the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian honor. It is awarded to South Carolinians who demonstrate extraordinary lifetime achievement, service and contributions of national or statewide significance. Thompson, now 81, was the last to know because his wife Linda, along with a large group of friends and supporters, wanted it to be a surprise.
“I knew maybe three weeks before then and it wasn’t easy keeping the news a secret,” said Linda, who married Thompson in 1975. “I finally had to tell him something before I really wanted to because we all wanted it to come as a complete surprise.”
The surprise culminated on the evening of Nov. 15, when 80 friends and colleagues gathered at the Sweetgrass Inn at Wild Dunes to recognize Thompson, who Streetman dubbed “a man of exceptional service to the community.”
“I can’t think of anyone who deserves this honor more than Jim,” Streetman said. “Besides being a longtime friend, he is among the most dedicated public-minded citizens I’ve ever known. He’s always looking for a cause to help with.”
Thompson started a company called AGDATA in 1987, which he operated until being bought out by a private equity firm in 2005. The success of this venture allowed him to contribute to the myriad charitable causes that eventually led to the Order of the Palmetto.
Order of the Palmetto award.
For instance, when Thompson suffered a high school football spinal injury that kept him from serving in Vietnam, he took it upon himself to offer his patronage to the Tri-County Veterans Support Network and Project Street Outreach as a way to “help our veterans, especially the homeless ones.”
Thompson also contributed to HALOS and Windwood Farm, both of which provide hope and healing to abused and neglected children in the Lowcountry. “I was abused as a child, having been beaten with belts and sticks by my parents,” Thompson said. “So HALOS and Windwood Farm really resonate with me for the work that they do.”
Thompson’s other involvements include:
- East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO), one of the Lowcountry’s most trusted and long-standing relief agencies for needs ranging from food and medicine to simple health and well-being.
- The South Carolina Environmental Law Project, a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to the protection of South Carolina’s environment.
- South Carolina Aquarium.
- South Carolina Historical Society.
- Law Enforcement Neighborhood Support Foundation IOP, established in 2022 to support the Isle of Palms police and fire departments, and a unifying force in the community through a range of safety, education and engagement programs.
“Over 12 area nonprofits were there to show their support for Jim,” said Ted Kinghorn, co-founder and director of LENS IOP, who nominated Thompson for the award.
And IOP Mayor Phillip Pounds, another nominator who presented Thompson with the honor, added that despite his wide-ranging involvement, “a lot of people don’t even know Jim. That’s the kind of person he is — under the radar but very efficient.”
Others who nominated Thompson for the honor include:
- SC House Rep. Joe Bustos.
- State Sen. Chip Campsen.
- Congresswoman Nancy Mace.
- Emily Anderson, president of Valley Cats.
- Cheri Yates, executive director of Friends of Charleston National Parks.
- Deb Barr, IOP Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention Committee chair.
The Order of the Palmetto was established in 1971 by former Gov. John C. West as a means of recognizing outstanding service to the state and industrialists who had located facilities in South Carolina.
“It was originally designed as part of his economic development plan,” said Patrick McCawley, deputy director for Archives and Records Management with SC Department of Archives and History in Columbia. “We don’t know exactly how many people have won the order before because the early award process and record-keeping for it was a little inconsistent.”
But one thing is certain: Thompson was surprised and humbled to become its latest recipient.
“God allowed me to be blessed so that I could be a blessing to others,” Thompson said. “And for me, that’s what this honor is all about.”
By L. C. Leach III
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