Meet Frances
Frances Knight Thompson was educated in the Chesapeake Public Schools and is a graduate of Hampton University, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education. She also holds a Master of Science in Education degree in Guidance and Counseling from Old Dominion University and an Endorsement in Gifted Education from the University of Virginia.
Frances began her career as an elementary school music teacher with Virginia Beach City Public Schools and taught music for 15 years. She continued her career with VBCPS as an Elementary School Counselor for another 15 years. Frances retired in 2014 from VBCPS after more than 40 years of service. At her retirement, she was assigned as Guidance Department Chair for Kemps Landing Magnet School, formerly a Virginia Beach middle school for intellectually gifted students. Following her retirement from school counseling, Frances worked part-time in the VBCPS Office of Equity Affairs as Project Manager, coordinating professional development for teachers and staff, managing the planning for the VBCPS African American Male Summit and Beach Girls Rock, facilitating Candid Conversations about Race, and assisting the Director of Equity Affairs in the daily operations of the office.
During her career in public education, Frances was awarded Kemps Landing Magnet School’s Teacher of The Year. In 2010, she received the Humanitarian Award from the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission and also received the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders Award presented by the Urban League of Hampton Roads. In June 2016, Mrs. Thompson and her husband received the Area II NAACP ACT-SO Tribute to Excellence Award for their volunteer work within the Portsmouth community. Currently, Frances is CEO and Founder of Educational Equity Specialists LLC, an educational consulting firm, serving the Hampton Roads educational community. She is also a Designer with Edjacent Design Collaborative.
Frances is very involved in the Hampton Roads community. She serves on the Board of Directors of Teens with a Purpose, a local youth organization focused on providing a forum for youth to use their voices, talents and abilities to positively impact the lives of their peers. She is the Executive Vice-President of ChainBreakers, Inc., a community development corporation dedicated helping low-income families in the city of Portsmouth, VA to become more self-sufficient and to better their quality of life. In 2016, she was appointed by the Virginia Beach City Council to the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission. In 2018, she was appointed by the Virginia Beach City Council to the city of Virginia Beach Minority Business Council. Frances is also Executive Director of Hymns for Him, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to congregational hymn singing. She also provides online support and guidance for pastors’ wives and women in ministry with her most recent venture, Leading the Leading Lady.
Frances is married to Pastor Ronald W. Thompson, Senior Pastor of Mt. Sinai Family Life Christian Center located in Portsmouth Virginia. They are the loving parents of three adult children, grandparents of 4 granddaughters, and reside in Virginia Beach, Virginia.