Anthony Thompson, president and CEO of Kwame Building Group has received Washington University’s 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award. The Distinguished Alumni Award award program annually recognizes a few Washington University alumni with outstanding professional achievement, public service, exceptional service to Washington University or all three.
Thompson, who earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from Washington University in 1999, was honored for his achievement in construction and project management, advocacy of minority and female-oriented businesses, and the leadership and service he gives to St. Louis.
Through Kwame Foundation, Thompson supports many initiatives to provide as many first-generation and minorities as possible with opportunities to access a great education. He also has endowed two scholarships at Washington University, one in the McKelvey School of Engineering and another at the Washington University School of Medicine. The scholarships honor his late brother, Tyrone, and his mother, former Missouri State Representative Betty L. Thompson.
Under his leadership, Kwame Building Group was just named a St. Louis Business Journal Top Corporate Philanthropist. Thompson serves on the boards of the St. Louis Regional Crime Commission, Maryville University and a number of St. Louis Regional Business Council committees, including Diversity Inclusion, Public Policy and Workforce Development.
In 2004, Thompson received the Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science Alumni Achievement Award. At the time, he was the second African-American in the school’s history to receive the prestigious award.