Her Story
About Amanda
Amanda Thompson, MBA, is an air show director, business professor, and county council candidate whose career spans aviation, education, and public service. She entered the air show industry in 2003 while working at Grissom Air Base and has since built her own air show company, where she oversees every aspect of event operations, from contracting performers to managing safety, security, and media coordination. Her work has taken her across the country, including upcoming shows planned near Athens, Texas. Alongside her aviation career, Thompson earned her MBA and later became a licensed private pilot, going on to obtain a tailwheel endorsement. She also teaches as a business professor, bringing more than two decades of professional experience into the classroom to guide adult and dual-enrollment students toward academic and career success.
Beyond her work in air shows and education, Thompson is now seeking a seat on her local county council in Indiana, running against an appointed incumbent with a platform centered on transparency and ending insular "good ol' boys club" leadership in local government. Her professional path has been varied, including previous roles investigating child welfare cases for the State of Indiana and conducting public health research for the Indiana State Department of Health, experience that has shaped her commitment to accountability and service. Thompson credits her drive to the example set by her parents, who worked tirelessly on their family farm without the benefit of a college education, teaching her early on that hard work and continuous learning are non-negotiable.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Thompson remains deeply engaged in her community. She volunteers with Pilots for Christ, flying medical patients to appointments and coordinating ground transportation and multi-leg trips when needed. She also helped revive the Conductors of Indiana Train Club from near closure, growing it into a resource for STEM-focused educational outreach at libraries and schools, a cause made especially meaningful by her son's love of trains. A homeschooling mother herself, Thompson balances her many roles by staying intentional about protecting time for family, humor, and connection, and she encourages young women entering her field to expect hardship but to keep pushing forward, knowing that perseverance is ultimately what brings the reward.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Amanda
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to never allowing myself to stop learning. I'm always looking for a new challenge, because if I become too idle, I get bored. I grew up on a small farm, and while my parents never had the opportunity to pursue a college education, they worked constantly, holding outside jobs in addition to running the farm. That example instilled a strong work ethic in me, and I've never been afraid of hard work. I owe that mindset entirely to my parents.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering this industry to expect it to be hard. But persevere, because that perseverance is exactly when the rewards come.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family is at the center of everything I do. I've learned how and when to say no so that I never become disconnected from the people I love. Between running my air show company, teaching, homeschooling my son, and now campaigning for county council, I make it a priority to protect time for family, humor, and closeness. Hard work, honesty, and never growing idle are values my parents modeled for me, and they continue to guide how I show up in both my professional and personal life.
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