Trent Thompson

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE

Economic Development Administration

Trent works for the Department of Commerce as the Economic Development Representative for Colorado and Utah.  In this capacity he works with elected officials, community leaders and other stakeholders to foster economic growth, create jobs and ensure the region’s competitiveness in a global economy.

Prior to his position at EDA, Trent worked for the Department of Defense at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) from 2010 to 2016.  He led the commands’ Private Sector Office, working with stakeholders to establish an all-of-nation approach to defend the homeland and support civil authorities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.

From 2003 to 2010, Trent worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development.  He served in Afghanistan at a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Jalalabad, and later as a special assistant to the USAID Administrator.  He ended his tenure at USAID in a detail to the Department of State in the Secretary’s Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization where he was instrumental in establishing a whole-of-government planning process for reconstruction and stabilization engagements.

Prior to his time at USAID, Trent worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii.  He received a master’s in public policy from Harvard in 2003 and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan in 2000.  Trent lives in Denver with his wife, Jen, and dog, Pivo.