Melissa Thompson

Director of Education Strategy | Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP

Dr. Melissa Thompson launched her formal career in education in 1998, as a High School teacher in Hortonville, WI. After 25 years in primary and secondary education and more than a decade as a Superintendent, Dr. Thompson joined the PRA Education Studio in 2023 as the firm’s Director of Education Strategy.

Dr. Thompson comes from a family of educators, from preschool teachers to college professors. The family’s commitment to providing education inspired her to make her own impact in the field. Dr. Thompson has held various positions from classroom teacher to varsity coach, from Athletic Director to Principal, and eventually to Superintendent, culminating in academic awards and other recognitions for the Swallow School District in Hartland, WI. Notable achievements include being the top-scoring district on state report cards (2020-2021), receiving the top score for eighth-grade mathematics achievement (2018-2019), and being one of eight schools statewide to earn recognition as both a High Progress and High Achieving Title I School. The district was also named a National Blue Ribbon School in the Closing the Gaps Category (2016) by the United States Department of Education.

Following a successful experience with Long-Range Planning and a referendum at the Swallow School District, Dr. Thompson sought new ways to share her knowledge to help districts maximize educational outcomes and improve the student experience during the important formative years of K-12 education, and joined PRA.