Prior to being the Bureau of Air Quality Chief for SCDES, Rhonda Thompson served in the Bureau of Air Quality for DHEC for more than 33 years, becoming Bureau Chief in April 2016.

Rhonda began her role with the air program as a permit writer and later managed several programs, including the air toxics section and the permitting division. Prior to her environmental career, Rhonda worked as a patent engineer at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C.

Throughout her career, Rhonda has been elected or appointed to various roles at the regional, state and national levels. In 2022, Rhonda was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to the Interagency Electric Vehicle Working Group. The mission of the working group is to develop a comprehensive plan regarding the strategic deployment of Electric Vehicle-related resources and infrastructure in the State of South Carolina.

In 2023, she was elected president of the Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association (CAPCA) Board of Directors for 2024, and she also is past-chair of the Southeastern States Air Resource Managers (SESARM).

From 2020-2023, Rhonda served as secretary/treasurer of the national Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) and currently serves as a board member.

Rhonda received her B.S. Degree in Engineering from the University of South Carolina, and she is a Registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in South Carolina.

She is a native of McCormick County, South Carolina. She is married to Larry Thompson and has a son, Laurence. Outside of work, Rhonda holds leadership roles in multiple community service organizations.