Sarah Thompson
Sarah Thompson is an executive recruiter with a background in workforce development and leadership programs. Sarah currently serves as a Senior Director of Executive Search and Recruitment at Blair Search Partners, a retained executive search and recruiting firm, serving corporate, nonprofit, and public-sector clients. As a lead recruiter, Sarah manages executive search and recruiting engagements for a range of nonprofit clients including the San Diego Symphony, the Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation, the San Diego Natural History Museum, and the San Diego Housing Commission.
Sarah brings 17 years of nonprofit sector experience in the areas of workforce development and youth programs. Prior to executive recruitment, she served as the Executive Director of the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation, an organization providing free heart screenings for teens in San Diego. She also managed leadership development programs for Athena San Diego and community relations for the San Diego Workforce Partnership.
Sarah’s community engagement includes past chair of United Way of San Diego County’s Women United, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s San Diego Young Leaders’ Board of Directors, and LEAD San Diego’s Impact Class of 2019 and the Advance Class of 2020. She was also a two-time nominee for the San Diego NEXT Top Business Leaders Under 40, as well as a finalist for the San Diego Business Journal’s Business Women of the Year Award in 2023. In addition to board and committee work, Sarah has volunteered her time to support the Point Loma Nazarene University Student Employee of the Year Awards as a member of the Community Selection Committee. She also served as the Keynote Speaker for the Qualcomm Women’s Intern Summit. Sarah also volunteered her time with the Commission for Arts and Culture, as a member of the Grant Funding Advisory Panel.
A graduate of Oregon State University with a degree in political science, Sarah also holds a masters in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego. Originally from Oregon, Sarah has called San Diego home since 2009. From exploring the farmers markets to visiting miles of beaches and hiking trails, Sarah enjoys all that America’s Finest City has to offer.
Sarah brings 17 years of nonprofit sector experience in the areas of workforce development and youth programs. Prior to executive recruitment, she served as the Executive Director of the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation, an organization providing free heart screenings for teens in San Diego. She also managed leadership development programs for Athena San Diego and community relations for the San Diego Workforce Partnership.
Sarah’s community engagement includes past chair of United Way of San Diego County’s Women United, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s San Diego Young Leaders’ Board of Directors, and LEAD San Diego’s Impact Class of 2019 and the Advance Class of 2020. She was also a two-time nominee for the San Diego NEXT Top Business Leaders Under 40, as well as a finalist for the San Diego Business Journal’s Business Women of the Year Award in 2023. In addition to board and committee work, Sarah has volunteered her time to support the Point Loma Nazarene University Student Employee of the Year Awards as a member of the Community Selection Committee. She also served as the Keynote Speaker for the Qualcomm Women’s Intern Summit. Sarah also volunteered her time with the Commission for Arts and Culture, as a member of the Grant Funding Advisory Panel.
A graduate of Oregon State University with a degree in political science, Sarah also holds a masters in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego. Originally from Oregon, Sarah has called San Diego home since 2009. From exploring the farmers markets to visiting miles of beaches and hiking trails, Sarah enjoys all that America’s Finest City has to offer.
