The Grand Marshal for Elmhurst’s 101st Memorial Day Parade is Elmhurst resident Lori Kristine Hess Tompos, a Desert Storm and Gulf War combat veteran while serving as a United States Army Captain in Air Defense Artillery—the first female Grand Marshal in this Parade’s storied history.
“I am very appreciative and humbled by the choice to have me represent our awesome Elmhurst community in the Memorial Day Parade as the Grand Marshal,” stated Capt. Tompos.
Among the first women to serve in combat, Capt. Tompos commanded a PATRIOT Missile System Battery as an artillery officer (then a Lieutenant) with the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AADCOM) deployed out of Germany. Her active duty ran from May of 1989 to June of 1992, followed by service in the U.S. Army Reserves into August of 1994.
“I am proud of my service to our country,” stated Capt. Tompos, “and proud to lead the teams with which I had the privilege of working.”
Capt. Tompos also was among the first 800-some women to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (1985-89), where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Her first of five years at the USMA was spent attending prep school with a rank of Private First Class (PFC).
As the first person from her unit and her Brigade deployed to the Gulf War, Capt. Tompos was tasked with the classified “SECRET” mission of setting up a PATRIOT Missile site, as part of an advanced party that included 11 infantrymen assigned to secure a perimeter and protect her.
Capt. Tompos was among the few officers certified in the PATRIOT, so she was given charge of the “day shift” at the missile site, whose 150 soldiers were tasked with protecting an airbase and members of the Saudi Arabia Royal family.
Capt. Tompos attributed her “very effective” style of leadership style to the combination of “a gift from God and good training.”
In spite of her combat command, Capt. Tompos was forbidden from speaking directly to or even look eye-to-eye with the Saudi men with whom she was tasked to work.
“Being in a Combat Arms Branch and being a woman was a challenge,” stated Capt. Tompos.
Capt. Tompos is both Air Assault qualified (having rappelled out of helicopters, off of cliffs and down buildings and Airborne qualified (having parachute jumped out of airplanes).
Among her military honors are two Army Commendation Awards, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service, Overseas Service, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Humanitarian Service, Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (from the Kuwaiti Government) and Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), which the Saudi Arabian Royal Prince himself bestowed to her.
A proud life-time member of both the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Elmhurst American Legion THB Post 187 and Girl Scouts, Capt. Tompos is also a member of the West Point Alumni Glee Club (WPAGC), and she has had the distinct pleasure of singing at Carnegie Hall, at West Point, in Washington, D.C., for a Veterans Benefit Concert, and most recently in Ireland, near the Ring of Kerry and Killarney, where she connected with Irish Veterans and sang in three concerts, while also serving as the Tour Director. This summer, Capt. Tompos will be the Tour Director in Ireland again, this time for the West Point Women’s Group.
Following her active military service, Capt. Tompos earned a Master of Education degree at Ohio University (1992-94) and later taught Master in Business Administration (MBA) courses on-line covering Managing Organizations, Leadership and Leading Change as a learning educator, facilitator and faculty member with Ellis University (2001-16).
While employed at Accenture from 1994 to 2001, Capt. Tompos helped lead projects, teams and groups in Change Management and Project Team Training.
Capt. Tompos has served as the CEO of Avail Consulting since 2002 and as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Business and Economics at Elmhurst College since 2015, after earning an MBA degree at EC (2013-14). Her midyear graduation was in February of 2015.
A resident of Elmhurst for 15 years, Capt. Tompos has volunteered her time serving on several committees at York Community High School. She is also a Mentor Mom for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers, former PTA President, Service Academy Board Member for three Congressmen, and a guest speaker on her unique experiences in the Army, empowering women.
She and her husband Stephen Tompos, an Army veteran himself, are the parents of three daughters, Laurel, Stephy and LilyAnn.