Anne K. Thompson has an extensive sales background and uses that knowledge as an advocate and support group leader for parents of children with life-threatening food allergies. She was a National Sales Manager for a book publisher and a National Account Manager for a national consumer products company. She has worked for Duracell, Hershey Chocolate Company and Crayola Products.

Anne co-founded a support group for parents of food allergic children in 1997. The Chicago area group, MOCHA (Mothers of Children Having Allergies), has grown to over 400 members.

Anne was instrumental in initiating and writing one of the country’s first school district food allergy guidelines. The guidelines became a template for many policies across the country. She spearheaded and pushed through a bill in the Illinois legislature that required EMTs to carry epinephrine on ambulances in Illinois. Additionally she lobbied and pushed for the passing of the Illinois School Food Allergy Policy.  In service to FARE, Anne currently serves on the Advocacy Leadership Council, the Support Group Advisory Council, Co-Chairs the College Tool Kit Committee, and is a MenuTrinfo Food Allergy Master Trainer.

Anne has a son and a daughter. One is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and sesame, has oral allergy syndrome, environmental allergies, is asthmatic and has eczema. The other has seasonal allergies.