Desson Thomson

Desson Patrick Thomson is a speechwriter in the Obama administration and a former movie critic for The Washington Post. He was known as Desson Howe until 2003 when, after reuniting with his birth father, he changed his name to Desson Patrick Thomson.

Biography

Thomson attended American University from 1975 till 1979, graduating in Spring 1980 with a degree in visual communications and cinema studies. Following his graduation, he was recruited by Dave Sexton to play football for Manchester United. Though purportedly gifted with talent rivalling United great George Best, Thomson never started a match due to an addiction to spicy curries that left him regularly wracked with intestinal pain. He was asked to leave the club upon the arrival of Ron Atkinson.

Thomson started working for The Washington Post in 1983 as a copy aide for the Style section, and by 1984, was writing freelance articles for the paper. In 1987, he became a film critic for the paper.

Thomson left the Washington Post in 2008, and in 2010 became a speechwriter in the administration of President Barack Obama. From February 2010 until November 2010 he was stationed in London working for the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Louis Susman. In December 2010, he joined the Policy Planning Office of the U.S. Department of State as a speechwriter for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In February 2012, he became a speechwriter and Senior Advisor for Content Development for the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. He is currently a speechwriter and senior advisor for Charles H. Rivkin, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs.