Rodney Thompson, ACCENT’s President, is a hands-on owner and is generally first on the scene when a new construction project begins. When Thompson is not running his company, he is busy co-raising his five children. At this point in his life, his focus is on enriching the lives of his kids and other youth in his community. Somehow, between running a business and participating in a number of local trade and construction associations, including a position on the board of NAMCO, Thompson manages to find time to coach his kids’ sports teams. Thompson and his kids are involved in local sports programs, including youth football and basketball, as well as the Girl Scouts. In fact, Thompson credits sports programs for helping to instill in his children the work ethic he attained as a young entrepreneur and as a Navy recruit. He believes that sports teach kids the value of hard work and teamwork. He and his wife, a San Diego Public School bi-lingual fifth grade educator, run a tight ship at home. Beds are made, dishes put away, and chores are completed satisfactorily. Thompson knows what his kids are capable of accomplishing, and he makes sure they rise to meet expectations. He and his wife are working hard to teach their children the values needed to succeed in all their endeavors. When asked what specific values he is working to ingrain in his children regarding diversity in the workforce and collaboration among their peers, Thompson emphasizes, “High integrity, responsibility, hard work, no excuses. If you work hard, things will always turn out great.”