Who is Joseph?
Joseph B. Thompson, formerly known as DJ Bling, has been an integral leader in the Central Texas community since 2008. Well-Known as a music industry professional, an entrepreneur, a strong advocate for public education, and a philanthropist, Joseph has been instrumental in advocating for and providing educational resources to economically disadvantaged students, their families, and their communities.
Joseph is a 7th generation Bastropian born and raised in the Bastrop/Austin area and a descendant of the McMarion and Thompson family. Joseph's great-great grandmother, Maggie Thompson, was at one point the oldest Bastrop County resident before she passed at 114 years old. In 1993, the City of Bastrop recognized March 7th as Maggie Thompson Day on her 113th birthday. Maggie Thompson was also recognized by former Governor Ann Richards and the Texas Legislature for being one of the oldest Texas residents at that time.
Joseph's wife, Gerlicia "GG" Thompson is also a lifelong Bastropian descendant of the Thorne family who have deep roots in Bastrop County as well. She is a graduate of Bastrop ISD and currently works as a Prevention Specialist at Bastrop Family Crisis Center serving Bastrop County.
Joseph and Gerlicia currently enjoy living in the Historic Downtown Bastrop community with their children.
Joseph attained a Bachelors of Science in Music Business from Full Sail University, a graduate certificate in Public Policy from Harvard University, and Joseph also attended Liberty University earning a Masters in Divinity. By trade, Joseph is a certified network infrastructure technician who has worked as a project manager and lead technician overseeing the design, budgeting, and installation of information technology, telecommunications, and fiber optics for large scale commercial projects to include Teacher’s Retirement System of Texas, Whole Foods Markets, and more.
Leadership
In 2013, Joseph founded the DJ Bling Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping students of disadvantaged communities with educational resources such as free school supplies, free health and dental screenings, clothes, shoes, food, free bicycles, and other resources needed to attain and maintain academic success. Joseph and DJ Bling Foundation have helped over 13,000 students in Austin, Bastrop, and surrounding communities investing over $1 Million in disadvantaged communities.
Under Joseph's leadership, during the COVID-19 pandemic, DJ Bling Foundation hosted virtual learning pods in Bastrop for Bastrop ISD students and also provided free counseling to students who were experiencing mental health effects from the pandemic, virtual learning struggles, and other issues. DJ Bling Foundation also donated funding to provide internet hotspots to disadvantaged students in the Austin and Bastrop area.
The city of Austin has recognized Joseph and DJ Bling Foundation by proclaiming August 12th as DJ Bling Foundation Day in the City of Austin. Austin ISD and Texas Association of School Boards has also recognized Joseph and DJ Bling Foundation for their service and commitment to public education.
Service
Joseph served five years on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2002-2007 as an Embarkation Combat Logistics Operations Specialist tasked with the planning, budgeting, and movement of troops and cargo, with tours of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and was honorably discharged. During his time serving in the U.S Marines, Joseph was involved in the movement of thousands of Marine and civilian personnel in support of combat operations and was responsible for over 3,000 Shore Tons (6 Million Pounds) of gear along with billions of dollars in operations budgets. Joseph was awarded various medals and accommodations during his service including an award from the U.S Army for assisting in their logistics efforts in support of combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
Joseph also served briefly as an initial member on the Bastrop City Manager's Diversity and Inclusivity Task Force in 2021 before it became a formal City of Bastrop Commission, he also served as Co-Lead of Bastrop County Cares Recreation & Wellbeing Center committee initiative from 2021-2022, and Joseph also served as Co-Chair of Austin ISD's Long Range Planning Committee from 2021-2022.