Womble Bond Dickinson Boston Team to Sponsor Thompson Island’s Virtual Expedition Gala; Gordon Penman Serves on Board of Trustees

Womble Bond Dickinson’s Boston office is sponsoring and participating in Thompson Island’s 2020 Evening Expedition Gala, taking place virtually on October 7, 2020. Gordon Penman, corporate and securities partner in Boston, serves on the Board of Trustees for the Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center.  

The annual gala is the philanthropic organization’s largest fundraising event of the year, and this year, they have set a goal to raise over $500,000. Thompson Island will be honoring Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh at the event for his commitment to eliminating the achievement and opportunity gaps and improving education for all students. As an Island Preservationist sponsor, our team will participate in a virtual happy hour with other gala guests and a virtual trivia night, in addition to attending the event live stream.

“I am passionate about Thompson Island’s work with Boston youth and have been honored to serve on the Board of Trustees for many years,” said Penman. “I am hopeful this event will showcase the Island’s mission and inspire more people to get involved.”

Thompson Island is an island in the Boston Harbor dedicated to providing outdoor education experiences to Boston’s Public Schools, which it has been doing since the early 1800s as one of the oldest continuously operating nonprofit institutions in the city. Today, the Thompson Island Connections Program mixes hands-on STEM (science, technology, environmental, and math) education with social/emotional and character-building Outward Bound initiatives to provide a unique experience for middle school age youth. The program partners with the Boston Public Schools to provide programing for students in the fifth through eighth grades. Program leaders have set an aggressive goal to double the size of this program to serve 2,600 kids by 2023, which would then represent more than 15% of the Boston Public middle school population and have a systemic impact.

Gordon Penman represents private and public companies in a wide range of corporate transactions and restructurings, as well as in general corporate governance matters. He serves as “outside general counsel” to many clients, guiding them through day-to-day corporate matters.