Ruth Hassell-Thompson

President & CEO

Former Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson is President and CEO of Third Act III Development Consultancy Firm. For over 60 years, Ruth has been a noteworthy civil rights leader. She has dedicated her life’s work to public service in the development, education, and reformation of policy for her community in organization and community engagement, across multiple industries at the local and state level. These pillars would become the cornerstones of the Third Act Development mission. 

In 1963, Ruth began her career in healthcare at Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital as a pediatric nurse and substance abuse counselor in Mt. Vernon, New York, where she worked for thirty-six years. Following her passion to help others, she also became a health educator at Westchester Community Opportunity Program, a non-profit social services organization with programs combating poverty in the Hudson Valley. She continued to support her community as the executive director of the Westchester Minority Contractors Association (WMCA) where she became well-versed in economic development issues that impact women and people of color. She became one of their most ardent advocates and successfully persuaded members of both the public and private sectors to increase economic participation in minority and women-owned businesses. 

Ruth joined the Mt. Vernon City Council in 1993, where she served as acting mayor of the City of Mount Vernon. Where she served as Vice-chairperson of the Urban Renewal Board; a voting member of the Board of Estimate; Vice-chairperson of the Real Estate Board and Chairperson of the Capital Projects Board. Among her other committee responsibilities was oversight of all Council committees, including Legislation and Public Works; Human Resources; Finance and Planning; Public Safety and Codes. In 2000, she was elected as the Democratic representative of New York’s 36th District in the New York State Senate. Serving for eight terms, Ruth was instrumental in the passage of New York’s marriage equality legislation. She also chaired the Crime Victims, Crime, and Corrections Committee and was a ranking minority member on the Consumer Protection and Judiciary committees. In 2016, Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Hassell-Thompson as special advisor for policy and community affairs of New York State Homes and Community Renewal.

In addition to her health and political career, Ruth served as president and CEO of Whart Development Company, Inc. a real estate development company that also provided consultant services to small and developing businesses. She is well known for her expertise in minority business needs and has initiated numerous workshops and seminars on business development. As a testament to Ms. Hassell-Thompson's achievements in helping women and minorities excel in business ventures and life, she has received several awards, chief among them is the "Sojourner Truth Racial Justice Award", the "Harriet Tubman Humanitarian Achievement Award", the "Minority and Women Business Development Award" from the state of New York Department of Commerce; the Professional Women in Construction Award; African American Civic and Legal Hall of Fame, Inc., Dr. Martin Luther King, Keeping the Dream Alive Award, and the Mount Vernon Hospital Community Service Award. In 2007, she was appointed by the Akwamu Traditional Council in the Eastern Region of Ghana as their Mpuntuhemaa, or Queenmother for Development. In 2015, before leaving the Senate, her efforts in supportive housing earned her the honor of having a senior housing development in her hometown of Mt. Vernon named after her.

Among Ms. Hassell-Thompson's incredible accomplishments, she has been honored with three Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 2021, she received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden, recognizing her impactful contributions to the WMBE community. In 2022, She was entrusted with the Honorable Shirley Chisholm Award from the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators for her tireless work in social justice and her relentless advocacy for the rights of women and children. In 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul dedicated a bridge to Ruth’s namesake, marking a historical first for a Metro North Train bridge to be named after a woman of color.

Ruth attended the New York Bronx Community College and Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. She is also the recipient of three Honorary Doctorate degrees; College of New Rochelle, Doctor of Humane Letters; Mercy College, Doctor of Humane Letters; and Eastern Theological Consortium, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Christ Theological Seminary, Doctor of Humanities.

She is a proud mother of two daughters and is an adoring grandmother of two and great-grandmother of one. Ruth has also been given the honorary of Mother by those in her community and any who have had the privilege of working with her.