Administrative Services Assistant III
Olivia Thompson is responsible for supporting state grants management transactions for Tennessee Arts Commission grants, including supplier set-up, performance and financial reports, and requests for payment.
Olivia received her Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology with a focus in archaeology and history in 2016 from Middle Tennessee State University. Olivia worked as a museum program assistant at the Tennessee State Museum from 2023 to 2026. At the Tennessee State Museum, Olivia led tours and taught students about archaeology and the history of the state. Olivia was an intern in the conservation lab at the Tennessee State Library and Archives from 2023 to 2025. She has a passion for archaeology and historic preservation.
Currently the President of the Rutherford County Archaeological Society, she also serves as the assistant director for its historic preservation and interpretation project at Murfreesboro’s Old City Cemetery. She began her fieldwork experience at the Center for American Archaeology in Kampsville, Illinois, and has participated in various archaeological projects in Middle Tennessee including: Clover Bottom Plantation, Pickett Chapel, Trustpoint Hospital Expansion Survey Project, the Oaklands Mansion Root Cellar Project, the Lone Rock Stockade Archaeology Project, and excavations at Sevier Park (Metro Nashville Historical Commission).
Olivia was a tour guide, performed public services, and assisted with museum collections at The Hermitage, Nashville, TN. She was an archaeological crew member of the 2022 and 2023 MTSU forensic aviation archaeology partnership with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). Olivia is a classically trained vocalist and violinist with a passion for music.
