After a 33-year career with the State Historical Society of Iowa, state curator Jerome Thompson will retire on July 2. Thompson served the organization in a variety of leadership roles, including director of the State Historical Museum. He was named state curator in 2004, a role that returned him to managing the day-to-day activities at historical society’s eight historic sites and providing technical assistance and advice to Iowa’s local historical organizations. During his tenure the organization opened the new State Historical Building in 1987 and hosted one of the first World Food Prize conferences and award ceremonies in 1994. State Historical Museum Curator Leo Landis will add the duties of state curator to his current position, and the society will hire a manager this summer to oversee Iowa’s eight historic sites.