Judi began traveling the world in 1969 as a singer and guitarist with the USO. Tours through Japan, Guam, the Philippines and Vietnam sparked a travel passion. Judi turned that passion into a budding business, becoming the first female entrepreneur in the adventure travel industry and the leader of the East Coast’s only adventure travel company.

Judi met Rick Thomson while traveling through East Africa in 1979, when he was the guide on her safari. They worked for different companies at the time but decided less than two years later to co-found their own organization.

Their mission: build a safari company with people on the ground in Tanzania—a company dedicated to sustainable practices, cultural enrichment and a peerless drive for quality adventuring. In early 1981, Thomson Safaris Ltd. was formed.

With Judi’s network and entrepreneurial experience, she helped develop the then-unknown and off-the-map country of Tanzania as an enticing destination for travelers.

Excellence and a unique Tanzanian experience set Thomson Safaris apart, and the company’s mission to give back led Judi to co-found FOTZC (Focus on Tanzanian Communities) in 1996. Dedicated to community-led initiatives in education, women’s empowerment and health in remote Northern Tanzania, FOTZC is Thomson Safaris’ proud philanthropic arm.

FOTZC has increased access to clean water for thousands of local Tanzanians through borehole projects and has provided thousands more with medical support with the Sukenya Medical Dispensary.