By: Brittany Jones
Nashville, TN -(AmmoLand.com)- The National Archery in the School Program (NASP) welcomes highly respected and decorated educator, Dr. Thomas G. Floyd as its new Vice-President and General Manager.
Dr. Floyd has been involved in NASP at the educator level for nearly fourteen years. He has seen first hand how the program positively impacts, students, parents, and teachers. “Tommy” often explains how he has seen NASP promote constructive teacher/student relationships that can lead to greater student success. For most of his involvement in NASP he has also served as a NASP board member.
NASP is often hailed as the most successful youth archery program in history. Surely, the nearly 50,000 NASP trained teachers and their almost 15 million archery students have made a huge splash in the archery world. The educational successes of NASP are at least as impressive. In repeated surveys, teachers report that NASP inspires students to have greater confidence, motivation, and self-esteem. The majority of NASP teachers say that the program also improves student focus, attitudes, and behavior.
As the 2015-16 school year begins, NASP tournaments have concluded, summer recess has ended, and student archers have returned to the classroom. Many will soon begin practicing for 2016 NASP competitions. NASP is hard at work planning innovative ways to expand its reach. Dr. Floyd’s main focus will be to strengthen NASP’s educational emphasis. He will be working to develop educator networking opportunities, alumni relationships, and expand the messaging of the program’s benefits to teacher, administrator, and school board gatherings.
Dr. Floyd most recently served as the Chief of Staff at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). He worked with a large number of initiatives related to Senate Bill I (2009) and the state’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)flexibility waiver. He also worked to increase collaboration and coordination with the many department stakeholders and partners.
Including Chief of Staff, Dr. Floyd has spent thirty plus years working in various educational capacities such as; teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, KDE highly skilled educator, chief academic officer and superintendent. As superintendent of Madison County Schools, he helped launch a number of new programs including a Middle College Program, transitional mathematics and reading courses based on ACT benchmarks, school based clinics, and an overall systemic effort for student support and success that significantly reduced dropouts and suspensions for the district.
“Tommy is the most kid-centric, student oriented person I have ever met,” says NASP’s CEO/President, Roy Grimes.
Whether on the job at KDE or as a NASP board member, his litmus test regarding decisions, is always how they would affect the student.
Dr. Floyd’s abiding passion for his students and improving educational opportunities has earned him an array of recognitions including Kentucky Association of Secondary School Principals’ Principal of the Year, Kentucky Association of School Administrators’ Administration of the Year, the Kentucky School Boards Association’s Kids First Advocacy Award, and the National Reading Recovery Teacher Leader Award.
Throughout the latter half of his educational career, he has had a strong relationship with NASP. He introduced NASP in every school in the Somerset Independent and Madison County school districts. Schools in both of these districts have earned many awards at NASP state and national tournaments. Not only is Dr. Floyd well established in the archery field, but, his family, is right there with him. His wife Cecilia and daughter Morgan were featured in the Pink Genesis Bow commercial. Portions of sales of this bow were donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, as Cecilia is an eleven-year survivor. Also, Dr. Floyd’s daughter, Morgan Floyd was the 2009 NASP National Champion.
Dr. Floyd holds a Bachelors of Biology and a Masters of Biology Education from Georgetown College. He earned his principal and superintendent certificates from Eastern Kentucky University and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northern Kentucky University. His wife Cecilia Floyd is a former Elementary teacher in the Madison County School district. They have two children, Morgan, a Public Health graduate student from UK (University of Kentucky), and Jonathan, a junior in Criminal Justice and Homeland Security at EKU (Eastern Kentucky University).
The National Archery in the Schools Program has always been a student oriented, positive program for young adults and children. One of the main areas of focus of NASP is to instill confidence in the individual and build camaraderie among teammates and competitors.
With the addition of Dr. Floyd’s passion for building student success, it is certain that NASP will flourish even more in the upcoming years! Welcome to the NASP family, Dr. Floyd!
About National Archery in the Schools Program:
The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) promotes student education, physical education and participation in the lifelong sport of Archery. The mission of NASP is to promote international-style target archery as part of the in-school curriculum, to improve educational performance and participation in the shooting sports among students in grades 4-12.
For more information, please visit www.NASPSchools.org.