Little Rock, AR — It is with great pleasure the American Legion Department of Arkansas announces the appointment of Colonel Retired Nathaniel (Nate) Todd of Pine Bluff to serve on the Arkansas Boys State Commission.
Len Cotton, chairman of the American Legion Arkansas Boys State Commission, said he looks forward to seeing the program’s continued excellence with Todd’s appointment.
“Nate is an outstanding leader, and we are proud to have him on the Boys State Commission, and he is exactly what the program needs to continue our success for the future,” Cotton said.
Todd, who was previously the Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs and is a member of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, served a 37-year career in the Army and Army Reserve and said he is eager to continue building Arkansas Boys State’s esteemed legacy in Arkansas.
“I am extremely honored to be appointed to serve with this wonderful organization, and having the opportunity to work with the young men who will soon be the next generation of leaders in our communities, our state, our nation, and even in our industries and corporations,” Todd said. “This also gives me the opportunity to see the future of our democracy through the eyes of the outstanding young men who attend Arkansas Boys State.”
Todd has also previously served as the CFO of Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System and as director of Health Financial Policy in the Office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General. He has a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Baylor University.
Arkansas Boys State is an immersive program in civics education designed for high school juniors. Since 1940, the week-long summer program has transformed the next generation of leaders throughout the state and beyond. These men have become state, national, and international leaders, including Pres. Bill Clinton, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former White House Chiefs of Staff Mack McLarty and Jack Watson Jr., Sen. Tom Cotton, Sen. John Boozman, Arkansas Chief Justice John Dan Kemp, former NATO Supreme Commander Gen. Wesley K. Clark, and many more. Learn more at arboysstate.org.
During their week at Arkansas Boys State, delegates are assigned a political party, city, and county. Throughout the week, delegates, from the ground up, administer this mock government as if it were real: they run for office, draft and pass legislation, solve municipal challenges, and engage constituents. By the week’s end, the delegates have experienced civic responsibility and engagement firsthand while making life-long memories and friends – all with our guiding principle that “Democracy Depends on Me.”