About Thomas

About Thomas

I was first elected to the School Board in 2010 and re-elected in 2014, 2018, and 2022. I served as Chairman of the School Board in 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2018-2019, and 2023-2024.

I relocated to Citrus County, Florida in 1989 from Stoneham, Massachusetts. While volunteering at Crystal River Middle School in 1990, I met my wife, who had just begun teaching at CRMS, and we later married in 1992. My wife and I have lived in the Central Ridge area of Citrus for 29 years. We have two children who have spent their entire academic life in our Citrus public schools. Our daughter recently graduated high school and began college in the fall of 2021 at Florida Southern College, majoring in Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and our son graduated in May 2021 from the Florida Institute of Technology as a Chemical Engineer with a minor in Nano Technologies and works for an aerospace company.

For over 20 years, I worked in most aspects of the construction and real estate businesses, from site selection, feasibility studies, land acquisition, residential and commercial design, to on-site construction supervision. In 1999, my business partner and I formed a small new home development company, Roken Development, Inc., and we began developing speculative homes on properties in the Central Ridge and Pine Ridge Estates areas of Citrus County. In those years, we developed and sold over 50 homes in Pine Ridge Estates alone. I personally have been responsible for construction scheduling, bank reconciliations, payroll, quarterly tax filings, and the handling of accounts payable and accounts receivable. Later, our company expanded to become a full construction company, Roken Construction, Inc., and I took overall site management of our construction projects.

Although my background is in the private sector, I also have an understanding of the workings of the public school system. I have been personally exposed to the school system through involvement in the School Advisory Enhancement Council, and I have also been indirectly aware of many of the schools’ goals, issues, and problems by being married for 30 years to a teacher in the Citrus County School District. As a result of this combination, it has provided me with a unique insight into the needs of the private sector as well as the challenges the public school system faces.

Thomas Kennedy is a USA Swimming Certified swim coach who volunteers his time weekly for the children and teens of Citrus County.

On the Citrus County School Board, in Citrus County and throughout our great state, I have served and represented our community, district, staff, parents, and students on numerous committees and organizations.  They include but are not limited to the ESE/START Committee, Pupil Progression Plan for high Schools Committee, High School Directions Committee, District Technology Committee, District Technology Directions Committee, Pupil Progression Plan Committees, and more.  In addition to being elected to the Citrus County School Board, I have always been involved in community service. I currently serve on the Board of Citrus Harvest/Citrus Blessings, Citrus LifeSouth Blood Bank Community Board, and the Sun Coast Swim Team.  I have also had the pleasure of working with children out of school as I am a certified USA Swimming Coach. Click here for a full list of Committee Assignments, School Advisory Councils, and Community Service.

I have been honored to be recognized for my service to our students and community. In 2018, I was awarded the 2018 Florida STAR School Board Member of the Year by the Consortium of Florida Education Foundation. This is currently the only statewide award given to a Florida School Board Member. I was selected after being nominated by the local Citrus County Education Foundation from among an impressive slate of other deserving Florida School Board members.

In June 2021, I was awarded the Phil Royal Legacy Foundation’s “Heart of Gold Award”. The Phil Royal Legacy Foundation’s “Heart of Gold Award” annually honors two people for their service and dedication to the community.

In June 2022, I was sworn in as President of the Florida School Board Association, which represents most of Florida’s 358 school board members. I previously served as FSBA’s President-Elect and Vice-President. I have chaired FSBA’s Policy Committee, Leadership Services Committee, and Advocacy Subcommittee. I have been a Florida Certified Board Member since 2014. In the summer of 2020, I had the honor of serving as an appointee to FSBA’s Ad Hoc Committee to develop the FSBA Pandemic Response Guide in June 2020.

As a dyslexic person, I know first-hand the challenges that students with learning disabilities face, and I can appreciate what teachers of students with learning disabilities must do to best assist those students in being successful. Technology has become a great tool in helping myself and others with more serious disabilities. Today, technology plays a big part in my life. I am constantly reading up on the newest in technology and keeping my skills fresh to the point that my wife and friends affectionately nicknamed me “Techno Thom”.