Thomas’s Awards and Presentations

 Florida School Boards Association PRESIDENT’s Award – 2026

The Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) President’s Award is an annual honor bestowed by the current president, Angie Gallo, to recognize outstanding contributions to the educational community. Recently, President Gallo presented this prestigious award to Thomas Kennedy for his visionary leadership in advancing AI literacy and innovation.

As co-chairs of the AI and IT Committee, Kennedy and his colleague Roberto tackled one of the most critical issues facing public education today. They led with vision, thoughtfulness, and generosity to shape and advance the conversation around artificial intelligence for school boards across Florida. Through their dedicated service on the statewide AI Task Force, they ensured that FSBA members had a clear voice in this evolving landscape. By bringing people together and freely sharing their knowledge, they helped school board members feel more confident and prepared to navigate a rapidly changing environment.

This exceptional leadership recently garnered national attention in Washington, D.C. At the EDSAFE AI Alliance Summit, the Florida kindergarten through 12th grade AI in Education Task Force received the 2026 State Policy Lab Torchbearer Award. During the summit, Kennedy and Roberto were celebrated as community builders who actively share their work and support others as they take their initial steps forward in the use of AI.

President Gallo noted that this description perfectly fits Kennedy. His dedication leaves a lasting mark on public education, reflects the absolute best of the association, and serves as an inspiring example for school board members statewide.

Phil Royal Legacy Foundation’s “Heart of Gold Award” – 2021

Phil Royal Legacy Foundation’s “Heart of Gold Award” annually honors two persons for their service and dedication to the community. Among other things Thomas does on behalf of students in Citrus County, school board member Thomas Kennedy was instrumental in getting the Phil Royal EMT program at the Crystal River High School health academy named for the late Phil Royal, said the foundation’s founder April Royal in a prerecorded video. Royal described Kennedy as “kind and genuine” and someone who “sincerely advocates for all students … a man of talk and a man of action,” she said. “I’m proud to be associated with Thomas Kennedy and know without a doubt our community has benefitted from his gifts of time, dedication, leadership and influence.”

(Source: https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/local/phil-royal-legacy-foundation-annual-awards-night-honors-two-launches-all-kids-bike-program/article_b57b1f64-cd40-11eb-8980-7b4a4e0c8764.html)

Blog column at https://thomastalks.org/honored-to-receive-the-phil-royal-legacy-2021-heart-of-gold-award/

 Florida STAR School Board Member of the Year – 2018

Consortium of Florida Education Foundation is currently the only statewide awards given to a Florida School Board Member. Selected after being nominated by the local Citrus County Education Foundation from among an impressive slate of other deserving Florida School Board members.

Selected for being a model community activist, expert communicator, and influential leader. The nomination application stated, “He (Thomas) truly ‘walks the walk’ when it comes to his involvement, dedication, and enthusiasm in supporting the efforts of our Citrus County Education Foundation.”

(Consortium Press Release – https://educationfoundationsfl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-CFEF-STAR-Awards-Press-Release.pdf)

Blog column at https://thomastalks.org/kennedy-receives-consortium-of-florida-education-foundation-star-award/

 Florida School Boards Association Bridge Builder Award – 2023

Andrea Messina, CEO of the Florida School Boards Association presented Thomas Kenendy, President of the FSBA 2022-2023 during the Citrus County School Board meeting with the FSBA’s first ever Bridge Builder Award. Ms. Messina spoke on behalf of the FSBA and talked about the impact of Mr. Kennedy and how through his efforts – strengthened the FSBA organization and talked about how she identifies and connects Mr. Kennedy with the character of Ted Lasso from the HBO series. “Both of them are bridge builders who effortlessly connect disparate groups,” says Ms. Messina. “And just like that fictional football coach who won the hearts of a divided team, our FSBA president, Thomas Kennedy brought his own brand of positivity, warmth, and wisdom to our association. He transformed challenges into opportunities, and he cultivated an environment of inclusivity where diverse perspectives were not only welcomed but celebrated. And just like Ted Lasso, who believed in the best in people, our president (Thomas) saw the best in each of our members. And he encouraged them to be the best school board members they could be.” 

(Citrus Schools Press Release – https://www.citrusschools.org/news/what_s_new/kennedy_receives_f_s_b_a_bridge_builder_award)