Retired Lt. Colonel from Georgia becomes National PTA... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

Retired Lt. Colonel from Georgia becomes National PTA... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:

Get Schooled: Retired Lt. Colonel from Georgia becomes National PTA president. First black male to lead PTA.

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Betsy Landers, National PTA President 2011-2013, hands the gavel over to Otha Thornton at today's installation. (Lifetouch photo)

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By Maureen Downey

From the National Parent Teacher Association today:

Today, Otha Thornton of Richmond Hill, Ga., was installed as president of the National Parent Teacher Association, making history as the first African-American male chosen to lead the association. The ceremony took place at the PTA’s General Meeting at Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, where he addressed the more than 1,000 attendees in his first official speech in the position.

Here is an excerpt of Thornton's acceptance speech in Cincinnati: 

 First and foremost, I would like to thank my family—my wife, Caryn of 24 years, my children, Candice from Houston, Texas, and Tre—for their support. To my mother, Estelle, who told my brothers, sisters, and me that we could be anything that we wanted to be in life, if we number one, kept God first, number two,