Donald T. Floyd, Jr. (Don) has been associated with innovative leadership of youth-serving, non-profit organizations for more than 35 years. As the COO and then President and CEO of the National 4-H Council, Floyd assured the strategic direction and execution of Council’s mission, vision, values, and organizational culture. Under his leadership, National 4-H Council led 4-H in the National Conversation on Youth Development in the 21st Century and created the first national action agenda for youth policy. As CEO, Don championed the voice of youth in everything he did, including having youth serve as full voting members on the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees.
Thanks to Floyd’s collaborative leadership across the Cooperative Extension System, the outcomes of the 4-H experience were documented through “The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development.” This 10-year longitudinal study established the research and knowledge base for positive youth development. Floyd led 4-H expansion in afterschool and STEM programming and the creation of the Global Clover Network to advance the work of 4-H programs around the world. Prior to his retirement, Don’s leadership roles in the broader youth development arena helped to ensure that 4-H was well represented in some of the most prominent and influential areas of the sector. He served as Chair of the National Collaboration for Youth and as a Trustee with the America’s Promise Alliance.
