Tom Templeton lives in Newport, Pennsylvania, which is located 30 minutes from Harrisburg, the state capital. He holds a degree in Speech Communications from Millersville University, and a Secondary Education certification through Penn State University. Tom’s first career was serving as an aide and District Director to U.S. Representative George W. Gekas. In these capacities, Tom consistently interacted with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies in assisting thousands of constituents resolve complex issues. Tom represented the Congressman at many district meetings and events in collaborative efforts with other regional, statewide and national leaders. In taking on the duties of District Director, he became responsible for coordinating the constituent service efforts of three district offices in a five-county region in southcentral Pennsylvania.
Over fourteen years later, Tom joined the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, working his way through the ranks to eventually become the Assistant Executive Director for School Board and Management Services – a position he held for four and a half years. Tom’s department was responsible for developing and delivering a broad portfolio of entrepreneurial services for the 500 school districts in the state, which generated over $1 million annually for the association. During his 10.5 years with PSBA, Tom conducted countless leadership workshops, seminars, retreats, community stakeholder meetings, and administrator searches. He has written and spoken extensively on various governance topics, and served on several association task forces. Tom was tapped to participate on an association working group that developed the first-of-its-kind, Standards for Effective School Governance. The core of these standards are still in use today by many districts throughout Pennsylvania.
Then, in early 2014, Tom embarked on a career as an entrepreneur and pursued his vision of designing a business that is truly unique in the marketplace. He founded TEMPLETON Advantage, a project that has gained significant momentum over the last 2.5 years, with clients in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. TEMPLETON Advantage not only provides traditional leadership products and services to organizations, but utilizes the materials housed in the TEMPLETON Advantage Leadership Library to help clients design lives of real significance for themselves, their families and their employers. The library is a massive personal collection of resources from many of the leading experts in personal and professional excellence over the last 50 years! As John Maxwell often says, “All leadership starts with yourself first!”
Tom has also been very active in his community, serving as an elected school director with the Newport School District, coaching youth sports teams, facilitating courses as a Graduate Assistant with Dale Carnegie, and participating in various faith-based projects. These experiences, coupled with his efforts working alongside – and learning from -- thousands of leaders in education, government, non-profits, and the private sector, have given Tom a body of knowledge, a set of skills, and a psychological mindset that makes him a recognized and sought-after speaker and leadership strategist. Topics range from organizational dynamics and culture to professional ethics, board-CEO relations, community engagement, CEO evaluations, collective bargaining, executive searches, and peak performance.
So please take some time to visit other sections of this site to learn more about TEMPLETON Advantage. I think you will find that you’ve come to the right place. And remember this: No one will work harder to meet your needs. No one! Tom and his wife, Bo, have two daughters, Ellie and Kate, and a Shih Tzu named Gingersnap. Tom and Bo enjoy supporting their daughters' activities, reading, fitness and attending sporting events.
