The Board of Trustees of the National Teachers Hall of Fame has hired Dr. Ralph H. Draper as the new executive director. Dr. Draper has more than 30 years of experience in administrative functions that have required organizational, communicative, and interpersonal skills.
Dr. Draper, originally of Cleveland, Ohio (an avid Cleveland Browns diehard fan), received his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Education with a minor in Speech and Psychology from Davide Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. He received his Certification in Elementary Education from Salisbury State University in Salisbury, Maryland. He received his Master of Education, Mid-Management and Superintendent Certifications and his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas.
His professional background includes elementary teacher in the Longview (Texas) Independent School District from 1988 to 1993, Assistant principal in Longview from 1993 to 1995, principal from 1995 to 1997 in the Marshall (Texas) Independent School District, assistant superintendent in Marshall from 1997 to 2002, and superintendent of schools in Marshall from 2002 to 2005. He then was superintendent of schools for Spring (Texas) Independent School District, a large district in a suburb of Houston, from 2005 to 2014. In 2014, he established TDG Consultants, LLC for educational and ministry consulting with specialization in leadership.
Draper’s role as the new executive director has been expanded to include duties as a national development officer in the interest of raising funds to prepare to take the NTHF to the next level. This next level will include reaffirming and redesigning the operations of the hall here in Emporia. This process is anticipated to take at least two years to complete putting the framework in place.
Upon completion, the NTHF will have a position dedicated largely to major fundraising nationally, building and strengthening national partnerships and elevating the reputation of the NTHF, and for that matter, Teacher Town, USA, across the nation. In addition, we will continue to have a director on site supported by an office manager/social media engineer. The goal is to have the infrastructure in place to get us to that next level of greatness by the beginning of 2025. As we embark on this bold, new vision, the future of the NTHF, much like its illustrious past, looms bright!
Draper has been an NTHF trustee since 2017 and was the vice chair of the board in 2022. He serves on the Board of Trustees for Abilene Christian University and is a lifetime member of the Parent Teacher Association. In addition, he serves in a leadership role as an Elder in his local church.
Draper and his wife of 42 years, Charlene, have three grown daughters and are the very proud grandparents of four grandchildren ranging from ages 3 to 9 years old.