Nate Todd appointed to Boys State Commission

Colonel (Ret.) Nathaniel “Nate” Todd, former Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs and member of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, has been named to the American Legion Arkansas Boys State Commission.

Len Cotton, chairman of the American Legion Arkansas Boys State Commission, said he looks forward to seeing the program’s continued excellence with Todd’s appointment.

“Nate is an outstanding leader, and we are proud to have him on the Boys State Commission, and he is exactly what the program needs to continue our success for the future,” Cotton said.

Todd served a 37-year career in the Army and Army Reserve and said he is eager to continue building Arkansas Boys State’s esteemed legacy in Arkansas.

“I am extremely honored to be appointed to serve with this wonderful organization, and having the opportunity to work with the young men who will soon be the next generation of leaders in our communities, our state, our nation, and even in our industries and corporations,” Todd said. “This also gives me the opportunity to see the future of our democracy through the eyes of the outstanding young men who attend Arkansas Boys State.”

Todd has also previously served as the CFO of Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System and as director of Health Financial Policy in the Office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General. He has a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Baylor University.

Arkansas Boys State, started in 1940, is an immersive one-week program in civics education designed for high school juniors.

During their week at Arkansas Boys State, delegates are assigned a political party, city, and county. Throughout the week, delegates, from the ground up, administer this mock government as if it were real: they run for office, draft and pass legislation, solve municipal challenges, and engage constituents.