Huntington Duo Honored by Suffolk MLK Commission
The Suffolk Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission honored Huntington School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kenneth A. Card, Jr. and Huntington High School dean and athletic coach Ronald Wilson at the organization’s annual luncheon last Friday afternoon at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge.
The two longtime Huntington School District educators were presented with Public Service Awards in recognition of their efforts on behalf of the community’s young people and their families.
“These two gentlemen are outstanding educators and even better human beings,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “They care genuinely about our students and community. They are part of what makes Huntington a special school district.”
Dr. Card and Mr. Wilson have always strived to practice one of Dr. King’s most recognizable utterances: “Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But, I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say.”
“It was simply harmonic,” Mr. Wilson said about the event. “It was a beautiful sight to see so many individuals from all walks of life under the same roof celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards are nice and I am humbled and honored to be a recipient. What was even greater than the award was the love and support I received from my family and my co-workers in the field of education who attended the event.”
The annual luncheon honors Dr. King’s work and memory. In addition to Dr. Card and Mr. Wilson, this year’s Public Service Award recipients included Dr. Joan Lange, Charles, Ross, Dr. Maria Delongoria, Jack Moloney, Thomas Tarantowicz, Thomas Kuhn, Charlotte Wilson, Debbie Rimler and Nina Maung-Gaona. Former New York State Comptroller H. Carl McCall was the event’s keynote speaker.
Dr. Kenneth A. Card, Jr.
Kenneth A. Card, Jr. was named Huntington’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in August 2009. He earlier served as principal of Woodhull Intermediate School for four years.
Dr. Card began his career as a social studies teacher. A May 2006 graduate of Dowling College’s doctoral program in educational administration, leadership and technology, Dr. Card earlier attended Stony Brook University where he earned a bachelor of arts Summa Cum Laude in 1997 and a master of arts in 2000, both in history. He obtained a professional diploma in school administration at Dowling in 2002.
Dr. Card is an appointed member of the Farmingdale State College Council, which meets with college officials about continuing operations and programs and new initiatives.
Before coming to Huntington, Dr. Card served as assistant principal at Oldfield Middle School in the Harborfields school district for three years and worked in the Uniondale alternative school, Western Suffolk BOCES summer school program, Brentwood’s evening high school and at Harborfields High School, where he taught from 1998-2002.
Dr. Card’s prior experience includes serving his country in the United States Navy from 1982 to 1989. He was awarded the Navy Achievement and Good Conduct medals. He has also worked at the Industrial Bank of Japan, the Department of Veterans Administration Medical Center in Northport and as an administrative assistant at Alliant Techsystems in San Diego, CA.
Widely known as a thoughtful, innovative and decisive leader, Dr. Card is also the director of the Huntington School District’s adult and continuing education program. He has served in a variety of key roles in the districts where he has worked, including chairing committees on character education and student attitudes and responsibilities. The veteran administrator holds memberships in several professional organizations.
Dr. Card’s doctoral dissertation was titled “Secondary Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Important and Existing Classroom Observation Practices that Promote Instructional Improvement.” He has worked as an assistant professor at Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus.
Dr. Card completed the Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation’s Future Superintendent’s Academy. The highly intensive learning experience is designed to prepare administrators for a career as a superintendent of schools.
In his free time, Dr. Card enjoys traveling, socializing with family and friends and reading, especially books on politics and history.
Ronald Wilson
Born, raised, educated and employed here, Ronald Wilson is Huntington through and through. A dean of students at Huntington High School, he has been a longtime football coach and also guides the winter and spring boys’ track and field programs.
Mr. Wilson’s family has called Huntington home since the early 1960s. His daughter, sisters and cousins were on hand at last week’s luncheon.
A member of Huntington High School’s Class of 1994, Mr. Wilson participated in a variety of after-school activities including the mentoring program, Student Associates Business Alliance, Black History Day, culture club and athletics.
As a junior, Mr. Wilson would go back to his old elementary school, participating in read-aloud sessions with sixth graders and discussing with them what would be expected of them in high school. It was through such programs and activities he identified a strong inner desire to work with children.
While studying elementary education at St. John’s University, Mr. Wilson started volunteering with Teacher Opportunity Corps, serving as a mentor and tutor for inner-city at-risk youth. After obtaining a BS degree in May 1998, he began working as a substitute teacher in the Huntington and South Huntington school districts. He earned a master’s degree at Stony Brook University in 2005.
In October 1998, Mr. Wilson was hired by Tri-Community & Youth Agency to work with the young people that utilize that organization’s facilities and services. He also started volunteering as a coach with the J. Taylor Finley Junior High School football team. Players and their families quickly took a liking to him and he proved to be a highly effective motivator.
Through his connections with young people and their parents, Mr. Wilson saw a need to bridge the gap between Huntington and South Huntington athletes. He turned to Kevin Thorbourne and Crystal White, who have also dedicated themselves to nurturing area youth, collaborating with them to organize a basketball tournament that helped to shatter barriers between the two groups and pave the way for many friendships to be formed.
Mr. Wilson joined the Huntington School District’s faculty full-time in 2001. After working for many years as a second and third grade teacher at Flower Hill School and as a sixth grade teacher at Huntington Elementary School, he was appointed a dean at Huntington High School.
With many years remaining in his career, Mr. Wilson has already had a lasting effect on the youth of this community. He continues to volunteer his time guiding young people and has developed close relationships with students and their families through teaching, coaching and mentoring.