Thomas J. Spaulding, Jr.

Tommy Spaulding is the President of the Spaulding Companies LLC, a leadership development, consulting and speaking organization. In 2005, Spaulding was named the fifth President & CEO of the international leadership non-profit Up with People and held this position until 2008. Spaulding has lived on four continents working as a global ambassador in various capacities, traveling to over 60 countries. 

Before taking the helm at Up with People, Spaulding founded Leader’s Challenge in 2000, the largest high school civic and leadership program in Colorado today (www.leaderschallenge.org). Previously, Spaulding was the Director of Corporate Affiliates for Up with People; Business Partner Sales Manager at IBM/Lotus Development; and a member of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program, where he worked with the Nagano Winter Olympic Games. He served as a U.S. Congressional Intern (1990), worked for the 1996 Dole presidential campaign, and was a finalist for the White House Fellowship Program in 2000 and 2002.

Spaulding received a BA in Political Science from East Carolina University (1992); an MBA from Bond University in Australia (1998), where he was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar; and an MA in Non-Profit Management from Regis University (2005), where he was a Colorado Trust Fellow. In 2007 received an Honorary PhD in Humanities from the Art Institute of Colorado.

Spaulding is a graduate of the Leadership Program of the Rockies (2003), and a graduate of Leadership Denver (2005). In 2002, Spaulding received the prestigious Denver Business Journal’s Forty under 40 Award and keynoted this award ceremony in 2005. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Outdoor Arts and the Board of Directors of Leader’s Challenge.

Spaulding’s leadership experience dates back to Suffern High School (1987) where he earned an Eagle Scout award and was Senior Class President. He was the first student in his school’s history to win a national award at the DECA Entrepreneurial Business Competition. During his undergraduate years at East Carolina University, Spaulding served as Senior Class President. At graduation he received the university’s Most Outstanding Leader Award. In 2006, Spaulding was awarded East Carolina University’s Outstanding Alumni Award, the highest distinction awarded to an alumnus of the university. In May, 2008 Spaulding was the commencement speaker at East Carolina University’s centennial graduation. Currently, Spaulding is the Chairman of East Carolina University’s External Advisory Board and is the University’s first “Leader in Residence.” 

In 2008 Spaulding and his wife co-founded Colorado’s first leadership and service program for elementary school aged kids called Kid’s Challenge (www.coloradokidschallenge.com). Spaulding also has founded, A Dialogue for Tomorrow, an annual retreat inviting over 150 thought leaders from around the world to participate in a three day leadership conference.

Spaulding is an international speaker on leadership and a member of the National Speakers Association. He has spoken to hundreds of organizations, schools, and corporations on four continents. His first book, the Give/Get Principal will be out in January of 2010. To contact Tommy Spaulding about speaking information, please visit www.tommyspaulding.com or contact Andrea Temel at Andrea.Temel@tommyspaulding.com.

Spaulding resides in Colorado with his wife Jill, daughter Caroline, son Tate, and stepson Anthony.