H. Roy Kaplan, Special Advisor

Currently a Visiting Associate Professor in the Africana Studies Department of the University of South Florida, Dr. H. Roy Kaplan was Executive Director of the National Conference for Community and Justice Tampa Bay Region from 1989 until his retirement in September 2004.

He has been recognized locally and nationally for his work on behalf of, and contributions to, civil rights and human relations. Some of these honors include the Civil Rights Advocacy Award of the Florida Association of Community Relations Professionals; the Community Service Award of the St. Petersburg Branch of the NAACP; the Tampa/Hillsborough County Human Rights Council Award for Humanitarian Community Service; the Blance Armwood Baity Award for Community Service from the Tampa Hillsborough Urban League; the Tampa Bay YWCA Humanitarian Award; the Hannah G. Solomon Humanitarian Award from the National Council of Jewish Women; the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Tampa/Hillsborough Urban League; the "Best of the Bay in Ethics" by The Weekly Planet; the Education Hero Award from the U.S. Department of Education and the Tampa Bay Ethics Award from the Center for Ethics at the University of Tampa.

In addition, Dr. Kaplan served as an advisor on the President’s Commission on Race Relations, “One America.”

Dr. Kaplan has appeared on numerous radio and television shows and has authored many articles and three books: American Minorities and Economic Opportunity (Peacock Publishers, 1977), Lottery Winners (Harper and Row, 1978) and Failing Grades: How Schools Breed Frustration, Anger & Violence & How to Prevent It (Scarecrow Education, 2004).

He received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1971 and was a professor for twenty years, teaching at the State University of New York at Buffalo and the Florida Institute of Technology.

Board Chair, Jim Albright, and Board member, Teddy Pierre, thank Dr. Kaplan upon his retirement after 15 years of dedicated leadership at the helm of NCCJ-Tampa Bay.