Tom Hawk

Tom Hawk is currently serving as State Senator, District 22, representing Riley, Clay and parts of Geary Counties. Prior to election in November 2012, Dr. Hawk served as the Executive Director of the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) of Kansas. From 2005 until 2010, Dr. Hawk served three terms in the Kansas House, representing Manhattan, Ogden and Riley County in the 67^th District. He is a proud graduate of Kansas State University with a B.S. in Math Education (1968), an M.S. in Counseling (1970) and a doctorate degree in Educational Administration (1983). Working in the Manhattan-Ogden public schools for thirty-three years, Tom began his career as a junior high math teacher and counselor. For twenty-five years he served as a Curriculum Director, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Finance, and then as Superintendent for the 2000-2001 school year. Dr. Hawk has been involved in numerous community, state and national leadership responsibilities during his forty-four years in Manhattan. In April 2011, he received the KSU Leadership Studies Susan M. Scott Community Leadership Award. In addition to his education career, Tom is a local business person and started Tom Hawk Photography forty years ago.  His company provides event and commencement photography in Kansas, Colorado and California. Most recently he has served as State President of Kansas AARP and on two of Governor Sebelius’ BEST committees in Education and in Agriculture. He has been state president of the State Administrators Organization (USA) and of the State Curriculum Organization (KASCD). Locally he has been on the boards of the United Way, the Chamber of Commerce, Manhattan Arts Center, Junior Achievement, Red Cross, and Manhattan Youth Care. Currently Tom is a member of the Rotary Club, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Manhattan Optimist, Manhattan Area Retired Educators’ Association, Riley County AARP, Board Member of ATA (Area Transportation Authority), and has served on the board of the ECM Campus Center. Tom was married to Tamara, a clinical social worker in private practice in Manhattan. She passed away in July, 2010. They had been married for thirty-eight years and have two children: Skyler, a post doctoral student and social psychology professor in the Netherlands at the University of Utrecht and Cameron, a spring 2008 Kansas University graduate and budding professional musician. He has called Manhattan home for the past forty-eight years.