ACADEMY DIRECTOR

 Mr. Kevin L. Bonner is a decorated Army officer and leader with over 21 years of military service and an additional eight years working domestic and foreign affairs for the U.S. government. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree with specialties in Program Development and Project Management, and a Master of Science Degree in International Business Management. Mr. Bonner possesses fluency in multiple languages and is a two-time Magna Cum Laude graduate of the world-renown Defense Foreign Language Institute of Monterey, California. He is a Florida State Educator, a Certified Life-Coach, Transcendental Meditation Practitioner, and Certified Master Practitioner of Neurolinguistics in Life Coaching.

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Drawing from his diverse experiences, cross-cultural communications, and an innate ability to connect with people, Mr. Bonner has led soldiers and civilian employees all over the United States and in multiple countries throughout Europe, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.  Mr. Bonner spent his early years growing up in the inner city of St. Louis, Missouri where he experienced similar struggles to those encountered by many young teens who lack the problem-solving, decision-making, and leadership skills needed to achieve their personal best. His family subsequently moved to the small town of Hannibal, Missouri (Mark Twain boyhood home and backdrop for the adventures of Tom Sawyer).  It is there where Mr. Bonner fostered his love for sports and sparked an internal drive to achieve success!  Mr. Bonner joined the U.S. Army at age nineteen and went on to become a Foreign Intelligence Officer and Language/Cultural Expert in Czech and Spanish languages. Mr. Bonner is an avid runner, swimmer, and boxer. He represented the U.S. Army Boxing Team where he showed his grit and propelled himself to national level success, becoming the U.S. National Golden Gloves Light Middle-Weight Champion.

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Mr. Bonner’s commitment to developing up-and-coming leaders began during his tenure in the military, and his dedication continued through his retirement from government service. His passion for working with kids and engaging intelligent minds subsequently led him to pursuing his life’s purpose of teaching and mentoring young men and women in becoming outstanding leaders and reaching their greatest potential. During the early years of Mr. Bonner’s tenure as a Florida State educator, he developed a bi-lingual leadership development program for a Florida Title I public school. The amazing success of his program revealed the need for such leadership and life skills on broader levels, which motivated Mr. Bonner to expand his reach in serving our nation’s youth by establishing the prestigious TRU-Leaders Academy, Inc; a veteran operated non-profit organization.