Name: Cloyd Garth Jr

Title: Superintendent of Hazlehurst City School District and CEO of The Garth Group LLC

Organisation: Hazlehurst City School District and The Garth Group LLC

Cloyd Garth, Jr. is a transformational leader, Chief Problem Solver, and Leadership Development Enthusiast with a proven track record of turning around underperforming organizations. As the CEO and Founder of The Garth Group LLC, he has created a leadership incubator dedicated to developing aspiring, emerging, and established leaders across educational agencies, municipalities, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies.

With extensive experience in executive coaching, professional development, and organizational turnarounds, Cloyd specializes in helping leaders shift from people-driven to process-driven leadership, ensuring long-term success and sustainable impact. His expertise in adaptive leadership, systems thinking, and operational excellence has empowered organizations to achieve high-performance results, moving from state control to state-issued high-performance classifications.

Cloyd’s leadership philosophy is rooted in his personal journey—one of perseverance, advocacy, and transformation. Having overcome early challenges in the education system, he deeply understands the power of belief, alignment, and strategic vision. As an award-winning public speaker and sought-after professional development facilitator, he delivers high-impact keynotes, workshops, and coaching programs designed to help leaders develop a CEO mindset, take full ownership of their roles, and drive meaningful change.

With a B.S. in History, a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership—along with completed doctoral coursework in the same field—Cloyd combines academic excellence with real-world experience. Residing in Brandon, Mississippi, with his wife, Reena, and daughter, Ayana, he is committed to helping leaders and organizations grow, transform, and build lasting legacies.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Educational Leadership!

I hope Cloyd's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as an Educational Leader?

The most challenging aspect of leadership is the speed of change. Patience is an essential element of change, whether it be in mindset, in methodology, or in the mission. As leaders, the vision is often crystal clear, but it takes time to build the trust needed for others to join the movement. It is important that leaders remain committed to the work and remain optimistic that the tipping point is coming soon.

2. How did you become an Educational Leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I became an educational leader out of necessity. It was never about a title for me, but a desire to serve more students. I began my educational career as a teacher and a coach. I was able to touch 200-250 in that capacity. My students and I were truly connected and it showed in their efforts. My principal took note of this and selected me to work with a group of challenging students.

The success that I experienced with that group opened my eyes to the bigger picture. I begin to ask myself, “What would happen if I could provide this experience for an even larger group of students….perhaps even an entire school?” That is what pushed me internally to obtain administrator certification and begin the journey of educational leadership.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I am not a believer in balance but in harmony. As such, my days are structured around what requires my attention the most. Ideally, my day begins at 4:00 am with my spiritual time and exercise. I move from there to answer emails and send out my daily thought to faculty and staff.

I have systems in place that I like to maintain so I have time blocks for parents, school visits and issues, community meetings, and leadership development. My school day does not ever end but I reduce my engagement around 6:00 pm in order to spend time with my family. That will last until around 10:00 pm, at which time I wind down and hope to be asleep around midnight.

4. What's a recent lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of as an Educational Leader?

I am reminded of the fact that no position is permanent but that should not change your purpose. Platforms and positions change all the time and if you are in the profession long enough, there is a high probability that yours will as well. That’s ok if you remember to never take a job that you cannot afford to lose. I mean this in the sense that if the job controls how you make decisions and threatens your integrity, you have missed the point of why you lead in the first place. Never lose who you are in a position that can replace you at any time.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your journey as an Educational Leader so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted you?

The Bible has been invaluable to my leadership development. The wisdom of how to grow, develop, and lead is all found in the pages. I have learned that many leadership books have simply repackaged the words of the Bible. I have reaped the fruits of leading people in a way that aligns with Biblical principles for the better part of two decades.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young educator who aspires to be an Educational Leader, what would you say to them?

I would first say thank you for your desire to serve, because that indeed is the duty. I would then say success is not a guarantee, but you certainly can impact the probability of success. Look at your purpose, the people in your life, and the performance that you are giving from the platform you are currently on. Your current work will determine your future work, so move intentionally and with purpose!

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as an Educational Leader, so far?

I was terminated from a position as an educational leader by an outgoing boss who did not want change to occur. This caused a great uproar, and the students even threatened to boycott school the next year. In that moment, I realized that I was doing my assignment correctly. While I did not agree with their position on boycotting, I was proud of the empowerment in action. As an educational leader, the goal is to make well-rounded citizens who can lead the next generation. I knew in that moment they would be just fine. PS. I was able to talk them out of boycotting school 😊.