A coastal Georgia resident has made history by becoming the first African-American man to serve as president of the National Parent Teacher Association.

Otha Thornton, of Richmond hill, was installed as president of the organization at the association's general meeting in Cincinnati Sunday.

Speaking in front of a crowd of about 1,000 people, Thornton said he'll use his position to work toward focusing on leadership, advocacy and power sharing within the organization.

Thornton is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who earned a bronze star for his service in 2009 and 2010 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also previously served on the Georgia PTA Board of Directors and the PTA's national board of directors.

Tags: pta, national parent teacher association, otha thornton, parent teacher association