Larry D. Thornton

Larry D. Thornton Sr.

Entrepreneur |Artist| Author |Servant Leader

Larry Thornton is President and Owner of Thornton Enterprises, Inc., a McDonald’s Franchisee. He

serves on the Board of Directors for Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc, Federal Reserve Bank of

Atlanta - Birmingham Branch, The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Foundation, Freshwater

Landtrust, Birmingham Botanical Gardens and First Commercial Bank (Synovus). He is primarily known

as a businessman and artist, however, in April of 2019, he released his first book, Why Not Win? a

reflection on his fifty-year journey from the Jim Crow South to America’s boardrooms and the lessons he

learned. Most recently, he along with Dr. Dave Ketchen released a graphic novel based on his life’s story

entitled, You Have to Live…Why Not Win?

Larry is known for saying he is excited about the book but is more excited about what the book is doing.

Since the book, the Why Not Win Institute, a leadership and professional development initiative has

launched and been delivered at Clemson University, Auburn University, Texas A&M University,

University of Alabama, Fisk University, Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University.

Thornton was born in Montgomery, Alabama and graduated from Alabama State University with a

Bachelor of Science Degree in Fine Arts. He taught High School Fine Arts at Vestavia Hills High School and

subsequently joined Birmingham Coca-Cola where he served as Advertising Manager and Director of

Business Development. He was the recipient of the Moss A. Kendrix award, a national distinction

presented by Coca-Cola USA for excellence in community relations.

Thornton has also served in the following capacities:

- A.G. Gaston Boys’ Club Board of Directors

- Big Brothers/Big Sisters Board of Directors and Big Brother Volunteer

- Girls Incorporated, Board of Directors and Past President

- United Way of Central Alabama

- Chairman of the United Negro College Fund in 1995

- Birmingham Museum of Art Board of Directors

- Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham

- Vulcan Park Foundation Board of Directors

Thornton is a past President of the Kiwanis Club of Vulcan and was named Kiwanian of the Year in 1988

and 1992, as well as State Kiwanian of the Year in 1993. He was elected in 1994 as Lt. Governor of the

Alabama State District of Kiwanis. He is a current member of Birmingham Downtown Kiwanis Club, the

largest Kiwanis Chapter in the world, and served as the 2020 president. He is a graduate of Project

Corporate Leadership Class, Leadership Birmingham, and Leadership Alabama.

Thornton served as Advertising and Marketing Representative for McDonald’s Corporation’s National

Marketing in the area of the African-American Consumer Markets and Media Budget. In 2013 Larry was

appointed by the Governor of Alabama, to the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Alabama State

University and was elected Chairman of the Board in 2014.

Larry continues to produce limited and open edition art. Some of the proud owners of pieces of the

Larry Thornton art collection include world-famous Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, former US Secretary

of State Condoleezza Rice and President of McDonald’s Corporation Worldwide, Don Thompson.