Dr. Lamar White thought Graham Fountain’s visit to the Okaloosa County School Board meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, might have something to do with America 250. Instead, Fountain was there to surprise White on behalf of U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis.
- The recognition opened a night of tributes at White’s last meeting as a board member. He closes out 12 years on the board after a career in the district as a teacher, coach, principal and administrator.
Fountain told the board Patronis had been called back to Washington, D.C., and that he was speaking for the congressman and their office. He presented White with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in his honor and a Congressional Certificate of Community Recognition for more than 40 years of service to Okaloosa County as an educator, administrator and board member.
“For those of us that are products of this school system since we were little babies, all the way up, you know, from kindergarten all the way through high school, and went on to attend colleges and universities and do all these things, it is not lost on us that the Okaloosa County School System, through our entire lives, have been, if not the best, one of the top two or three school systems in this state,” Fountain said. “And Lamar, you are a vital, vital part of what’s been going on.”
Fountain also read a personal letter from Patronis congratulating White on his retirement.
- “Your career has seen challenging growth and issues in the school system, and you have met them head-on with strength and resolve,” Patronis wrote.
The letter named the passage of the half-cent sales tax to fund educational infrastructure improvements as one of the memorable wins under White’s leadership.
“There’s no doubt when the history of Okaloosa County’s finest educators is written, you will be placed right at the top of the list, as you gave of your time, talents and even personal finances to help all the students of Okaloosa County, and your chairmanships have been most productive and insightful,” the letter read.
Patronis closed with a joke, offering White a non-paid volunteer educational advisor slot at the congressional office if he gets “extremely bored.”
A first conversation in 1998
Later in the meeting, Superintendent Marcus Chambers recalled meeting White in 1998, when he drove up with his mother looking for a job and stopped by Plew Elementary School.
“Just a person coming off the street wanting to talk, he took me in and had a conversation. And that’s not always the norm, someone just coming in off the street and they find time for you,” Chambers said. “I ended up not going to Plew. But Dr. White ended up becoming my principal, and somebody who absolutely cared about his faculty and staff, someone who cared about his students and the community in which he was serving.”
Chambers said he watched White move to different schools and become a leader other principals and assistant principals went to for guidance. He thanked White for his leadership, mentorship and friendship, and presented him with a plaque on behalf of himself, senior staff and the board.
Board Member Tim Bryant read the inscription after Chambers joked that he needed to start wearing glasses. It recognized White “for 12 years of distinguished service, leadership, and dedication as a member of the Okaloosa County School Board from 2014 to 2026.”
‘If Dr. White’s talking, you better pay attention’
School Board Attorney Jeff McInnis said he has worked with White since 1990, including the years White spent managing schools and departments across the district.
“He’s always been willing to take advice, and more than that, he gives really good advice because he’s a sage when it comes to analyzing situations,” McInnis said.
Board Member Brett Hinely said that after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him, White came to his business before he was sworn in to walk him through the job, including its pitfalls and procedures. The two later learned they belong to the same fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha.
- “Told me when to be quiet or when to speak up,” Hinely said. “You didn’t have to do that and I do really appreciate it. You’ve been a mentor for this whole thing, and it’s been a pleasure working with you.”
Board Member Parker Destin said his connection to White goes back to his family. White, his wife, Connie, and Destin’s father all went to high school together, and Destin watched his father serve on the board alongside White.
Destin said the thing he valued most as the newest member was White’s institutional knowledge.
“The memory to look back to say, ‘Hey, listen, we did it this way in the past for a reason,’ or, ‘We tried that before and I know where you’re going with this, but there may be some landmines or pitfalls or things you didn’t really consider,'” Destin said. “And all of that has been available to me without condition and always brought with a sense of mentorship and goodwill towards me.”
Bryant said he met White about 11 years ago on the campaign trail while running for the District 4 seat. White’s advice then was to “just be yourself.” Bryant served alongside White for 10 years and succeeded him as chairman after White’s three years leading the board.
- “Who would have guessed that five months later we would be dealing with COVID? I will never forget your words of encouragement during those challenging years of COVID, which helped me remain focused while leading our board through one of the most difficult periods in the district’s history,” Bryant said.
Chairwoman Linda Evanchyk said she has known White as a friend and a colleague, and that he helped her learn the ropes as a first-time candidate. She estimated that over 12 years, White attended about 600 meetings.
“I’ve always made sure that I listened to your remarks because I knew that, as people have used the word sage and other things, I knew that if Dr. White’s talking, you better pay attention, and I did that,” Evanchyk said.
Evanchyk said the word that best describes White’s career is “statesman,” and honored him for 35 years as a career educator and 12 years as an elected official. Calling White a patriot and a historian of the country, she presented him with a copy of “250 Years of American History” signed by the board.
‘I’m just going to take a little break from the court’
When it was his turn to speak, White first thanked Connie, who he said has been with him for almost 55 years.
“I often said that Connie was the best part of my campaign whenever we were out there on the campaign trail. People like Connie, me not so much necessarily,” White said.
He thanked Okaloosa County voters for electing him and returning him to office two times, calling it “the highest public honor of my life, being able to serve the young people of this county.”
White also had a line for Chambers.
- “Superintendent, we go way back, and even though you didn’t take that job that I offered you, even though I remember it, I forgive you,” White said. “You were a great teacher and you’re doing a wonderful job with this school district.”
He said district staff used to describe Okaloosa schools as Camelot, and joked about wanting to kiss the Okaloosa sign on Interstate 10 when returning from other places. He added that some of the staff working in the district today were once his students.
“It’s always, in my opinion, the greatest compliment to a teacher when their students surpass the teacher,” White said. “And some of you have done that and I’m proud of you for that.”
White, who once coached high school tennis in the county, closed by recalling his favorite player, Jimmy Connors, who said at his Tennis Hall of Fame induction that he never said he was retiring.
“And so I’ll just say this, I’m just going to take a little break from the court for a little while,” White said. “But I’m here if you need me. Give me a call.”
