Changing of the Guard

They are in many ways similar, both longtime teachers who rose to the highest ranks of the school administration, both devoted to their churches and both beloved by the Carrabelle High School students who they helped educate and inspire.

And with the retirement of Assistant Superintendent Mikel Clark in mid-October, and Superintendent Jo Ann Gander next week, the district will lose close to eight decades of combined experience of these education professionals.

Their family and friends, colleagues and chums took time out to celebrate them on the occasion of their retirements.

Cheryl Creek's culinary arts classes served up delicious buffet dinners that, with the last spoonful of dessert, would give way to sometimes tear-filled tributes to each individual's legacy.

And one common theme emerged throughout, a theme that resonated beyond the hard-work and dedication all teachers and administrators must render if they are to be successful.

That was the theme of reaching out in a warm and personal way to the students whose care and guidance was in these educators' hands.

Of laughing with them, of being stern with them, of listening to them and of molding their futures.

It was a theme punctuated by the appearance of many of these students, either in person or via the technological magic of videocameras, who took the time to praise the influence either Clark or Gander had on their lives.

It was a powerful reminder of just how much positive impact has been generated by the tight-knit Carrabelle community where each educator served.

And it served up the important question of how the bonds of such a tight-knit school community can be nurtured and preserved as the county moves into a central, consolidated school setting.

"He was always ‘Coach Clark'"

            A huge outpouring of family and friends greeted Mikel Clark when he walked through the doors of the Franklin County High School cafetorium on Saturday evening, Oct. 18.

            They were there to surprise him, and to say thanks for 40 years of his service to the school district, from teacher and coach to assistant superintendent for the past 23 years.

            "No one has had more impact on our schools than Mike Clark," said Superintendent Gander, among the first to speak at the banquet.

            "There's a hole that won't be filled by your leaving," said School Board Member Denise Butler, adding that Clark had "taught me the art of listening well."

            Board Members David Hinton and Teresa Ann Martin each added their praise as well. Hinton recalled Clark's guidance when he was assistant principal in Carrabelle when Hinton taught science. "There is no better friend than Mike Clark," he said.

            "He's a confidante, he's more than a friend," added Martin.

            People from various stations in Clark's life, from the state department of education, to the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium, to district staff, to former students, to his church family at Carrabelle's First Baptist Church, all stepped forward to share the esteem in which they held Clark.

            After receiving his bachelor's in education from Troy State University, Clark followed "the Lord's call" to Carrabelle, where in 1968 he accepted an offer to teach history and coach for the Carrabelle Green devils.

            He and his young bride, Othelia, rented a small cottage on the beach, and later moved to 303 Tallahassee Street, and began a family that would soon number three daughters, Lynn, Leigh and Lisa.

            "These places became their Jerusalem," said Pastor Mark Mercer. "His Jerusalem was taught and coached at Carrabelle High School. It was not just a job for him; it was his ministry."

            Devoted to his church, Clark would in the ensuing years be ordained a deacon, and Mercer's voice broke as he read a letter that Clark wrote on that occasion to his mother and father.

            In that letter, Clark expounds on the meaning of the Bible verse Galatians 2:20 which reads "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

            After becoming principal at Carrabelle, Clark was named assistant superintendent in 1985, and for the past 23 years has been a guiding force, for several superintendents, in shaping school policy.

            "He left a positive mark for education," said Mercer.

            When it was his turn to speak, Clark recalled a story of how his grandson, Michael Register, had nearly spilled the beans when he turned to his grandfather and said "So what do you think about that retirement party?"

            When his grandfather questioned him about it, the boy didn't miss a beat, replying that he probably shouldn't have said anything about the party "that's going to be November 6. " (It was actually October 18).

            Several friends, from Pastor Gene Hallstrom to Rachial Hendels to Mindy Kelley, rose to praise the impact Clark and his family have had on their lives. And his brother, Steve, rose as well, sharing the pride he felt in his brother's accomplishments while reminding everyone he was "much, much younger" than his older brother.

            A former football player for Clark, Doug Young spoke, as did Ronnie Jackson and Greg Daniels, who recalled how as a child of a military family, he had attended 13 schools in 13 years before moving to Carrabelle, where Clark became an important mentor in his life.

            There were moments of misbehavior, and Clark didn't spare the rod, but his influence helped shape Daniels' later success. "I deserved every lick I received," he said. "When he was my history teacher, he was always ‘Coach Clark.'"

            Last to come forward to speak were the three Shiver boys, Skip, Mike and Bob, who recalled Clark's disciplinary and devotional ways.

            "Coach Clark made you tough," said Mike Shiver, remembering their football days. He noted one memorable game, and one lasting impression, that were inscribed on him when a last-second kickoff return gave Carrabelle a come-from-behind victory, igniting the boys' explosive spirits.

            "That man right there gave God the glory," said Mike Shiver. "He has lived a ministry throughout this county."

            The biggest surprise of the night came following the remarks, when Clark and his wife stepped outside to receive a brand-new 14-foot fishing boat, given as a gift from his family and friends.

            Othelia Clark said her husband and son-in-law Robbie Hogan have already broken the boat in, and that they planned to go out again Tuesday.

"The only chance some of these kids have"

            Superintendent Jo Ann Gander and her husband of 42 years, Rush, were guests of honor at her retirement banquet Saturday evening in the cafetorium.

            Gander's daughters, Donna Barber, a teacher at the consolidated school, and Deborah J. Gander, a Coral Gables attorney, emceed the well-choreographed evening.

            Following dinner, school board members David Hinton and Teresa Ann Martin presented Gander with a plaque of appreciation.

            Hinton recalled that when he first came to Carrabelle, the students had an informal contest between him and Gander as to "who was the roughest, toughest teacher in the school.

            "She was fair, kids respected her," he said.

            "We are going to miss you, we worked well together," said Martin. "We worked through a lot of issues together."

            Martin recalled, as did Jimmy Gander as the Nov. 6 school board meeting, about the many contentious telephone calls and discussions that enlivened the superintendent's eight years at the helm of the Franklin County Schools. "She is stern, she is firm, but I know that iron shapes iron," said Martin.

            A former student of Gander's, Solomon Lowery, son of Cherry Rankin, who heads up the Boys and Girls Clubs in Carrabelle, came in from Tampa to be part of Saturday's tribute.

            He recalled the influence Gander had on his life and how she made him feel as much a part of the Carrabelle community as a member of her own family.

            "Sometimes we lose our way," said Lowery, now an educator in Hillsborough County. "I never felt like I wasn't a member of the (school community.) She has a very special place in my heart."

            Lowery recalled Gander's grandson, Caden, now a player on the Seahawks' football team, scooting around the typing room on his little legs, and Gander's enthusiasm as an advisor on their senior trip.

            "She loved us so much she was brave enough to go on our senior trip with us," he said. "There are countless memories we took for granted at that time."

            Gander's brother, Bill Bailey, offered tender remarks about their family, and shared his pride, and the pride Gander's parents would feel, at her accomplishments.

            He remembered asking his sister once why she would want the difficult, and often thankless, job of superintendent.

            "Because I can make a difference in the future of the lives of Franklin County school children," she told him.

            "Dear sister, you've been on a winding road," he said. "You opened the doors to a consolidation. You stepped forward and met it straight on, and you brought a county together in one building. Dear sister, you look around and you be proud. We're proud of your achievements. Now, dear sister, go out ands smell the roses. You deserve them."

            Former district administrator Nan Collins shared reminiscences of the years she spent at Cumberland College with her good friend Gander. "I was always a little wild and she had to keep me held down," she said.

            Collins talked a lot about the close-knit Carrabelle School community they later shared. "It was 18 years of a commitment of all the people," she said. "They fed them they clothed them, they took them holiday meals.

            "Education has not been appreciated in this county," Collins said. "She kept on."

            Gander's daughters read letters from two representatives of the teachers' union, Rik McNeill and Cathy Woods, who praised Gander for her support for their issues.

            Sharon Browning, who works as secretary in the new consolidated school's principal's office, talked of how "this county has become my home," thanking Gander for her leadership and encouraging even further growth.

            "We've got a long way to go," she said. "We're still trying to bring these communities together."

            Pastor Mark Collins, from Fellowship Baptist Church, said he was glad that Gander, one of two charter members of the church, will continue as piano player for the congregation.

            "She has instilled some things in others' lives, and those things will go on for a lifetime. She's planted those fruits, she's planted those seeds, and now it's time to sit back and watch them grow," he said. "She sought that guidance through God. Many times we have prayed and we found answers."

            Barber's daughters read a humorous letter from former Carrabelle teacher-turned-author Mack Mangrum, and another from Phil Baker, now school superintendent in Jefferson County.

            The audience was also treated to a video presentation featuring appearances by Gander's family, friends and former faculty and students, who thanked her for her role in their lives.

            In her remarks, Gander offered a special thanks to her fellow school staff. "I appreciate the effect you have had on every life," she said. "It has been my pleasure. It was such a rewarding and such a gratifying position to be in. I have had a really good ride.""

            She thanked her parents for their influence. "They taught me to love God and follow His guidance for my life," said Gander.

            She recalled her first campaign, and how she had talked it over with Clark before stepping into the ring. "If you run, I'll work just as hard to get you elected as I would to get myself elected," she had told Clark.

            "There are wonderful people who walked the streets with me, in the heat of the summer," Gander said.

            In addition to several items of apparel sporting the Seahawks insignia, gifts from the faculty, Gander's daughters presented her with special presents, including a crystal vase with an engraved sterling silver setting, a blooming camellia, and a six-day Caribbean cruise.

            Gander closed the evening with encouragement to her fellow teachers and staff, reminding them that "we in the school system are the only chance some of these kids have to break the cycle that they're in."