The Okaloosa County School Board approved Elizabeth Richards as Assistant Principal of Baker School, Daren Everage as Assistant Principal of Eglin Elementary School, Lisa Tucker as Principal of Longwood Elementary School, and Joey Chancellor as Assistant Principal of Florosa Elementary School (not present), at the June 12, 2023, School Board meeting.
Elizabeth Richards as Assistant Principal of Baker School
Elizabeth Richards is a proud product of the Okaloosa County school system. She attended Walker Elementary School, Davidson Middle School, and graduated from Crestview High School. Following high school, Richards attended the University of South Alabama where she received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2006. She taught fourth grade for twelve years at Antioch Elementary in Crestview, Florida. In 2015, she was honored as their Teacher of the Year.
In 2017, she took a leap of faith and moved to Baker School where she taught 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts (ELA) for three years. For the last two years, she has served as the Dean of Students at Baker School. In 2019, Richards completed her master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of West Florida.
Richards has been married to her supportive husband, Carson Richards, for seventeen years and together they share three wonderful sons, Michael, 14, Carter, 10, and Tucker, 6 who are all Baker Gators!
Daren Everage as Assistant Principal of Eglin Elementary School
Daren Everage was born and raised in Opp, Alabama. Once completing high school, he attended Lurleen B. Wallace Junior College and transferred to Auburn University. While attending Auburn, Everage worked for the Program for Students with Disabilities Office where he and the staff would ensure accommodation for the students they served.
Everage graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. He then continued his education at Auburn University where he pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Design and Performance. Once finishing at Auburn University, Everage started his 17 years of experience in education, the majority of which was in the elementary setting. He also has worked as a Reading Interventionist and an Academic Coach for a middle school.
Everage received his master’s in educational leadership from George Mason University in 2018. Since then, he has served as the acting administrator for an Alternative School Summer Recovery Program for a high school, acting administrator for Extended School Year (ESY) at a middle school, and is currently serving as the Dean of Students for Elliott Point Elementary School, right here in Okaloosa County.
Lisa Tucker as Principal of Longwood Elementary School
Lisa Tucker has had the privilege to serve in a variety of classroom and District leadership positions during more than 25 years in education. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Judson College, a Master of Arts in K-12 Education from Tusculum University, School Counseling certification through the University of West Alabama, and a master’s in educational leadership from the American College of Education. Prior to joining the Okaloosa County School District, she served in Georgia as a District Coordinator for ELA and World Languages. She has also served as the principal of a private K-6 elementary school.
During her time in the Okaloosa County School District, Tucker was appointed as the District Specialist coordinating English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Fine Arts, and World Languages programs. Most recently, she has served as the Assistant Principal of Destin Middle School.
Tucker is a member of TESOL International, Alpha Delta Kappa, and is an adjunct professor for Northwest Florida State College. She is married to Dr. Bobby Tucker, Pastor of Grace Church in Walton County.
A champion for elementary school teachers and students, Tucker is passionate about exploring instructional strategies to support academic achievement for all students. She looks forward to serving and learning with the students and staff at Longwood Elementary School.