Superintendent of Schools James F. Notter, School Board Member Phyllis C. Hope, School Board Member Beverly Gallagher, School-Related Employee of the Year 2008 Jimmy Morrow, School Board Chair Robin Bartleman, and School Board Member Maureen Dinnen.

Jimmy Morrow, On-Site Repairperson/Facilities Coordinator
Hallandale Adult Community Center
Accommodating the needs of diverse programs is a breeze for 23-year employee Jimmy Morrow. Morrow, On-site Repair Person and Facility Coordinator at Hallandale Adult Center, was named Broward’s School-Related Employee of the Year 2008 at the Signature Grand in Davie.

Morrow is everywhere at once. Working in a 40-year old facility that rates at the highest levels of safety and cleanliness and operates on a year-round schedule, one might think that he would not have time to be involved with the school’s varied stakeholder groups -- but Morrow makes time to do just that. He spends some time each day serving the needs of the Child Development Center, Middle School Academy, Alternative High School and adult Workforce Development Programs. He also serves as the school’s Neighborhood Liaison, a role that didn’t even exist prior to his suggestion that such a position be established.

By working with the school’s community partners, he was instrumental in securing a paved parking lot from Arvida Corporation, valued at more that $250,000. He also secured the school’s first Beautification Grant, in the amount of $5,000, to create a berm adjacent to neighboring homes, helping to reduce noise, and direct drainage in the area. He worked collectively with the Green Team to obtain species of Florida native plants to complete the design. A second Beautification Grant for an additional $5,000 was used to enhance general landscaping, earning Hallandale Adult the city’s prestigious award for “Most Improved Commercial Property.”

As a member of the school’s Leadership Team, he has participated in numerous trainings to create small learning communities that are designed to make education relevant for students. He was one of the first at the center to volunteer to mentor students. He takes a personal interest in his mentees, finding projects around the school where they can showcase their talents. He also helped students prepare for vocational education competitions where they won exemplary recognition.

Morrow’s principal, Dr. Linda Lopez, said of him, “In my 34 years in the field of education, at both the public school and university level, I have rarely found an employee as skilled and as passionate, as dedicated and as effective as Mr. Morrow. There’s nothing he can’t do, or little that he hasn’t already done. I have never heard him say, ‘That’s not my job’.” Dr. Lopez calls him “a true leader, offering help to all and hope to many.”



Finalists for the School Related Employee of the Year 2008