Okaloosa County School District Selects Education Staff Professional Employee of the Year

The Okaloosa County School District is proud to announce this year’s Education Staff Professional of the Year is Ms. Shawna Crist, Media Assistant at Plew Elementary School. Mrs. Crist spent thirteen years in the classroom before becoming a mom and choosing to become a full-time volunteer at Plew Elementary, where she received the 2012 Senior Adult Volunteer of the year award. Now, in her eleventh year as the Media Assistant, she shares ideas with others throughout our District and is known to staff and parents as a “cheerleader for readers who strives to keep students from falling through the cracks.” Mrs. Crist was chosen as Support Person of the Year for Plew in 2018, is the creator of the school news show, Violin Club sponsor, Mrs. Crist-mas Shop sponsor, Plew Planters Team lead, and Plew Parent Leadership co-president. Plew Elementary Principal Tammy Matz stated, “Mrs. Crist is an icon; a person widely admired especially for having great influence or significance here at Plew Elementary. I could not think of anyone more deserving of Support Person of the Year for OCSD.”

“Our Education Staff Professionals play a vital role in our schools and across our District. We have so many employees who give their all to impact the lives around them positively, and Ms. Crist sets that example every day,” said Superintendent Marcus Chambers.

A special thank you to all our sponsors who made our Education Staff Professional Employee of the Year Awards Breakfast a success.   



(Left: Principal Tammy Matz, Shawna Crist and Superintendent Marcus Chambers)