Diana Greene puts her stamp on Manatee County

As she was greeted with flowers, hugs from currrent and past educators and the applause of a crowd that packed the meeting room of the School Support Center, Dr. Diana Greene said she felt both honored and humbled by the job she was minutes from accepting.

May 27, Greene, the county's former deputy superintendent of instruction, was sworn in as the Manatee County School District's next superintendent. Her position is considered interim until June 1, when her one-year contract with the district begins.

Greene, who was more than 25 years of education experience, is the county's first African-American female superintendent.

"This is a historic moment for Manatee County," said Mike Barber, spokesperson for the district.

But, Greene doesn't want her race to solely shape the public's view of her or her plans to lead the district.

"Of course being the first African-American female in this role will always be in the background, but I don't want to dictate how I'm judged," Greene said. "I want the public to base their opinions of me on my character and what I can do."

Greene didn't leave out the two G's during her acceptance speech — God and (Bob) Gause. Gause, the school board's chairman, and the other members of the board unanimously approved Greene for the position at their May 26 meeting after a range of community members spoke on Greene's behalf and boasted her accomplishments within the district, such as helping teachers receive the necessary training and materials to execute the state's growing number of mandatory tests each school year.

Gause, Karen Carpenter and Charlie Kennedy aren't the only education officials who openly supported Greene since former Superintendent Rick Mills officially retired from the district May 12. 

Previous board members Barbara Harvey and Julie Aranibar believe Greene is the best and most equipped person for the district's leadership role, they agreed.

Harvey was among the committee members who interviewed Greene for the superintendent position, for which she applied in 2013 alongside Mills.

"I knew then that she would be perfect for this position," Harvey said. "But, over the last two years she has been able to observe the district and now she can make a difference. There's no doubt in my mind that she will be great."

Greene said she plans to learn from the district's past experiences and mishaps to ensure the same ones don't reoccur, while also putting the focus of officials back on students and their education.

"We learn from history, so we can make history," Greene said. "I will work closely with the five individuals who sit up there (on the school board). Some of the best families are dysfunctional. Let's move on and get to work, which my husband told me to say."

For the full version of the story, pick up a copy of the June 4 issue of the East County Observer.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].