May 7, 2020 – Congratulations to Tammie Talley, the district’s athletic director, for recently being honored as the Athletic Director of the Year by the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (FIAAA).
Accolades are nothing new for Talley who just last year was the first woman to ever be appointed as president of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association.
Her community outreach and her commitment to the safety and education of student-athletes are among several reasons that Talley stands out. Consider these highlights:
- Talley advocated for and succeeded in placing certified athletic trainers at all 17 high schools in her district, including hiring a supervisor for the athletic trainers to ensure they are receiving necessary support.
- Off the field, Talley works with the Moe Williams Family Foundation on a Game Changers conference that educates student-athletes on the importance of understanding financial management, ethics, and how their personal “brand” can affect their future opportunities.
- Through collaborating with community partners, Talley was pivotal in securing a grant from Good Sports which provided 2,000 pairs of athletic shoes to local students this school year.
Executive Director of Family and Community Engagement for the district, Tia Leathers, said Talley takes monumental efforts to ensure athletic programs are effective, student athlete safety is priority, and scholarship opportunities for student athletes continue to increase.
“Mrs. Talley is a downright wonderful person, which takes her career and community accolades to another level,” said Leathers.
Talley, who joined Team Duval in 1992 and began overseeing district athletic operations in 2012, said she is just happy to serve the school community as athletic director.
“It is hard to believe that I get the pleasure of being the director of athletics for Duval County Public Schools, my dream job,” Talley said. “Now I am being honored for doing something I truly love- working with student-athletes and coaches every day. I am grateful for the recognition, because I am sure every other nominee for this award was as capable if not more, of winning this award.”
