I woke up Monday morning with two emails in my inbox that inspired my topic this week. Both concerned Mayor Bryan Nelson and his involvement with our local public schools.  

Throughout my time on the school board, Mayor Nelson has always been a steadfast supporter of our schools. I often write about this great community we live in and the support that supports our local schools and part of the reason for that is because we have leaders who model that involvement. 

From the mayor to the city commissioners and our county commissioner, our schools know that if they need support, they can reach out to their leaders for that support.  

Often, they show up without even being asked. Whether it’s the scholarships for agriculture students that Commissioner Alexander Smith gives to graduates, the service on advisory boards by Commissioner Diane Velazquez, the jackets given to families in need by Commissioner Nadia Anderson, the food donated for school events by Commissioner Nick Nesta, or the bikes given to kids by Commissioner Christine Moore, they show up. 

This week, when my schools shared some good news with me, I was not surprised at all to see Mayor Nelson involved. He has always been there for support.  

Of course, many people have had a burger cooked by Mayor Nelson at a football game, but one of my best experiences as a school board member came from the mayor.  

Early in our tenure, he reached out to ask if I wanted to hand out donuts and coffee to the school bus drivers at the Apopka bus depot on the first day of school. 

I eagerly agreed and met the mayor and his goodies in the dark at 5:30 a.m. on the first day to greet and thank our local school bus drivers. We have done this several times, and it’s always a treat. 

With the election in the rear-view mirror, he showed up at Wekiva High School this week and presented checks from the city to the band, agriculture and JROTC programs. As far as I know, they were unannounced and unexpected, but very needed and appreciated.  

He and his wife also organized a huge campus beautification event at Piedmont Lakes Middle School this past Saturday. The principal was so excited by the huge turnout that he emailed me Monday morning to share the good news. The group pressure-washed sidewalks and planted new, donated vegetation. The school shared that “they felt the love” at the event. 

As Mayor Nelson’s time as mayor comes to an end, I know he will still be involved. I just wanted to say thank you for being such a strong supporter of our local schools these past eight years.