December 15, 2025:
Tom Harrell grew up in Niceville, Florida. He has lived in District 5, Escambia County since 1970. He owned and operated a small grocery store and used his earnings to put himself through college.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of West Florida, his Master’s in Educational Administration from Troy State University, and his Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from South Alabama.
After his Internship at Washington High School, Tom taught at Ransom Middle School for 17 years. He then went on to become Assistant Principal of Brentwood Middle School, Principal of Escambia Westgate School, and Principal at R. C. Lipscomb Elementary. After retirement in 2006, he went back to work in the school district as Math Coach, District Administrator on Special Assignment, Adjunct instructor at Pensacola State College, and Principal at Capstone Academy.
Tom retired from the Escambia School District with 35 years of service, 20 years of experience managing large budgets, and hiring and managing large groups of employees.
During his career, Tom received several honors, such as, Teacher of the year, Principal of the Year, Recognized twice by the Escambia County School Board for outstanding service, and Master teacher status by the State of Florida.
In 2024, Tom was elected to the Escambia County School Board, District 5. He served as vice-chair during his first year on the board and has been elected chairman of the board for the 25-26 school year.
Tom and his wife, Joyce, have three children and seven grandchildren who they love spending time with!
***Watch Video:The Thornton Review Show Tom Harrell
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