C. Graham Carothers
Award of Excellence
The Florida School Board Attorneys Association C. Graham Carothers Award of Excellence is given annually to honor a Florida school board attorney who has demonstrated excellence in the profession as exemplified by C. Graham Carothers, Esquire. Graham Carothers served as the school board attorney for the Leon County School Board and editor of the FSBAA Journal for thirty-five years. He was one of the founders of the Florida School Board Attorneys Association and has always been ready to assist fellow school board attorney facing the challenges of the multi-faceted practice of school law. He greeted your phone call for help with “Hello lawyer, what can I do for you?” He always had time to assist. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, he knew the answer off the top of his head, citing the appropriate case or statute and, oftentimes, directing the lawyer to the specific spot on the page where the answer could be found. For thirty-five years he truly served as “the school board lawyer’s lawyer” giving countless hours of his time for public education in Florida.
C. Graham Carothers Award of Excellence Recipients
2006 C. Graham Carothers, Esquire (Leon)
2007 Edward J. Marko, Esquire (Broward)
2008 W. Crosby Few, Esquire (Hillsborough)
2009 James F. Lang, Esquire (Alachua)
2010 Ned N. Julian, Jr., Esquire (Seminole)
2011 John W. Bowen. Esquire (Manatee)
2012 Sheree H. Lancaster, Esquire (Gilchrist and Levy)
2013 Franklin R. Harrison (Bay)
2014 Keith B. Martin (Lee)
2015 C. Wesley Bridges, II (Polk)
2016 Daniel B. Harrell (St. Lucie)
2017 Suzanne D’Agresta (Indian River)
2018 Robert Paul Vignola (Broward)
2019 Mindy McNichols (Miami-Dade)
2020 C. Jeffrey McInnis (Okaloosa)
2021 Nancy Alfonso and Dennis Alfonso (Pasco and Hernando)
2022 John C. Palmerini (Orange)
2023 Paul D. Gibbs (Brevard)
2024 David Koperski (Pinellas)
Florida School Board Association’s (FSBA)
Richard “Spike” Fitzpatrick Award
Richard “Spike” Fitzpatrick was the long serving attorney for the Citrus County School Board. This award is given periodically by the Florida School Board Association in honor of his service to an attorney of one of Florida’s 67 public school districts in special recognition of his or her service to their community, school board and the students in their district.
2010 J. Paul Carland (Broward)
2011 John W. Bowen (Manatee)
Edward J. Marko Outstanding Community Service and Professionalism Award
The Edward J. Marko Outstanding Community Service and Professionalism Award is named after former Broward County School Board General Counsel Edward J. Marko, who served as General Counsel for the Broward County School Board for 44 years between 1967 and 2011.
Mr. Marko served with 11 superintendents, 5 interim superintendents and 62 different school board members. He was instrumental in helping attorneys around the state on numerous legal issues, including in the area of special education. He tried the first exceptional student education due process case in Florida. He also guided Broward County through unprecedented growth and dealt with numerous high-profile issues, such as the statewide teacher’s strike in 1968 and Broward County’s effort to establish a unitary school system which did away with the vestiges of segregation.
Mr. Marko further was a founding member of the FSBAA in 1967, and he was also a founding member of the Florida Bar’s Education Law Committee. Mr. Marko was a mentor to entire generations of Florida School Board Attorneys including myself. When there was a hard education issue, we picked up the phone and called Mr. Marko. Mr. Marko always answered and always gave sage advice. His knowledge was only surpassed by his kindness and generosity with his time.
Edward J. Marko Outstanding Community Service and Professionalism Awards Recipients
2024 Marylin Batista, Esquire (Broward)
Format of the Graham C. Carothers Award of Excellence and the Edward J. Marko Outstanding Community Service and Professionalism Award
A plaque is presented to each recipient of the C. Graham Carothers Award of Excellence. Whenever possible, presentation ceremonies are scheduled both at a meeting of the FSBAA and also at a meeting of the recipient’s district school board. In the past, an inscription plate has been mounted on a wooden plaque upon which a pair of wooden columns flank the inscription plate. The plaque has in the past contained an inscribed set of the scales of justice and the following inscription printed in gold type against a black background:
The Florida School Board Attorneys Association hereby awards the
[year]
C. Graham Carothers Award of Excellence/ Edward J. Marko Outstanding Community Service and Professionalism Award
to
MEMBER NAME
in Recognition of [his/her] Contributions to the
Advancement of School Law
And Legal Professionalism