In a homecoming moment, the Okaloosa County School Board unanimously approved the appointment of Amy Meyer, a longtime educator and proud alumna, as the new principal of Niceville High School. Meyer, who currently serves as principal of Destin Elementary, returns to the school where she was once a student and teacher, calling the opportunity “surreal” and saying it “truly feels like coming home”.
Superintendent Marcus Chambers formally introduced Meyer to the board, highlighting her deep roots in the community and her steady rise through the district’s schools.
Mayer will replace Niceville High School for the last 13 years, Principal Charlie Marello. Marello took an administrative position at the School District’s head office earlier this month.
Meyer grew up in a military family, but spent most of her life in Niceville. She earned both her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of West Florida.
She started out as a teacher at Valparaiso Elementary School [which is the current location of the STEMM academy], where she taught kindergarten through second grade. She later moved to Niceville High School, working with students with disabilities before transitioning to teach algebra, geometry, and intensive math—roles she described as particularly rewarding.
During her tenure at Niceville High, Meyer:
She then moved into administration as an assistant principal at Destin Elementary School and was eventually named principal of Destin Elementary, where she has served until this appointment.
Board members moved quickly to approve the recommendation naming Meyer as principal of Niceville High School.
Dr. Lamar White, who has two grandsons at Destin Elementary, acknowledged the bittersweet nature of the change, noting that while Destin is losing a strong leader, this is a “good thing” and offered congratulations to Meyer.
Parker Destin also praised Meyer’s steady leadership at Destin Elementary, saying they “never had to worry about anything” at the school because Meyer was “keeping an eye on things,” and added that while Destin is losing her, Niceville is gaining “a good Eagle.”
The motion carried with unanimous approval, followed by applause and congratulations for Meyer.
In an emotional acceptance speech, Amy Meyer thanked Superintendent Chambers and the school board for their trust and called the opportunity “surreal.”
“Standing here tonight being named the next principal of Niceville High School, the very place where I once walked as a student, is something my teenage self would never, ever have seen coming,” she told the board.
Meyer’s husband is also a Niceville High graduate, and both of her sons, Hayden and Harley, also walked the same halls as Eagles. She noted that the school has been part of her family’s life for years and has helped shape who they are.
Meyer described the move from Niceville High to Destin Elementary as emotional, but said she could never have imagined “how deeply [she] would have fallen in love” with the school and its community. She credited the students, staff, families, and the broader Destin community with shaping her both as a leader and as a person.
She highlighted:
Meyer said she will carry those experiences with her and that leading Destin Elementary has not been easy to leave, adding that she will “miss you more than you know.”
Meyer outlined her vision for Niceville High School, centering on relationships, culture, and belonging.
Her goal, she said, is for anyone, whether they have been at Niceville High for years or are stepping onto campus for the first time, to feel a strong sense of pride, belonging, and connection the moment they walk through the doors.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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