This is my favorite photo of Sandra “Sam” Himmel. We were in her office one day talking about retirement. I was trying to talk her into one more term as superintendent of schools. It was a friendly chat, no different than the dozens of other friendly chats we’ve had over the decades. I noticed something on her desk. It was a gag gift (I think) and sums up Sam’s approach to life. She’s actually a kid at heart. I took the photo and named it “sampoo” in the JWC file. Even now, editing the blog, I’m smiling at it. What politician allows me to do that?
Several community leaders dropped by this week to bid farewell to Sam at her last school board meeting. I was there and said a few words about leadership, community, caring for lost kids, and love. In a 2024 political world gone mad, Sam Himmel is a throwback to a special time when elected folks and the community were one. It would never dawn on someone in Sam’s era to turn his/her back on the old neighborhood once elected to office. You know, I’m a student of Citrus County politics. That means I study politicians — those elected, those who try and are not as successful. I look for patterns of behavior, both in the official realm and outside of it. I often tell people my job is to know what politicians are going to do before they do it based solely on those patterns. It’s also easy to tell the weak ones from the strong. Not so much how they react in a crisis or when things aren’t going their way. More how they interact with people. Ordinary people. You-and-me type people. Are they comfortable around all sorts of people, or do they need an entourage of assistants to keep them grounded? I’ve told this story before: Sam and her husband Dennis were spending some special time in Daytona Beach. A chance to temporarily get away from Citrus County and all its challenges. Standing on the balcony of a big oceanfront hotel, gazing out over the scene, lost in the romantic moment… Sam suddenly shouts in her husband’s ear: “Hey, there’s Mike Wright on the boardwalk!” We want our politicians to be strong, smart, and tight on the pocketbook. We also want them relatable. Sam Himmel and her siblings grew up in Inverness. They tell hilarious stories of their wild antics, leading many to wonder how in the world Sam ended up being in charge of children’s education. Yet, she did. Educator, school board member, and then superintendent. And what a superintendent. A tiresome leader, ferocious defender of kids, earning the respect of those she came in contact with. Sam is often asked about her best and worst day as superintendent. It came on the same day in 2015 when a Lecanto High School student pulled a gun and attempted suicide in a classroom. The campus, which includes five schools, was locked down. Those horrible scenes from other places — our kids wondered if that’s what they were facing. Many of those same kids later told Sam they felt relief and safe after seeing her outside the classroom window. Mrs. Himmel is here. We’re good. Her worst day. Her best day. Nothing to do with policy or test grades. No yelling parents or disgruntled teachers. Not the scholarship banquets or conference titles. Those frightened kids didn’t look out the window and were comforted by the sight of the superintendent. No, it was Sam. Simply her presence. My God, that’s a leader. I heard a story this week from someone about a local politician. My friend was saying she’d known this person for many years. They were fairly close. Stayed in touch regularly. The person was elected to office, and the personality changed. They’re now distant. Never had that problem with Sam. Never once did she seem too important with the job for us little people. If anything, she stood on those podiums at our behest. She took care of people who took care of kids. Sam Himmel’s a kid at heart. She loves her grandbabies, and she loves life. She’s the retiring Superintendent of Schools, an extraordinary Citrus County leader of the past 20-plus years. She’s also good ol’ Sam, who will soon join her siblings behind the counter at her family’s gift shop in Inverness. No one retires in the Connors clan. We are so fortunate to have Sam Himmel in our midst. There’s none like her. Have a beautiful weekend, friends. Join the discussion on our Facebook page. Enjoying the blog? Please consider supporting it at Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon. Comments are closed.
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AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. Archives
November 2024
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