Eugene Lamb Jr. lives in Midway with his wife Deloris. They have two children, a daughter who lives in Jacksonville and a son who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Lamb attended Northside High School in Havana where he was a star basketball player. His coach, Vernell Ross, now retired as a coach, states, “Eugene was an all-state performer twice and was the second leading scorer in the history of Northside. He was full of determination and had the best attitude of any player I ever had the privilege to coach.”
Following high school, Lamb attended Dillard University in New Orleans on a basketball scholarship and graduated with a degree in health and physical education.
He began teaching at Cobb Middle School in Tallahassee and taught for 30 years in various schools, including two years in Havana and one year in Daytona Beach. He also worked as a supervisor in the Athletics Department for Parks and Recreation in Tallahassee.
After retiring from teaching, Lamb became a Gadsden County Commissioner for two terms (eight years). In 2007, Governor Charlie Crist appointed him to the Board of Trustees of Tallahassee Community College, which he has been on for the last nine years.
The Secretary of Education also appointed him to the Florida High School Athletic Association four years ago. Both positions were confirmed by the Senate and function under the Sunshine Laws.
Lamb also served as chairman of the Tallahassee Community College board of directors for two years.
I know you were president of the Kiwanis Club and I wonder what your favorite project was? I have belonged to the Kiwanis Club for 13 years and am proud of the work they’ve done with the Havana Elementary School. The Kiwanis Club provided financial help for kids in need there as well as gifts at Christmas time. They also have provided more than 100 Christmas baskets annually to the community.
How did the Eugene Lamb Jr. Park in Havana come about? When I became commissioner of District 1, it was the only district without a park. I found out it had been talked about but there was no land. I began trying to find land and the Havana city manager said to ask Coastal Lumber Company. I was told the owner had five acres but was reluctant to allow it as he had sold land before and it was misused. I assured the company the land would be properly cared for. I got it for 50 years for $1. All we had to do was pay for equipment. A citizens’ group recommended the park be named after me because I had done so much to get it built.
What do you do for fun when you are not involved with community endeavors? I go to church where I am a deacon. I travel a lot and I love fishing. I love to fish with my family.
If you could have one wish granted for Gadsden County, what would it be? I’d wish that we could come together as one community and make it the best in Florida. We need to build better relationships — both black and white.
By Judy Conlin
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