Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae

Post-Secondary Education

• May 2013: University of West Florida, Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Curriculum and Instruction: Instructional Technology, Doctoral GPA – 4.0.  Dissertation: Secondary Teacher Self-efficacy and Technology Integration.  Committee: Byron C. Havard, Ph.D. (Chair), Holly H. Ellis, Ph.D., Nancy B. Hastings, Ph.D. (See Appendix A for dissertation abstract)

• April 2011: University of West Florida, Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), Curriculum and Instruction, Specialist GPA – 3.93

• December 2004: Jones International University, Master of Education (M.Ed.), Global Leadership & Administration, Masters GPA – 3.97

• May 1993: Samford University, Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Business Administration, Major: Management, Undergraduate GPA – 3.016

Certifications

• Educational Leadership (All Levels), Florida Certificate #741542

• Business Education (Grades 6-12), Florida Certificate #741542

• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certified – Early Adolescence Through Adulthood/Career and Technical Education, Certificate #01129029 (Dec 13, 2006 – Dec 13, 2016)

• Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Certified Professional (CP) (June 10, 2020 - Present)

• Criminal Justice Information Services - Level 4 Security Awareness Certification (January 2021 - Present)

• CPI (Nonviolent Crisis Intervention) Expired.

Teaching Experience

• 2019 –  2025: Okaloosa County School District Level II Principal Preparation/Aspiring Administrators

• Spring, Fall, 2022: Northwest Florida State College (adjunct), Niceville, Florida (see Appendix B for list of courses taught)

• 1995 – 2007: Choctawhatchee High School, Ft. Walton Beach, Okaloosa County, Florida (See Appendix C for list of courses taught)

Administrative/Managerial/Supervisory Experience

• 2026 - Present: Director of Risk Sharing and Analytics, Avail Analytics LLC, Tallahassee, Florida 

• 2019 – 2025: Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Okaloosa County School District, Niceville, Florida 

• 2016 – 2019: Principal, Choctawhatchee High School, Ft. Walton Beach, Okaloosa County, Florida

• 2012 – 2016: Principal, Clifford Meigs Middle School, Shalimar, Okaloosa County, Florida

• 2007 – 2012:  Assistant Principal for Instruction, Choctawhatchee High School, Ft. Walton Beach, Okaloosa County, Florida

• 2004 – 2007: Coordinator, Choctaw Academy, Ft. Walton Beach, Okaloosa County, Florida

Other Responsibilities

• Okaloosa County School District - Legislative Advocacy Team Member

• Okaloosa County School District - Chief Negotiator

• Okaloosa County School District - Various Administrative Interview/Recommendation Committees

• Florida Commissioner’s Leadership Academy – Apex Forum Team Member/Presenter

• Choctawhatchee High School - Faculty member charged with Web Site design and maintenance 

• Choctawhatchee High School - Conducted many tech-related staff development workshops.

Awards and Recognition

• 2024: Honorary Commander, 96th Test Wing, 96th Operations Group, Eglin AFB

• 2021: Homecoming Grand Marshal, Choctawhatchee High School

• 2019: Distinguished Alumnus, University of West Florida, College of Education and Professional Studies 

• 2012-2013: Member of Inaugural Florida Commissioner’s Leadership Academy

• 2010: Florida State Assistant Principal of the Year, NASSP/Virco/FASA 

• 2002, 2004: Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers

• 1997: Top Notch Teacher, Okaloosa County 

Notable Presentations (Non-exhaustive)

• April 12, 2013 - Leading for a Culture of Change.  Guest presenter at The Northwest Florida APEX Forum, Pensacola, Florida as a portion of the workshop entitled, “Leadership to Effectively Implement the Common Core Standards.”

• February 9, 2016 - Building Relationships.  Guest presenter for the Okaloosa County Level 2 Leadership Program participants in the Okaloosa County Central Office Complex Training Room, Niceville, Florida.  

• November 16, 2016 - Leadership Development (Building Capacity) and Building Relationships (Creating Culture). Guest presenter for the Okaloosa County Level 2 Leadership Program participants in the Okaloosa County Central Office Complex Training Room, Niceville, Florida.  

• September 7, 2017 - Unpacking and Harnessing the Power of Feeder Patterns.  Guest presenter at the College Board, Florida Partnership Middle Level Colloquium in the Sheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City, Florida.  Presentation partners include Brian Barnes (College Board) and Cindy Gates (Director, OCSD). 

• December 7, 2017 - Leadership and Culture.  Guest presenter for Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce EMPOWER participants, Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  Culminating presentation for the year.

• May 19, 2021 - Leadership Styles and Decision-Making. Guest presenter for Level 2 Leadership Program participants in the Okaloosa County Central Office Complex Training Room, Niceville, Florida.

• February 16, 2022 - Ethics and Leadership. Guest presenter for Level 2 Leadership Program participants in the Okaloosa County Central Office Complex Training Room, Niceville, Florida.

Professional Memberships

• National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)

• ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)

• Florida Association of School Administrators (FASA)

• Okaloosa County Administrators and Supervisors Association (OCASA)

• The College Board

• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (2018)

• Okaloosa Literacy Leaders Awards Committee (2012)

• Okaloosa Pupil Progression Committee (2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018)

• Okaloosa Middle School Steering Committee (2013 – 2016)

• Okaloosa High School Steering Committee (2016 – 2019)

• Okaloosa County Middle School Athletic Conference (2012 – 2016), Vice Chairperson (2015-2016)

• Okaloosa County Administrative Placement Committees (Various)

• Okaloosa County Literacy Council (2012)

• Okaloosa County Vision, Mission, and Beliefs Committee for SACS Accreditation (2014)

• Okaloosa County Contract Negotiation Team (2015-2025)

• Okaloosa County Digital Classroom/Technology Committee (2015)

• Okaloosa County Calendar Committee (2014, 2015, 2016)

• Okaloosa County School Start Time Committee (2017)

• Florida Educational Negotiators (2019 - 2025)

• Society of Human Resource Management (2019 - 2025)

Community and Civic Involvement

• Samford University Emerald Coast Alumni Club, Leadership/Captain

• University of West Florida, Department of Instructional Design and Technology, Advisory Board Member

• Out of this World Ministries – Former Board of Directors Member

• Children in Crisis, Inc. – Former Board of Directors Member, Board Development Committee Member, Current Advisory Board Member

• First Baptist Church, Fort Walton Beach, FL, Member, Sunday School Teacher, Choir Member, 

• Shalimar Youth Baseball, Former Volunteer Coach

• YMCA, Former Youth Basketball Volunteer Coach

• Sigma Chi Fraternity

APPENDICES

Appendix A - Dissertation Abstract

This dissertation (Secondary Teacher Self-efficacy and Technology Integration) is based on a conceptual framework founded in the plight of the United States in the critical areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, such as student performance, global economy, job opportunities, and technological innovation. Subpar performance can be traced to, among other things, education and specifically a lack of student engagement due to non-innovative teaching and technological self-efficacy issues among teachers. This study suggests a multiple regression analysis of the sources of self-efficacy as noted by Bandura (1997): enactive mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and physiological and affective states and their predictive capability with regard to technology integration in the classrooms of today as measured by the Levels of Teaching Innovation Digital Age Survey measure constructed by Christopher Moersch (2002).

Appendix B - Post Secondary Courses Taught

Northwest Florida State College

• EDG 3343 - Instructional Strategies (Spring, Fall 2022)

Appendix C - Secondary Courses Taught

Choctawhatchee High School

• Legal Aspects of Business

• Principles of Entrepreneurship

• Web Design 1, 2, 3

• Computer Graphics

• Business Systems Technology

• Keyboarding and Business Skills

• Computer and Business Skills

• Diversified Cooperative Training

• Geography

• Employability Skills

• Remedial Reading

Appendix D - Complete Biography, J. Lee Hale, Ed.D., SHRM-CP

Dr. James Lee Hale recently retired from public education after having served 30 years as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, middle school principal, high school principal, and district assistant superintendent.

A lifelong native of the beautiful Shalimar/Fort Walton Beach area, Dr. Hale attended Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (1993). He also holds a Master of Education degree in Global Leadership and Administration from Jones International University (2004) and a Specialist of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of West Florida (2011). In December of 2012, he was awarded a Doctoral degree (Ed.D.) from the University of West Florida in the field of Instructional and Performance Technology.

A former National Board Certified Teacher in Career and Technical Education, Dr. Hale began his career by spending 12 years on the instructional faculty at Choctawhatchee High School teaching a variety of courses in the Business Technology and Social Studies Departments where he was twice recognized in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.” During his time teaching, he also coached baseball and football and served as the school’s webmaster. Dr. Hale also served for 3 years (2005-2007) as the Coordinator for Choctaw Academy, a school for at-risk students. He then joined the Leadership Team at Choctawhatchee High School in January of 2007 where he served as the Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction. In 2010, Dr. Hale was honored to be named Florida’s State Assistant Principal of the Year by the Florida Association of School Administrators and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

In April of 2012, Dr. Hale began his tenure as Principal at Meigs Middle School in Shalimar, Florida. During his four years there, the Wildcats earned 4 straight A’s, the highest recognition bestowed on a school by the state of Florida. Also during his time at Meigs, the student population, representing a wide spectrum of student demographics, grew by nearly 10%. While there, curricular innovations included: a revamped TAG (Talented and Gifted) Program which calls to mind the rigorous expectations of the most challenging high school programs, a state of the art RISE (Robotics Integration and STEM Education) program for grades 6 through 8 that was created to be a springboard into the feeder high school’s Aviation, Engineering, and IT programs, grade-level blocked math support and content scheduling, dedicated technology assets for improved achievement programs, and Learning Strategies classes. In addition, extracurricular and co-curricular opportunities grew through the addition of the Multicultural Council, AFJROTC Prep Club, Art Club, Camo Cats, Robotics Club, Archery Team, program-wide weight training for all athletes, and the return of summer band.

Also in 2012, Dr. Hale was honored to be a participant and Apex Forum presenter in Florida’s inaugural Commissioner’s Leadership Academy, sponsored by the Council for Educational Change and the Florida Department of Education.

In April of 2016, Dr. Hale was named the 6th principal of Choctawhatchee High School, the first, and only, alumnus to be chosen as such. In his short tenure at “Choctaw,” the school realized both population growth and a return to its traditional roots of high achievement in both the extracurricular and curricular realms - experiencing a rekindling of athletic excellence and, once again, receiving the highest academic marks from the State of Florida.

In March of 2019, the Okaloosa County School Board, upon the recommendation of Superintendent Marcus Chambers, appointed Dr. Hale to be the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. In this role, Dr. Hale has become a well-respected chief negotiator, known across the state for achieving timely and collaborative resolutions on complex labor and employment matters. He also serves as the primary liaison between the Okaloosa County School District and the Florida Legislature, providing direct advocacy and guidance on education policy and workforce initiatives. In recognition of his expertise in career and technical education and workforce alignment, Dr. Hale was specifically asked by Governor Ron DeSantis’ office to speak on behalf of 2022 legislation promoting military certification pathways.

Since being named Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Dr. Hale affirmed his reputation as innovator and self-starter as he has led many notable improvements impacting both the Human Resources Department as well as Okaloosa County as a whole. Under Dr. Hale’s leadership, in 6 short years, the Human Resources Department has undergone a dynamic transformation marked by innovation, efficiency, and a deep commitment to employee-centered service. Since the 2018–2019 fiscal year, the department has implemented over 200 noteworthy innovations across four key teams - Human Resources, Risk Management, Professional Services, and Equity/Investigations - each aimed at enhancing support for employees throughout their careers. These improvements, grounded in internal data and proactive strategy rather than reactive fixes, range from streamlined hiring processes to advanced risk prevention and strengthened equity protocols. A standout achievement is the launch of a Self-Funded Health Insurance Program, which has significantly improved employee healthcare options while generating substantial district savings. Even amid budget constraints, Dr. Hale’s team has fostered a culture where continuous improvement is expected, tracked, and aligned with organizational goals - proving that strategic, people-first innovation can drive lasting impact across an entire district.

In 2022, while maintaining the District’s Human Resources Department, Hale served briefly as an adjunct professor at Northwest Florida State College, teaching Instructional Strategies to second-career students seeking alternative certification course requirements.

Dr. Hale is, or has been, a member of several professional organizations including the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the Florida Association of School Administrators (FASA), the Okaloosa County Administrators and Supervisors Association (OCASA), the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Florida Education Negotiators (FEN), the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the College Board. In addition, he serves on the Advisory Board for Children in Crisis, Inc., a nonprofit charity committed to “establishing homes and providing hope” for abused, neglected and abandoned children in our local community.

Dr. Hale is an active member of First Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach, where he faithfully served as a Sunday school teacher for married couples for more than 20 years. More recently, he developed and now leads a class specifically designed for new believers and those new to the church community.

Dr. Hale enjoys boating, golf, singing, social media, reading, writing, and spending quality time with his wife, Gretchen, to whom he has been happily married for over 31 years. They are proud parents of two adult children and a son-in-law: Brett, a Troy University graduate and civil engineer; Eve Holguin, a Samford University graduate and insurance budget analyst; and her husband, Johnny Holguin, a University of Florida graduate and electrical engineer. All three are employed by major national firms. Eve and Johnny are the proud parents of Dr. Hale's favorite granddaughter, Liza.

Appendix E – Innovations of the Human Resources Department during Hale’s Tenure

Here’s a categorized overview of the innovations:

1. Organizational Structure and Personnel Adjustments

• Human Resources made several personnel adjustments, such as upgrading various positions (e.g., HR Analyst pay grade, Specialist to Program Director), restructuring roles (e.g., moving the Retirement Position back under HR), and adding a new investigator position in Equity/Investigations.

• Risk Management saw new certifications and roles, such as the addition of an Industry Certified (SHRM) Director.

2. Policy Updates

• Many policy improvements focused on compliance and efficiency, with updates including Policy 01-30 on Title IX for sexual harassment (Equity/Investigations) and Policy 06-25 on a drug-free workplace (Human Resources).

• Equity/Investigations and the HR department as a whole also saw updates to policies that addressed student equity, administration leave, and certification requirements.

3. Processes and Tracking Enhancements

• Human Resources improved various processes, such as creating virtual tracking for negotiations, automating the hiring documents process, and streamlining the Admin Leave Process.

• Risk Management enhanced processes for workers’ compensation claims, form development, and an automated reminder system for Web Benefits.

• Innovations in Equity/Investigations included an appeals process improvement for investigations and new tracking mechanisms for accountability.

4. Recruitment and Retention Initiatives

• Human Resources introduced recruitment-focused programs like the Spring Fair Commitment Letters and Bus Referral Bonus.

• Risk Management launched self-funding strategies and retention initiatives such as Ally Health, The Lantern (formerly SurgeryPlus), Level 2, Digbi, Vital RX programs, and launched the District's first employee health clinic.

• Pro Services facilitated Monthly New Teacher Orientation and a New Teacher Induction Program to enhance teacher onboarding and retention.

5. Training and Professional Development

• Pro Services spearheaded initiatives focused on recruitment, retention, and training, including Clinical Ed Online Training, Reading Instruction Classes, and participation as a Skillbridge Provider.

• Human Resources developed various training-related processes, such as an Admin Mentoring Program and Title IX Procedures training for compliance.

6. Communication and Customer Service

• Communication improvements included Risk Management initiatives like developing Workers Comp poster audits and FOCUS Reports for deductions and contributions.

• Customer service enhancements by Human Resources featured new tools like a Customer Service Survey QR Code, Sick Leave Payout Calculation Sheets, and providing iPads for HR teams to improve interaction with employees.

7. Technology and Document Management

• Human Resources adopted Artificial Intelligence for Document Management to improve efficiency.

• Equity/Investigations created digital innovations like Notice of Investigation Letters and Informal Investigations Packets to streamline investigative documentation.

8. Budgeting Innovations

• Risk Management also introduced a self-funding insurance initiative and associated programs to improve budget allocation and employee benefits.

These categories summarize the various efforts by different subdepartments to improve efficiency, compliance, and employee satisfaction across the organization.