Rivers makes bid to return to School Board

When District 5 School Board member Carla Wright, announced that she would not seek re-election to another term, former school board member, Thomas J Rivers II, announced to Historic City News that he would seek the vacant seat.

The 69 year-old Rivers, who resides at 303 Porpoise Point Drive, on Vilano Beach in St Augustine, served on the St. Johns County School Board from 1980 through 1984 and was School Board Chairman from 1983-84.

Rivers was elected to the Group 2 seat on the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach Commission in November of 2004. His current term expires in November of 2012.

Rivers also served on the Property Appraisers Tax Adjustment Board.

In 1995, he was appointed to represent St. Johns County on the Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council; where he served until 2001.

Although Rivers is an elected Republican precinct committeeman, the school board seats are non-partisan. Rivers explained that Republicans, Democrats and voters with other party affiliations, will be able to vote for him if they are registered within his school district.

He is a graduate of St. Johns River Community College and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida.

Rivers taught in the public schools of Clay and St. Johns Counties from 1969 to 1978.

Since 1978, he has been an active Realtor and is now working as a Broker Associate in the Historic Downtown Office of Olde Carriage Realty on Charlotte Street.

Rivers is a member of Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine. He is an ordained Presbyterian Elder and Deacon and was chairman of the Worship and Music Committee during his tenure as an active Elder.

When needed, Rivers substitutes as organist and as a guest organist at Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown St. Augustine, Grace United Methodist Church, Memorial Lutheran Church on US-1 South, and All Saints Episcopal Church, Riverside Baptist Church, Riverside Park United Methodist Church, and Southside United Methodist Church in Jacksonville.

He has five children and frequently hosts foreign exchange students. Rivers is also a mentor in the local Big Brothers – Big Sisters program.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer