9 women being inducted into Okaloosa's Hall of Fame. Who are they?
OKALOOSA ISLAND — The 2022 Okaloosa County Women’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22 at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center.
Ted Corcoran from the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce will emcee the event and Ken Nielson from Crestview Community TV will film and livestream it on the Crestview TV Facebook page.
The women being inducted are:
Gloria Battle, Community Service Inductee
A Texas girl, Gloria Battle moved to Fort Walton Beach in 1972, got civically involved and became a leader. After joining both the Fort Walton Beach Hospital Auxiliary and the local America Heart Association, she became president of each organization and subsequently was elected chair of each state organization.
In 1982, as a Fort Walton Beach City Councilwoman, she spearheaded the purchase of Fort Walton Landing downtown. Filling in for an ailing mayor, Gloria served as mayor pro tem for six months.
Helping the homeless, Gloria’s leadership was instrumental with St. Simon’s on the Sound Church's Cold Night Shelter Program, One Hopeful Place and Opportunity Place, where she was on the initial board of directors.
She also served on the board for Guardian Ad Litem and the Continuum of Care. She has been president of the Fort Walton Beach Woman’s Club, the League of Women’s Voters and the Democratic Women’s Club, where she was named a Lifetime Member.
At age 90, the Democratic Women's Club was honored to nominate Gloria Battle - still a leader in the FWB community.
Dr. Elvira Chiccarelli, DDS, Professional Leader Inductee
Dr. Elvira Chiccarelli retired from the Air Force active and reserve duty. She deployed several times on humanitarian missions, resulting in 1989 Air Force Reserve Dentist Award.
Elvira has a long history of service to Okaloosa County, helping to start a county dental clinic with used dental chairs from Eglin Air Force Base. She provided dental care there for local residents as well as Vietnamese and Polish refugees. She also had a private office in the area for some 32 years.
She was a USA Certified swim coach and official for 10 years. For relaxation, she played the violin with the symphony and sang with choirs at area churches. She also worked as the full-time clinic dentist at the Gulf Coast Dental program and has worked most recently with the Northwest Florida State College dental program.
Chiccarelli raised a daughter, now Air Force Maj. Dr. Elvira N. Chiccarelli, stationed in San Antonio with her husband and son, Marshall.
Stacey Darhower, Contemporary Inductee
Stacey Darhower graduated from Niceville High, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of West Florida in legal administration and later her master's in acquisition management.
She excelled in leadership and acquisitions becoming the first woman GS-15, chief of contracting at AFRL Munitions Directorate and now is director of contracting for Air Force Test Center Eglin Air Force Base with a $9 billion portfolio.
Darhower received the prestigious Meritorious Civilian Service Medal —one of only six women that holds the honor — and the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award.
Her dedication led to 824 contracts to local businesses resulting in mutual growth on base and Okaloosa County’s economy while increasing her civilian positions at Eglin by 33%. Her innovative agreements increased STEM programs at the Doolittle Institute, Emerald Coast Science Center, Okaloosa County Schools and the HSU Foundation.
She mentors women in contracting and volunteers with local athletics and community partnership initiatives. Her distinguished career leaves a legacy at the Department of Defense and in the county.
Gloria Frazier, Business Leader Inductee
Frazier has been the broker of ERA American Real Estate since 1981, when she founded the company. She plans and oversees the staff of 110 agents and 34 employees. They manage 1,000 properties.
Frazier has been actively involved with the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors, MLS Corporation, all area Chambers of Commerce, One Okaloosa (formerly the Economic Development Council) and the Building Industry Association.
There is a long list of nonprofits on which she has served on the board and as president. She was the 1992 Queen of Hearts for AMA and sponsors a Northwest Florida State College scholarship and endowment.
“Gloria is the one who desires to make a positive difference in the lives of our Okaloosa County constituents," said NWF State President Devin Stephenson. "She is a humble, loving and caring individual who desires to see others succeed. Gloria is a giver and there are no greater givers than those who give of themselves.”
Sybil Smith Lebherz, Posthumous Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Inductee
A longtime resident of Mary Esther, Smith Lebherz made numerous, significant donations “behind the scenes” including scholarships helping students attend her alma mater of Huntingdon College in Montgomery; supporting local dancers in acquiring additional professional training; and efforts to address the needs of homeless women with children.
Before she established a charitable trust, known as the Sybil Smith Foundation, Smith Lebherz's generosity extended to many early local projects for youth, including the Fort Walton Beach YMCA, Florida Sheriff’s Youth Fund, the Fort Walton Beach Ballet Association (now Northwest Florida Ballet) and Mary Esther United Methodist Church.
Smith Lebherz's name can be found on numerous facilities that she helped to fund and programs that continue to have an active impact today, including the Sybil Smith Lebherz Center for Dance Education at the Northwest Florida Ballet, the renovations done on the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce building, and the Sybil Smith Lebherz Aquatic Center, the original pool at the Fort Walton Beach YMCA.
Her impact and legacy in Okaloosa County lives on today through grants from the Sybil Smith Foundation.
Dolores Noechel, Education Inductee
Dolores Noechel’s parents instilled the love of education and importance of community involvement. Her father, John Shortall, was the mayor of Fort Walton Beach. Her mother, Valerie Shortall, owned Valerie’s of Fort Walton Beach.
Noechel was a math teacher at Ruckel Middle School, where she was the Teacher of the Year twice and a finalist for Okaloosa County’s Teacher of the Year. Other awards include seven times statewide winner of the Florida Stock Market Simulation, first place winner in the National Middle School Association Team Teaching Awards and Florida Stock Market Game’s Distinguished Advisor of the Year.
Noechel became the district instructional technology and media services specialist and later the assistant principal at Fort Walton Beach High School.
Her community involvement includes Okaloosa County Public Schools Foundation board member, Leadership Council member for Take Stock in Children, Take Stock in Children mentor for 12 years, P.E.O., A.D.K., St. Mary’s Council of Catholic Women, Impact 100 Education Committee co-chair, board member for Center for Lifelong Learning, and a teacher education adjunct for Northwest Florida State College.
Julie Porterfield, Carolyn Spencer Humanitarian Inductee
Porterfield has a limitless heart when it comes to serving the welfare of our most vulnerable children in our community.
After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of West Florida, she worked with the State’s Attorney’s office for 17 years as a victim advocate and administrator. In 1999, she became the founding CEO of the Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center (ECCAC).
The ECCAC provides services at no cost for young victims of abuse, neglect, or abandonment, and they provide mental health therapy for these children, as well as their families. They also offer Safety Matters & Teen Safety Matters, crucial preventive programs in area schools.
Porterfield has served as the president of the board of directors of the Florida Network of 17 Children’s Advocacy Centers throughout Florida and volunteered as a board member on local, state, and national levels with the National Children’s Alliance, Florida’s Governor Council for Prevention and Permanency, and Shelter House.
Her commitment to our community is to work towards an end to child abuse and neglect, while protecting children by restoring the lives and futures of these young victims in our area.
Col. Jocelyn Schermerhorn, Military Inductee
Col Jocelyn Schermerhorn is director of operations for the Air Force Special Operations Command. She is responsible for implementing and directing operational command policy for AFSOC’s worldwide special operations units including more than 20,000 personnel, approximately 300 aircraft and $17 billion in assets.
Schermerhorn entered the Air Force in 1995 as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Colorado State University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. She earned her wings as a distinguished graduate of navigator training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and also holds master of business administration and master of strategic studies degrees.
Schermerhorn has served as an evaluator navigator in the C-130E and MC-130H, a U-28A combat systems officer and has commanded at various levels. She has called Okaloosa County home since her first assignment here in 2003, and is proud to have served as commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing and installation commander at Hurlburt Field from June 2020-June 2022.
Cissy Wyininegar, Pioneer Inductee
Cissy Wyininegar grew up in Fort Walton Beach, the child of the Bass, Staff and Gerlach pioneer families. She served on the Fort Walton Beach City Council and became a certified Florida Supreme Court mediator to aid local residents.
She was the principal of St. Mary’s School and assistant principal of Pryor Middle School. Cissy joined Fort Walton Beach Woman’s Club, founded by her great aunts, where she served as president for two terms.
She coordinated the Bud and Dorie Day Patriot Trail, a walking trail and family park at Ferry Park. A Woman’s Club program, Safe, Secure Successful, led and conceived by Cissy, aids homeless children in nine schools by partnering with Goodwill, American Legion Post 235 Riders and Elks Lodge 1795. Under her leadership the Home of the Brave wall honoring fallen military students from Choctawhatchee High School was dedicated.
To preserve local history, the former Gulfview Hotel building was donated and moved from Staff family property to become the Fort Walton Beach Welcome Center on U.S. Highway 98.
Cissy was raised to think of others first; her pioneer ancestors saw the need to improve and build. Cissy has continued that pioneer spirit in a modern time, uplifting and improving her hometown and Okaloosa County. Her pioneer spirit shines in all she does.
Since the Okaloosa County Women's Hall of Fame was created in 1995, 125 women have bee inducted. The Hall of Fame was created to honor local women — past and present — whose contributions have been of great value to our community’s development. Induction into the Hall of Fame is the Okaloosa County Commission of the Status Women's oldest and most prestigious award.
The Hall of Fame annual induction ceremony is held in conjunction with Women’s Equality Day. The women inducted into the Hall of Fame are honored in permanent displays at the Okaloosa County Administration Annex, the Crestview Courthouse and the Niceville City Council chambers.
The Hall of Fame displays are a monument to some of the exceptional women in our county’s history, as well as a tribute that grows annually with each induction ceremony when we learn to appreciate more about the wonderful contributions that women make to our community.
For more information, and to see the past winners, visit the website at www.occsw.com.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: 9 women being inducted into Okaloosa's Hall of Fame
