'My dad modeled the way for me': A look at Chairmen Eugene, Brian Lamb's parallel successes
Tallahassee Community College chairman Eugene Lamb and Florida Board of Governors chairman Brian Lamb are the embodiment of the saying “like father, like son.”
The Lambs both have been serving as chairmen appointed by multiple Florida governors. They both were all-state high school basketball players who went on to play college basketball. And, quite often, they are told they resemble each other.
“The only problem is people say he looks better than me,” Brian, 46, told the Tallahassee Democrat in between chuckles. “That would be the only thing we don’t agree on — who's better looking.”
But what they do share a common ground on is how proud they are of each other as “public servants” and how in sync the purpose of their work is.
“I don’t call it success — I call it blessings,” said Eugene, 75. “It’s just the way life is. You never know where you’re going. You might know where you came from, but you don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring.”
Midway, Florida native and army veteran Eugene and his wife Deloris Lamb have two children, with Brian being the youngest and their 52-year-old daughter Rolanda Walton, a FAMU alumna and senior project manager for Florida Blue, being the eldest.
As a schoolteacher of 37 years, Eugene taught in Leon County — where his first job was at Cobb Middle School — as well as Gadsden and Volusia County Schools before retiring in 2004 to continue his impact as a county commissioner in Gadsden County from 2004 to 2012.
Brian said he got the chance to watch his father support and uplift students both in and outside of the classroom, as Eugene also coached basketball at Godby High School from 1974 to 1987.
“As a young child, I would go with him when he was a basketball coach to watch what he did to improve the lives of young men on his team,” said Brian, who played high school basketball at Florida A&M University Developmental Research School.
Brian was also an all-state player who would score 30 points per game, and he went on to earn a basketball scholarship to the University of South Florida, where he played point guard.
“I watched what he did to help kids be prepared for the future,” Brian added. He lives in New York City with his wife Paulette Lamb and they have three children together, with their daughter attending FAMU.
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Eugene is currently the chair of Tallahassee Community College’s Board of Trustees — something he “never would have dreamed of” — but his history with the college dates back to the summer of 1967 following TCC's establishment in 1966.
He used to help brick masons lay brick during the summer to help build TCC over 50 years ago as he raised money for college upon graduating from Havana Northside High School at the age of 18.
“I didn’t have a problem with working. I loved to work. Plus, I was in college as a basketball player, so I was in good shape,” said Eugene, who is in Gadsden County’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He recalls jogging about seven miles from his home on Brickyard Road in Midway to TCC’s campus in the mornings that summer.
The gig helped Eugene attend Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education in 1971.
'A lot more brick-laying to do'
Eugene was initially appointed to TCC's Board of Trustees by former Gov. Charlie Crist in 2007.
Upon his appointment that year, a brick was placed around the flagpole on TCC’s campus in Eugene’s name after he told the board about his history with the college. He was also inducted into the TCC Alumni & Friends Hall of Fame in 2018.
As he was recently renamed TCC’s chairman in 2022, it wasn't his first time being reappointed to the position.
Eugene’s one-year term as chair marks his fourth time serving in the position, with his first appointment being in the 2010-2011 academic school year by Crist, followed by three other appointed terms by former Gov. Rick Scott and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Related news:Gov. DeSantis reappoints Eugene Lamb Jr. to TCC's District Board of Trustees
“To go from laying brick in the late 60s to becoming the chair of the board is just a testimony to him being a servant of the state of Florida for a very, very long time,” Brian said. “It really sets the standard for me that I’ve got a lot more brick-laying to do.”
Brian also says that realizing how purposeful Eugene’s work was is what inspired him while growing up as their tight-knit relationship grew stronger over the years.
“He’s my best friend,” Brian said. “He’s my trusted advisor. He is a role model for me. For the rest of my life, if I am half the man, the father, the son, the husband that he is, I will be pretty successful.”
But Brian’s credentials show that his success in life has already started when considering his current position as managing director and Northeast segment head for JPMorgan Chase after being appointed the company’s global head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in 2020.
The Fortune 500 financial services firm has operations worldwide and also has assets of $4 trillion.
Prior to his time with JPMorgan Chase, Brian spent over 13 years with Fifth Third Bank in both Tampa, Florida and Cincinnati, Ohio, where his last position with the company was head of retail banking.
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Brian also went from being a University of South Florida graduate with a bachelor’s in accounting and master’s in business administration to being appointed to the university’s board of trustees in 2014 and serving as chairman in 2016.
Following his time at USF, Brian was appointed to the Board of Governors by DeSantis in March 2019 during a meeting at FAMU. He was later named vice chair under Syd Kitson and succeeded Kitson as chair in January 2022, with his term ending at the end of December this year.
“My dad modeled the way for me,” Brian said. “He did it not only by being a teacher, but also by being a leader, which is why I was so inspired and interested in joining boards — so that I can also play in leadership roles to advance higher education.”
Looking at Brian’s current positions and accomplishments, Eugene says he is proud to see that his son is successful in life. He calls his children two of his "biggest blessings."
‘Not good, but outstanding'
As Eugene's wife of 53 years and as Brian's mother, Deloris — a former correctional services assistant for the Florida Department of Corrections — expressed her gratitude for witnessing Eugene and Brian take on their current roles.
"I encourage them, and I'm very thankful that they have the energy that it takes to do the things that they need to do in order to function in those capacities," Deloris said.
Vernell Ross — a former physical education instructor from Havana, Florida, former town councilman of over 30 years and a FAMU Sports Hall of Famer — knew Eugene while he was in 10th grade as both his teacher and basketball coach.
Ross, 93, is also Brian Lamb’s godfather.
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He described the father-son duo as great athletes, outstanding students and “outstanding individuals who are very concerned about education.”
"If I could tell you one thing about the both of them, it’s that they are outstanding people,” Ross said. “Not good, but outstanding.”
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Like father, like son: A close look at Chairmen Eugene, Brian Lamb's parallel successes
