Orange County School Board selected John Palmerini as the new OCPS general counsel. Palmerini, the acting general counsel, started out as an intern in OCPS Legal Services 24 years ago. He returned permanently in 2010 as associate general counsel.
“I was here as an intern 24 years ago. I always thought it would be really cool to do this job.” Palmerini told School Board members during the Aug. 27th school board meeting. A longtime resident of Apopka and graduate of Apopka High School, John obtained both his Bachelors and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of Florida. He added, “I am forever grateful. I will work hard to make you proud of the selection you have made. I wantto thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Prior to his arrival as associate general counsel, John served the residents of Apopka as a reporter with the Apopka Chief from 1998 until 1999. Upon receiving his JD, Palmerini went on to serve as an associate attorney with multiple law offices before returning to his roots with OCPS. Palmerini is also the 2024 president of the Florida School Board Attorneys Association and won that organization’s C. Graham Carothers Award of Excellence in 2022.