The Okaloosa County School Board approved Catherine McLane as the Exceptional Student Education Specialist, Grant Meyer as the Assistant Superintendent of Operations, and Sarah Cato as the Director of Risk Management at the August 12, 2024, School Board meeting.
Catherine McLane - Exceptional Student Education Specialist
Catherine McLane was born and raised in New York where she lived until she attended Elon University in North Carolina. She graduated with a bachelor’s in special education and began her teaching career in 2011. In 2015, she moved to Okaloosa County when her husband received orders to be stationed at 7th Special Forces. Together, they have three children, Lucas, John, and Sophia. After teaching for a year in Santa Rosa County as an Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties (EBD) teacher, she began teaching in Okaloosa County at Shoal River Middle School as an EBD teacher. In 2019, she became an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Instructional Coach where she worked to support curriculum and behavioral related needs of students as well as becoming one of our district’s Safety Care QBS Trainers to support teachers in learning de-escalation and restraint strategies.
In 2020, Ms. McLane switched roles to an ESE Staffing Specialist, where she continued to support her assigned schools in developing their knowledge and understanding of students with academic and behavioral related needs and the development of appropriate plans to support those needs. She additionally became a Certified Trauma and Resilience Specialist through Starr Commonwealth and obtained additional de-escalation training and certification through Verbal Judo. Ms. McLane has worked as a district ESE staffing specialist since 2021 supporting multiple schools with a home base of Richbourg School. She has continued to provide Safety Care QBS training and build tools and resources for many throughout the district.
In Spring of 2023, she began her master’s program at the University of West Florida. During her master’s program, she was elected through nomination into membership for Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, which is reserved for the top 10 percent of graduate students, through invitation only. She has recently graduated with her Masters in Educational Leadership and looks forward to continuing her work and support of this school district through the ESE department.
Grant Meyer - Assistant Superintendent of Operations
Grant Meyer began his career in education in Okaloosa County, teaching and coaching football and wrestling at Fort Walton Beach High School. In 2001, he transferred to his alma mater, Niceville High School, where he taught social studies and continued coaching. During this time, Mr. Meyer also worked at Lewis Middle School, where he taught and was the head football coach.
In 2006, Mr. Meyer was appointed Assistant Principal at Niceville High School, where he remained until becoming the principal of Pryor Middle School and later the principal of Destin Middle School, serving a combined eight years in these roles. For the past three years, he has been the Director I over district operations, overseeing construction, maintenance, transportation, and food services. He is committed to the success of all students and supports educators throughout Okaloosa County.
Mr. Meyer holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of West Florida. He is married to Amy, who is also a principal in Okaloosa County. They have two grown sons: Hayden, who is an educator, married to Meghan, with a son named Kash; and Harley, a Doctor of Physical Therapy living in Asheville with his wife Jenny.
Sarah Cato - Director of Risk Management
Sarah Cato brings 11 years of experience from the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, where, as the Human Resources Associate and Benefits Supervisor, she honed her skills in benefits management, self-funded insurance administration, customer service, and finance. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management and an associate’s degree in business. She is also a Society of Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).
Raised in a military family, Ms. Cato has had the unique opportunity to live across the United States, but she proudly calls Florida home. Her diverse background, rich Human Resources experiences, and commitment to community service have equipped her with a strong foundation in problem-solving and effective communication, which she is eager to contribute to the Okaloosa County School District.