On December 8, 2025, the Okaloosa County School Board approved four outstanding educators for new leadership roles. Please join us in congratulating:
Dr. Belinda Small, Assistant Superintendent, Academic and Student Services
Dr. Belinda Small brings decades of loyal service to education, marked by passion and commitment. Her career spans a wide range of roles, including Language Arts teacher, coach, and Assistant Principal at both elementary and secondary levels. Chronologically speaking, she has served at Richbourg and Davidson Middle Schools, Antioch and Bob Sikes Elementary Schools, Shoal River and Ruckel Middle Schools, and since 2020, as Principal of Destin Middle School, Home of the Marlins.
Dr. Small’s career journey began in 1992 when she transitioned from Business Management to Education, where she now holds five Florida certificates for teaching and leadership. She earned recognition as Okaloosa County Beginning Teacher of the Year in 1992 and later represented Antioch Elementary’s Teacher of the Year and a Top Three Finalist for OCSD in 2009.
Throughout her career, Dr. Small has championed innovation and collaboration. She and a skilled community member pioneered the district’s first electronic grade book in 1994 and helped establish Okaloosa Academy Charter School in 1997. Her work in curriculum development includes designing content, consulting with textbook publishers, and contributing to global educational initiatives impacting educators and students in over 20 countries.
Locally, Dr. Small played a key role in ensuring OCSD benefited from a $5 million federal grant by communicating the needs of her school to the UWF professor who secured the funding for the Mental and Behavioral Health Capacity Project. The project introduced the first of its kind, free on-site mental health services for families in six schools which is now a mainstay model in OCSD. In 2011, in response to soldiers relocating from Fort Bragg, she also helped create OCSD’s first military-dependent student support group called “The Patriotic Pups,” during the growth spurt in the north end of the county. Similar groups are now a cornerstone of our Purple Star School District.
As a leader, Dr. Small has consistently driven results. Under her leadership at Destin Middle School, technology access expanded to a 1:1 student-to-device ratio, supported by a gracious PTSA-community fundraising effort and district grants. The design and renovation of the cafe and a new outdoor classroom was a collaborative effort to enhance the school. Small attributes the results to the Half Cent sales tax effort and the donations of love and labor from the Rotary Club of Destin, respectively, for two such improvements during her time at Destin. Recently, academic performance increased with a 29 point boost in acceleration points last year and a 29% reduction in discipline incidents compared to the first semester last year. Small credits the constructive teamwork of her experienced admin team, faculty, staff, parents, and community to these ongoing milestone achievements.
Dr. Small earned her Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with Emphasis in Instructional Technology from the University of West Florida in 2019. Her dissertation research publication is titled, “Student Perceptions of Secondary Science: A Performance Technology Application.” She has served as an adjunct professor in Curriculum at UWF and presented at several national and international curriculum conferences.
Dr. Small’s leadership philosophy is grounded in collaboration, listening, and shared ownership. She values the collective strengths of her team and believes that strategic, student-centered planning drives the strongest, most magical outcomes. She brings a deep understanding of the district’s culture and community and brings a suite of qualifications to the role of Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Student Service.
Aimee Lewis, Northwood Elementary School Principal
Aimee Lewis was born and raised in Indiana and began her professional journey at Indiana University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She continued her educational journey by completing a master’s degree in educational leadership from the UWF.
Mrs. Lewis taught for two years in Indiana before joining Northwood Elementary School in 2012. Over the course of twelve years as a classroom teacher, she established herself as an exemplary educator known for high expectations, caring relationships, and a focus on academic growth. She went on to serve as Northwood’s Dean of Students for two years, and then as the Assistant Principal of Northwood Elementary, where her leadership will continue to positively impact students, staff, and families.
Mrs. Lewis is honored to continue to serve the students, staff, and families of Northwood Elementary as Principal. She is committed to sustaining the school’s strong foundation while guiding its ongoing growth and continuous improvement.
Damian Sotelo, Ruckel Middle School Assistant Principal
Damian Sotelo was born and raised in Midland, Texas, and graduated from Midland High School before beginning a distinguished 20-year career in the United States Air Force. During his service, he deployed eight times to multiple combat locations. While in Iraq, he served as an adjunct instructor for Central Texas College and later became an Airman Leadership School Instructor at Eglin Air Force Base, where he was honored as the 2010 Professional Military Instructor of the Year. His final assignment was as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Power Production Flight, 77th Civil Engineering Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan. In this role, he led 125 military and civilian personnel across three maintenance shops and oversaw a multi-million-dollar annual budget.
Mr. Sotelo earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Trident University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of West Florida (UWF). After retiring from the Air Force, he brought his leadership and instructional expertise to Okaloosa County, where he has taught in an exceptionally wide range of educational settings. He began his teaching career as a science instructor for the Department of Juvenile Justice in Crestview, gaining meaningful experience supporting alternative education and at-risk youth. He then taught Life Science at Bruner Middle School, Earth Space Science at Ruckel Middle School, and Algebra I at Niceville High School. This breadth of assignments, spanning multiple schools, grade levels, and subject areas, has made him a true force multiplier within the district, giving him a unique county-wide perspective on student needs, curriculum alignment, and instructional best practices. He now proudly serves as Dean of Students at Niceville High School.
Throughout his time in education, Mr. Sotelo has also coached track, basketball, football and flag football. He also worked with the Florida Department of Education by serving on three End-of-Course Exam development committees for 8th grade science.
Mr. Sotelo is deeply committed to fostering student success, developing future leaders, and cultivating a positive learning environment where every student is empowered to reach their full potential. He brings the leadership, discipline, and dedication to excellence gained throughout his military career into the field of education, ensuring that students are equipped for both academic and personal achievement.
Courtney Huffstutler, Human Resources Program Director
Courtney Huffstutler has been a dedicated member of the Okaloosa County School District for six years, serving in the Human Resources (HR) department. She brings over 15 years of comprehensive HR experience to the district, demonstrating expertise in employee relations, compliance, and strategic best practices.
Her career began in the private sector with Walmart, where she advanced through roles in management, training managers, and ultimately served as a Market Human Resources Manager. These experiences provided a strong foundation in leadership and operational excellence that she continues to apply in her current role.
During her time with OCSD, Ms. Huffstutler has been an innovative leader in recruitment, ensuring compliance with Florida Statutes and Federal Regulations, and streamlining electronic hiring processes. Her efforts have strengthened the district’s ability to provide schools and employees with a safe, efficient, and supportive Human Resources department.
Ms. Huffstutler earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Jacksonville State University in 2005 and achieved her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2011. She remains committed to continuous growth and development within the HR field and looks forward to continuing her leadership journey as the Human Resources Program Director, working to advance innovative practices and support the success of all employees and schools within the district.