The name Jack Dorman should be synonymous with the city of Destin. Dorman was the first Destin city manager, and as such the very first city employee, hired in 1985. This year Destin’s first employee will take the lead in the annual Christmas parade as the Grand Marshal.
“We chose Jack because we are celebrating the city’s 30th anniversary and Jack was the first employee,” said Helen Donaldson executive director of the Destin Fishing Rodeo, and chair of the parade committee. “We were looking back at all the people who were influential in the city’s history and he’s always been a great volunteer for the city.”
Donaldson told The Log that Dorman is the perfect fit for this year’s memory-themed parade.
“The theme this year will be Christmas trees and memories of 30 years of Destin,” said Donaldson. “As parade marshal, he’s the honorary celebrity of the Christmas parade.”
For Dorman, the parade will be like a walk down memory lane.
“The city’s Christmas parade started I believe in ‘86,” said Dorman. “Two ladies, Patce Strahan and Lee Ammons, came to city hall and asked if we would support a Christmas parade if they put it together. My role with the first parade was to assist Patce and Lee with getting the parade going.”
Dorman said he remembers helping decorate the city’s float and coming up with something fun for his own part in the parade.
“We had a float and all the city council members were on the float. I rode in front of the city float in an ATV with a trailer. My secretary and I had a gimmick; she was an elf and I wore a Christmas parade sweatshirt.”
That sweatshirt might just make a comeback this year as Dorman said he hopes to sport it while leading the parade.
“If the old 1986 Destin Christmas parade sweatshirt still fits I’ll wear that, but I haven’t tried it on yet,” he laughed.
As for 30 years of Destin memories, Dorman can sprinkle them out just as easily as throwing Christmas candy from a float.
“Oh wow, it’s evolved significantly over the years,” said Dorman when asked what has changed most for the city. “As the first city manager I was fortunate enough to be involved in the organizing of the city government. When I first started there were only a few street signs in Destin; I remember one at Stalhman Avenue and one at Beach Drive but the Green Knight was how you found yourself around town.”
During his four years as city manager, Dorman had a hand in several projects that have shaped Destin to be the city it is today.
“We put lanes in on Airport Road, acquired the library, and started building the community center…we did many, many, many things in the four-and-a-half-year period,” said Dorman. “We worked hard at maintaining the history of Destin while preparing for the coming growth.”
Nearly 30 years later, Dorman will be celebrating the city’s growth in style and is not taking the honor of parade marshal lightly.
“It’s quite an honor; I’m flattered, honored and humbled all at the same time,” said Dorman of the position. “My wife and I and some of our friends have not missed one parade. The one time we couldn’t make it was because it got rained out, but the one year it rained during the parade we stood out there with our umbrellas.”
The 2014 Destin Christmas parade will be held Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. The parade will start in front of Old Time Pottery and commence down Harbor Boulevard to Stahlman Avenue. Parade watchers are asked to stand on the north side of the road to watch the floats.