Jacquelyn Tatum James

After working with the Choctaw County Board of Education for 14-years, serving as a special education teacher, Principal of Southern Choctaw Elementary School, Special Education Coordinator, Interim Superintendent, and then back to Special Education Coordination, I accepted the position of County Extension Coordinator for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System in Choctaw County. I love this job!! I realize the blessing of reaching this position at this stage in my career. I'll still have the opportunity to work with youth through our 4H program, but I'll also be able to help with community and economic development. I retired for the whole year of 2022. A coalition of citizens asked me to come out and run for Superintendent. I just completed the second year of my four year term. Hopefully, next time I retire, I stay retired.

Jimmy and I have both been certified as BBQ judges with the Memphis Bar-b-que Network (MBN). I have also been certified by the Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS). It's a lot of fun to visit different places and eat really good BBQ.

I'm probably the only person without a school story. I always kept a low profile and still do. I'm a real homebody. I love to travel, but if you can get me away from home for four days you've done well.

james.jacqui@gmail.com

Kenneth Tatum, brother, class of '70
Kathryn Tatum Herring, sister, class of '70
Ray Tatum, brother, classs of '72

I remember hating PE because of having to take a shower afterwards. I remember the first time I saw birth control pills in the PE teacher's purse. Liked to have freaked me out because just like your parents, that's something you don't imagine your teachers doing. That was probably 9th grade. I remember smoking out by the ROTC room. I had a secret crush but he didn't know I existed. I saw him at the BUMS 2000 Reunion and all I could think was, glad he didn't know. Lol!

The only time I got in trouble was when I got caught sneaking across the street to the hamburger joint during lunch. The sound of my Dad's combat boots slapping down the hallway was enough to keep me out of trouble the rest of my school days. I loved the pep rallies. There was always a sense of excitement in the air and pride in our team. I loved the Lion Carriers (?) running down the aisle with our Lion held high. The games were great. We could fill a stadium back in those days. I remember Mr. Strickland had a stadium seat and he fell over backwards between the bleachers and couldn't get up. Back then he seemed so old and he reminded me of Santa.

Listen to my parents. Pay more attention to school and less to boys. I would have enjoyed school more and not wished my youth away. I left with a better education then most kids come out of college with now days, but I would have been prepared to put it to better use. All in all though, things work out just the way they are intended to, because without all the speed bumps along the way I wouldn't be where I am today.

I would have liked to have gone into marine biology and worked at some place like Sea World. I want to swim with dolphins and there's no good reason for me not to do that.

I work with rescue dogs and transporting them to new lives. I also work with our county pound. I like to cook, when I'm in the mood. I love the ocean and the lake. We like to go boating. We alternate between going to the lake and the Gulf and taking the boat and just riding.

Be kind to the unkind, they need it the most.
Honesty without compassion is brutality.

My dog - he lives the good life, and he deserves it because he is such a good dog. He does what he wants, gets loved on all the time, and doesn't have a care in the world. In return, he loves unconditionally, jumps up and down with excitement when I come in the door, and loves me no matter how I act.

Update - Jake, the good dog, passed in July 2013. We miss him. I recently adopted one of our fosters, Franklin. He's a little Rat Terrier, full of attitude and old - at least 14. I couldn't stand the thought of him having to be rehomed at his age. He's been through too much already. So, he's found his "fur"ever home with us.

Hachi

Odd Thomas series (and any book) by Dean Koontz
Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman
Peter Dekker series by Faye Kellerman
anything by James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, Stephen White, Michael Connelly, Perri O'Shaunnesy, and too many more to name

Montgomery, AL