My name is Heather Peters, and I am honored to be the principal of Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary, the home of the Trailblazers.  I was born and raised in South Dakota where I graduated from Mount Marty College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education.  I continued my education at the University of Sioux Falls and received first a Master of Education degree in K-12 Reading followed by a Master of Education degree in K – 12 Educational Leadership.  I was an educator in South Dakota for over 19 years.  My last three years there I served as a principal. After moving to Pinellas County in July of 2016, I spent two years as the assistant principal of Jamerson Elementary.  In July of 2018, I became the principal at Frontier Elementary.  I am now thrilled to be coming back home to Jamerson as the new principal.

My goal as the principal at Jamerson is to develop students into thinkers and problem solvers who are ready to be contributing members of a diverse society. Throughout my career, I have discovered that each child is a unique individual that is able to thrive in a warm, caring and engaging school.  As a school leader, I am committed to contributing to that environment by encouraging lifelong learning, strong parent/school relationships, academic excellence, respectful collaboration and open communication.

Jamerson has a talented instructional team and support staff who meet the needs of our students every day through excellence in teaching and learning.  We encourage students to explore, inquire, and discover solutions for themselves as they become equipped problem solvers.

As principal, I operate with an open-door policy, and I welcome your input.  Feel free to call or stop in and make an appointment to discuss any concerns, suggestions, or ideas to help make every year the best school year yet!

My name is Lukas Hefty, and I am excited to return home to Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Elementary!  I was born and raised right here in Pinellas County and am a proud graduate of the CAT Program at Lakewood High School as well as the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.  I spent twelve years at Jamerson (2005 – 2017) as a classroom teacher and magnet program coordinator.  During that time, I captured Jamerson’s innovative curriculum in various presentations and nationally-published articles such as STEM Gives Meaning to Mathematics.  I authored the applications that earned Jamerson recognition as the top Elementary STEM program in the nation (Future of Education Technology Conference) and the first cohort of nationally-certified magnet schools (Magnet Schools of America).  In 2017, I was surprised on our campus with the national Milken Educator Award.  I have a heart for innovative magnet schools and am excited to return to the very best! 

From 2017 – 2021, I served as the Elementary Mathematics Supervisor for Pinellas County Schools, supporting all elementary schools in Pinellas County with mathematics curriculum and instruction.  During that time, I gained a broad, new perspective and ideas that I look forward to bringing back.

Jamerson thrives on amazing family engagement, innovative curriculum, and highly qualified teachers and staff.  We strive for our students to become innovators, problem solvers, and strong communicators.  I look forward to bringing out the best in our great school and getting to know each of our students and families in the coming year!