When Bill Mathias first joined the Lake County School Board 14 years ago, his goal was to make a difference. In a statement released ahead of his final meeting Monday night, he reflected on just how much the experience had given him in return.

“Fourteen years ago, I began this journey with a desire to make a difference,” Mathias says. “I could never have imagined how much this community would give back to me.”

Mathias, who served as School Board chairman and represented District 1, held his final meeting Nov. 9 at the Lake County Administration Building in Tavares after choosing not to seek re-election. District 1 includes the Academy at Lake Hills – South, Cecil E. Gray Middle, Grassy Lake Elementary, Groveland Elementary, Lake Minneola High and South Lake High.

As the owner of Mathias Food Services Equipment Co. in Leesburg, Mathias brought a business perspective to the board. He was a chief advocate for the district’s pay-as-you-go approach to construction and for reducing school district debt.

He was also the face of the district’s fight to increase state funding. Lake ranks 64th out of Florida’s 67 counties in per-student funding, despite being the 18th-largest school district in the state by population, according to the district.

In 2017, Mathias was instrumental in the board’s decision to hire Diane Kornegay as superintendent. She has since led the district to two back-to-back A ratings from the state and was selected as Florida’s 2026 Superintendent of the Year. The longest-serving appointed superintendent in the state, Kornegay is retiring at the end of this school year.

“Our district owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mr. Mathias for his leadership,” Kornegay says in the release. “Throughout his 14 years on the School Board, he has understood that the decisions we make today must position our school district for success for generations of students to come. His advocacy for responsible financial stewardship has helped strengthen our financial foundation and preserve resources for the students and employees we serve.”

“I am particularly grateful for the confidence he placed in me when he helped lead the board’s decision to select me as superintendent,” Kornegay says. “Together, we have worked toward a shared vision of excellence. I am grateful for his partnership, steady leadership, and the lasting contributions he has made to Lake County Schools.”

Mathias was named Florida’s School Board Member of the Year in 2017 and received the Lake County Community Service Award in 2018.

“Thank you to the students, families, educators, staff, and community members who shared this journey with me,” Mathias says. “Your support, encouragement, and partnership made every day of service meaningful. I leave with a grateful heart and tremendous pride in what we have accomplished together.”

Pat Kelley, the board’s newly elected District 1 representative, will be sworn in Nov. 17.