PCSD Pulse Podcast- Celebrating the power of education and the people who make Putnam County shine.

Описание: Season: 4 Episode: 31 Today’s conversation is a true product of Putnam story. Charlie Douglas tells us about taking AP Latin with inspiring teachers to heading off to Gainesville for undergraduate studies in business and then law school, our guest is a living example of how the opportunities in our school district open doors far beyond our county lines. After launching a legal career in Jacksonville, he made the intentional decision to come back home to Palatka — investing not only in a law practice, but in the future of our community.

We talk about downtown revitalization, the historic legacy of Putnam County — from the days of William Bartram to the great Cypress mills along the St. Johns River — and what it means to preserve that history while building something new. There’s excitement about projects like the raising of the Shands Bridge and how infrastructure connects directly to economic and educational opportunity.

One of the most powerful parts of this conversation centers on aviation. From first flight lessons at the Palatka airport to owning aircraft, our guest shares how early exposure to aviation shaped his life. Now, through partnerships with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the expansion of our local runway, students in Putnam County are not just studying STEM — they’re logging real flight hours, soloing, and working toward private pilot licenses.

This is what education looks like when a community believes in its kids.

From AP classrooms to the Fly Academy, from Main Street to the runway — we’re building pathways home for our best and brightest.

And the best part? This story is still being written.