FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – By the time the final notes echoed through the halls of the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center on July 31, it wasn’t just another workday coming to a close—it was the finale of an extraordinary 38-year career devoted to music, education and the performing arts.
As Amelia Fulmer stepped into the hallway one last time as director of the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center, she was met by a heartfelt clap out from colleagues, students and friends. The celebration reached its emotional crescendo as the Flagler Palm Coast High School Band, led by longtime friend and band director John Seth, filled the space with music in tribute to a woman whose life has been dedicated to helping others discover their own voices.
For nearly four decades, Fulmer shaped generations of students throughout Flagler Schools before spending the last seven years leading the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center. During that time, she transformed the venue into one of the region’s premier cultural destinations while ensuring it never lost its heart as a welcoming gathering place for students and the community.
“This day marks the completion of an extraordinary chapter of a career in music education, performing arts management and devotion to a community,” said longtime partner Jack Phifer. “The thread that runs through it is giving kids a chance to learn it right.”
Phifer has watched Fulmer’s career evolve from her earliest days teaching elementary music to leading one of Northeast Florida’s finest performing arts venues. While her responsibilities changed over the years, he said the values behind her work never did.
“The core philosophies and intentions that underline how she has approached leading the Fitzgerald have been there since day one,” he said. “The pillars of what you’ve seen be so successful here publicly have been the things that led her and drove her as an educator for all those years before.”
Those same principles helped shape the Fitzgerald into far more than an auditorium.
Phifer credits the facility’s original vision as a professional-caliber theater shared by the school district and the community, but says Fulmer nurtured that vision by creating an atmosphere where everyone felt at home.
“It doesn’t feel like a corporate theater,” he said. “It’s a community theater. It’s truly a place where people come together.”
Friends who experienced the center from the audience saw that same passion every time the curtain rose.
Judy LeMay, a Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center sponsor and subscriber, said she was immediately impressed not only by the state-of-the-art facility but by the woman leading it.
“I love everything about her,” LeMay said. “I love her enthusiasm. I love her talent. I love her drive. I love her heart for the students, for the music, for everything. The integrity that she brings to everything.”
As Fulmer stepped into retirement, those who know her best smile at the word itself.
“Retirement” may describe the end of one career, but few believe it describes Amelia Fulmer.
Current Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center Director Craig Uppercue, who now carries the torch, says her influence will continue long after her final day.
“Today, we celebrate more than a remarkable career—we celebrate a legacy,” Uppercue said. “Her leadership, vision and unwavering belief in the power of the arts have left an enduring mark on Flagler Schools and our community. While her chapter as director comes to a close, the legacy she leaves behind will continue to inspire generations of students, educators, performers and patrons.”
Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore echoed those sentiments, reflecting on Fulmer’s decades of service.
“Amelia Fulmer has 38 years within the Flagler Schools district, serving in so many different capacities,” Moore said with awe. “The work that she’s done at our auditorium, bringing not only our community, but our performing arts K-12 together, is such a legacy, and we’ll be talking about her for years to come.”
For Fulmer, however, this is less of a farewell than an overture.
Already deeply involved in Volusia County’s vibrant arts community, she has little interest in slowing down. One dream she shared with a smile is stepping onto the stage alongside Phifer, a noted drummer, while she takes the microphone as vocalist. For two lifelong musicians who have spent decades encouraging others, it seems only fitting that the next act might find them sharing the spotlight together.
After 38 years of inspiring students, elevating performances and enriching an entire community through music, Amelia Fulmer leaves behind more than memories—she leaves a standard of excellence, compassion and service that will resonate for generations.
As the applause faded and the final hugs were shared, one thing is abundantly clear this isn’t the end of Amelia Fulmer’s story.
It is simply the final curtain on one unforgettable performance—and the opening scene of whatever adventure comes next for this fearless community leader.
