Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
As Riverbend News wraps up its celebration of Women's History Month, we thought it best to share about three more incredibly influential women from our coverage area, specifically, three women who have made recent history.
First, from Suwannee County, Judge Jennifer K. Griffin. She was raised in Suwannee County, where she attended Suwannee High School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts at the University of South Florida, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2001. After that, she continued her education at the University of Florida (UF) College of Law, where she completed a Juris Doctorate in 2004, graduating Cum Laude. After graduating, Griffin began her legal career. She started out as an assistant state attorney, where she served until 2008. On top of that, she served as the Child Support Enforcement Hearing Officer from May 2010 until June 2016. Griffin then made another switch; from July 2016 until 2022, she serve as a General Magistrate. She also showed her prowess by authoring a legal thriller titled “Deadly Escape.” The book did so well that it has been used as a coursebook at Stetson University College of Law. Then, in February of 2024, Griffin was sworn in as the first female judge for Suwannee County.
Lafayette County boasts having Thelma Driver as a citizen. She was born in 1945, in Lakeland, Fla., and eventually married Pernell Driver of Mayo in 1964. Together, the pair had two sons while they lived in West Palm Beach. However, Driver's love for Mayo was evident, especially in her service as a community and business leader. Her businesses included the Mayo Cafe, Mayo Flower Shop and Pj's Bar-B-Que. Her service to the community didn't stop there. Driver was also well known for her work as a radio DJ for local gospel radio station in Mayo. Every Saturday morning, people would call into her show requesting their favorite gospel song. Folks in Mayo knew her as the “circuit riding pianist,” as another way she served was by playing piano at churches all around her. It is almost impossible to find anyone in Mayo who didn't know Driver. Her impact is immeasurable, especially with her making the Mayo Cafe a staple of Lafayette County that still runs to this day.
Finally, in Hamilton County, the current County Judge is Jamie Tyndal. Tyndal attended UF, where she graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Finance in 2005. She continued her educational career at the UF College of Law, graduating in 2009. In 2010, Tyndal began her legal career working for the State Attorney's office. In 2015, she served in the Special Prosecution Unit in 2015. After some time, she took her practice privately, serving citizens throughout Hamilton County. In February of 2023, Tyndal was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the seat of Hamilton County Judge. She filled the vacated seat left by Judge Sonny Scaff, making her the first woman to serve as judge of Hamilton County. Then, in 2024, election time came and Tyndal once again earned her spot, making her not only the first female judge to serve in Hamilton County, but also the county's first elected female judge.
All three of these women have made history in their own way in just the last five years. As Women's History month wraps up, Riverbend News hopes that everyone has taken a moment to appreciate the extensive impact that women have had throughout the history of Hamilton, Lafayette and Suwannee Counties.