In recognition of his years of public service, former Leon County Clerk of Court Dave Lang was honored March 2 with a street renaming and the key to the city.
And the street renamed was none other than the block of Jefferson Street from South Calhoun to South Monroe on the north side of his old workplace, the Leon County Courthouse.
A crowd gathered at the office building next door as local officials marked the occasion. Among those in attendance were Tallahassee Mayor John E. Dailey, City Commissioners Jack Porter, Dianne Williams-Cox and Curtis Richardson, Leon County Judge Nina Ashenafi Richardson, and Leon County Property Appraiser Akin Akinyemi, along with other current and former community leaders.
“I love my community. I love each and everyone of you here and I want to see this city blossom from now on to forever,” Lang said. Tallahassee “has the most beauty and it has the most charm of any city.”
The key to the city was a surprise given to Lang by Dailey, who said it was the highest award a Florida citizen could receive from a municipality.
The decision for the creation for Dave Lang Street was a unanimous “yes” from city commissioners, who passed the item at their first meeting of the year.
Lang has long history of service, in and out of Leon County
Lang attended Florida State University, receiving a degree in public administration, then went on to serve in the armed forces, stationed in Germany. He continued his military service with the Army Reserve before retiring as a lieutenant colonel.
He began his career with the county as the chief deputy clerk of courts in 1959 until he was elected to clerk in 1992. Lang retired in 2001, after leading the office through the 2000 presidential recount.
“During his tenure, he is credited with digitizing public court records and he was the first in the country to place them online for public access,” Dailey said. “He also increased minority employment and instituted a Child Support Enforcement Program.”
Lang also has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and the Tallahassee Historical Society. His wife of 65 years, Mary Alma Roberts Lang, a pillar of the community in her own right with a career in teaching, died in 2023.
“God is showering with double hands love on my father and our family,” said Chuck Lang, their son. “As I look around the crowd here and see people who continue to love my father, it is very, very sweet and we’re so thankful.”
Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Former Leon Clerk of Courts Dave Lang honored with street renaming
Reporting by Arianna Otero, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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