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Pastor Laverne March receives St. Augustine's Order of La Florida
Summary
Pastor Laverne March was presented the Order of La Florida — St. Augustine's highest civic honor — at a City Commission ceremony, where commissioners praised her decades of community service, including programs in West Augustine and teaching contributions at Flagler College.
Pastor Laverne March received the City of St. Augustine's Order of La Florida, the city's highest civic honor, at a City Commission ceremony where commissioners and community members praised her decades of community service.
The award, established in 1975, recognizes individuals 55 and older who have ‘‘unselfishly devoted time and talent to the welfare and betterment of St. Augustine’s citizens and heritage.’’ The ceremony noted that recipients must be at least 55 and that there may be no more than 10 living recipients at a time; Pastor March was identified as the tenth current recipient and the Commission said 25 people have received the honor over the award’s 49-year history.
Commissioner Cynthia Garris introduced March, recounting childhood ties and a long friendship. Garris detailed March’s background, saying March attended Florida A&M University, worked for a logistics engineering firm near Washington, D.C., and later returned to St. Augustine to lead community efforts. Garris highlighted March’s work as senior pastor of Living Waters Ministries and her leadership of a neighborhood volunteer effort described as “Pride in the West Side,” which organizes residents and volunteers to repair and paint homes and other structures. “God says that she has touched so many lives over the years,” Garris said, praising March’s dedication.
In reading the formal citation, the Commission said the award was presented "for unselfishly devoting time and talent to the welfare and betterment of our citizens and our heritage and for exemplifying the finest qualities of citizenship by contributing extraordinary services to our community." The citation referenced the city’s founding and noted the award presentation in 2024.
Accepting the honor, Pastor March thanked Commissioner Garris and city leaders and said her work is motivated by faith and service rather than recognition. “I thank God for the life, the strength, the breath and the ideas that he has put in my heart,” March said, expressing gratitude for the community team she named in the audience.
The Commission closed the brief ceremony with thanks to March and attendees; the program concluded without formal votes or further action recorded.
