Phil Carpenter was a local leader in the DeKalb Eastern School District who was instrumental in the creation of the St. Joe River Greenway in 2001. He grew up in this area and graduated from St. Joe High School in 1957. He is an Air Force veteran and served in the Vietnam War from 1967-68. He was a member of the DeKalb Eastern School Board from 1994-1996 before becoming the district's business manager. He held that position from 1996-2014 before again holding a leadership position on the school board in 2017. Mr. Carpenter has seven children and 19 grandchildren, and his influence in the DeKalb Eastern Schools and especially in the St. Joe area is described as immeasurable.