The Duke says farewell

Sixty-nine-year-old Keith Roman, known as "Duke" in some circles, can remember teaching and coaching a young man at Douglas County High School in the early 1970s.

Now, that same student is a full-grown, middle-aged man who will be replacing Roman on the Douglas County School Board come January. Ross Chichester was elected in November to fill the seat being vacated by his former teacher.

"Essentially, I just want to thank the people of Douglas County for electing me to this important position, this great position to be involved with their children's lives," Roman said. "I tried to do the best I could. It's been an honor and a privilege."

On Tuesday, during Roman's last public meeting, fellow trustees recognized his 10 years of service on the board, the last two years as board clerk. Roman was first elected to a 2-year term in 2000 to fill a resigned position, and then reelected to four-year terms in 2002 and 2006.

"I've always thought of you as the rudder of the board," said Board President Teri Jamin, after presenting Roman with awards from the Nevada School Board Association and the offices of U.S. Senators John Ensign and Harry Reid. "Sometimes, you'd keep us on course."

Board Vice President Tom Moore noted Roman's commitment to "never letting students down."

"I don't know if I have that compassion inside me," he said, "and someday I only hope I can reach that."

Roman's tenure on the school board is only one shoot of a root system that winds way down into the foundation of the Douglas County School District.

Roman is a fifth-generation Nevadan. In 1880, his ancestors homesteaded a ranch near Hallelujah Junction north of Reno. During the Great Depression, he said, the family sold the ranch and moved into town.

In 1959, Roman graduated from Bishop Manogue High School. He later attended the University of Nevada, Reno, where he majored in physical education and minored in biology and social studies.

"I suppose it all started when I did an interview with Gene Scarselli (Douglas Superintendent) in 1966 at UNR," Roman recalled. "He was there interviewing people. He called me back and said to come down and talk to him more."

Roman's first job in the Douglas County School District was teaching seventh- and eighth-grade science and physical education at what is now the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center. In 1967, he said, Principal Jerome Etchegoyhen asked him to come over to Douglas County High School (now CVMS) to teach science and social studies and to coach junior varsity basketball.

"I was there until 1975," Roman explained, "when we moved over to the new high school where it presently is on Highway 88."

By the time he retired in 1996, Roman had taught history, government and physical sciences in all secondary grade levels and had served as head of the high school's social studies department. In the beginning of his career, he met and married Mary Roman, an English teacher, and together they raised three sons, who all graduated from Douglas High School. The eldest, Blair, now coaches football at Carson High.

Even longer than Roman's teaching career was his coaching career. Roman was an assistant football coach for 34 years, up until 2000, a junior varsity basketball coach for 20 years, and a junior varsity baseball coach for 10 years.

In 2006, around the same time he was beginning a three-year stint on the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association board, Roman was inducted into the Nevada Coaches Hall of Fame.

"I was the first assistant coach ever put there," he said.

Of course, it was not his first public honor. In 1996, the football field at Douglas High School was named the Keith "Duke" Roman Field.

" 'Duke' was the nickname I was given because I was a huge John Wayne fan. I guess they just got tired of listening to it," Roman said. "The whole thing came as a surprise. At my retirement party, they came out with a plaque saying the field was going to be named after me. How the politics behind it happened, I have no idea, but there it is, and it's a wonderful thing, a real privilege and honor for something of that magnitude to happen to anyone."

In 2000, after giving up both teaching and coaching, Roman decided to run for school board.

"I really think having a school teacher on the board is really good from an experience standpoint, and also from the standpoint of understanding the culture of the district," he said. "The greatest challenge is trying to do the best thing for kids. You just got to keep that in mind when you're trying to make decisions. You got to be careful not to be too much of an adult and force things down their throats."

Roman said the resignation of former Superintendent Carol Lark was one of the toughest things he grappled with as a trustee.

"I have no regrets, but there were times when real tough issues had to be decided, and I was right in the middle of them," he said. "Whenever the board made a decision, though, I moved on. I didn't complain. Whatever the majority decided, whether I was in the majority or not, I moved on."

Among his greatest accomplishments as board member Roman includes the many programs at Douglas High School he helped champion, specifically the JROTC program.

"I wouldn't let it go," he said. "We always kind of chipped away at it, and I had lot of satisfaction from that. Another thing was just supporting the extra programs the kids have at the high school - athletics or band, speech and debate, career and technical education. I think these are programs that really keep kids in school. They give them a reason to want to go to school every day, that extra motivation to hang in there."

Roman said he's proud to have been associated with fellow board members and district staff, whom he believes all share the desire "to make this the best little school district in the world."

"I'm going to miss just being around the district itself," he said. "That camaraderie and togetherness with people."

Yet with more free time on his hands, Roman plans to travel.

"We'll spend two months on the road instead of one," he said. "Having those meetings, the school board can limit what you're going to do."

Roman also had some advice for his former student and successor.

"My advice is to have an open mind," he said. "Be flexible and remember this is about the kids."

On Tuesday night, board member Randy Green, who taught with Roman, had some parting words for his friend:

"I've always looked to Keith as a mentor," he said. "Duke, I'll miss you. You'll always be Duke."