Board of Fire Commissioners

With a formal education in Accounting, Business Administration and Law, Commissioner Gilbert spent over 20 years in mortgage banking. In 1995, he moved fulltime to South Walton and became a Real Estate Broker.  Seeing the need for improvement in fire and emergency medical services in South Walton, he became a Fire Commissioner in 1997. 

Commissioner Foley spent 27 years in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot and retired in May 2022. He is the founder and CEO of several businesses aligned with the aerospace/defense industry, and is a technology entrepreneur with autonomous systems and unmanned aerial vehicle innovations. Commissioner Foley has also served as a legislative assistant and senior advisor in the U.S. Senate, and is a government relations professional, consultant, and teacher.

Commissioner Flynt was a Project Engineer for Donohoe Construction, Inc. and has been a Florida certified contractor since 1989. Commissioner Flynt has served on the Walton County Code Enforcement Board since 2002 and is a member of the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, NWF Symphony Guild, and the West Florida Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

Commissioner Hall has an MBA from Samford University and spent 36 years in health care administration and retired from the presidency of Sacred Heart on the Emerald Coast and Sacred Heart on the Gulf in 2020. Commissioner Hall serves on several boards including Scenic Walton, Destin Charity Wine Auction, Shelter House, Stepping Stones, and Santa Rosa Beach Community Church.
 

 

Commissioner Christenson was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 1991. Commissioner Christenson has a degree in Emergency Medical Services and has been involved in emergency services since 1997. Commissioner Christenson has been a Firefighter/Paramedic in Okaloosa County since 2000.    

Commissioner Stange has been in hospitality management for nearly 40 years. Currently, he is the Chief Operating Officer of the Resort Collection in Panama City Beach, Florida and previously, the President of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort for 11 years. Commissioner Stange has served as a Commissioner on the Fire Board since 2000.

Commissioner Bailey is a registered architect and urban planner with experience in both public and private sector projects, including residential, hospitality, institutional, and mixed-use developments.  He and his family have lived and worked in south Walton since 2009.  Bailey previously served as an interim SWFD Fire Commissioner from 2021 to 2022.