Northwest Florida native and South Walton County resident, Rick Everitt, has announced his candidacy for the Walton County Fire District Commissioner, Seat 3.
Most South Walton residents have probably seen Rick’s bright red and yellow signs dispersed throughout the district and around most intersections. Rick is a newcomer to politics, having recently retired after serving for over 30 years as an executive with the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium, which represents 13 Northwest Florida counties, including Walton.
Rick believes his experience in organizational management, leadership, and technology makes him uniquely qualified to serve South Walton during this time of rapid growth and change. “One of the organizational challenges we face is getting a return on the tax dollars we pay out with reciprocal benefits received in return. Negotiating with federal & state officials in behalf of Northwest Florida residents was one particular task I excelled at during my time at the Consortium. I would like to bring my experience working in Washington, D.C. and Tallahassee to my job on behalf of Walton County,” he said.
Everitt cites his leadership in the effort to expand Internet access for schools and residences in the Panhandle as one example of his experience- working to secure $500 million in outside funding and saving Walton County taxpayers $25 million through the federal E-Rate program. “By working with leaders and agencies in Washington, D.C., and in Tallahassee, I helped the Panhandle become a national leader in education technology. Now, as South Walton faces tremendous challenges – additional growth, demands on our infrastructure, and an aging population – we need new, visionary leadership on the South Walton Fire District Commission to ensure that our homes and our community are protected, says Rick. He wants to remind all Walton County voters the Fire Commissioner Seat 3 race is nonpartisan and is the last contest on the ballot.
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