Justin Beck - Advisory Council Chair
Justin lives in Pensacola and is the CEO of Beck Partners, a commercial real estate services firm. He has a BS in Business Management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Justin is married to his wonderful wife Kristin, and they have three children together. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors, especially fishing and hunting. Justin has a deep appreciation for the natural world and loves all things conservation. He’s a former chair of the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, current chair of the Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation, and trustee at Episcopal Day School in Pensacola.
Rusty Branch
Rusty is the VP of Community Engagement for Innisfree Hotels, Inc. His work there includes leading the “Hive,” Innisfree’s corporate social responsibility program, as well as the organization’s sustainability efforts. Prior to entering the hospitality industry, Rusty spent time working to advance job opportunities for persons with disabilities. He is an alumnus of the University of West Florida, and has also completed an executive education program through the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Rusty resides in Cantonment with his wife Laura and their three children Emma Rae, Elizabeth, and Allen.
Vernon Compton
Vernon works for The Longleaf Alliance as Director of the Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership, which is a voluntary public/private landowner partnership formed in 1996 that now sustains over 1.3 million acres of diverse habitat in northwest Florida and south Alabama. The partnership allows for combined expertise and resources to more effectively manage their individual properties, and to meet the challenges of restoring and sustaining the larger longleaf ecosystem. Vernon has a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from LSU, and prior to joining The Longleaf Alliance in 2010, worked for the Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and the Florida Forest Service at Blackwater River State Forest.
Jerry Davis
Jerry Davis has been at the forefront of agricultural success in Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties for many years,having been a very progressive leader in many movements to improve farming techniques throughout the state. Jerry comes from a farming family, growing soybeans and wheat in his youth. To this day, the family tradition continues as his wife Patty and daughter Caitlynn have been very active in the farming operation that has included cotton, peanuts, wheat, corn, soybeans, vegetables, livestock, and other crops. Jerry is very civic minded and has worked diligently to advance the interests of the farming community – serving as a spokesman and advocate for farmers at the local, state, and national levels.
Pat Durden
Pat lives in Havana, Florida with his wife, Phebe. He operates Durden Red Angus, and is the Vice President of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. He serves on the board for Gadsen County Farm Bureau.
D.C. Reeves
Pensacola native, Mayor D.C. Reeves is a graduate of Florida State University with a bachelor’s in communications and sports management. He is the founder of Perfect Plain Brewing Company and the Chief Entrepreneur Officer at The Spring Entrepreneur Hub, which operates as the foundational front door and advocate for aspiring small businesses in the Pensacola community. D.C. served as the chairman of the board for Visit Pensacola and was named 2021 Emerging Leader of the Year by the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce.
Frank White
Frank is an attorney and politician who represented southern Escambia County in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2018. He was born in Texas and attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Frank earned his bachelor's in history and business politics, his master's in business, and his Juris Doctor degree. He is married to Stephanie, a Pensacola native, and helps run her family's car dealership. They share four children together.