Position: Mayor of City of Fort Walton Beach
Name: Mike Anderson
Term(s): 2005 - Present
Phone: (850) 862-5530
Email: fwbmayor@fwb.org



Background: Mike Anderson has lived in Fort Walton Beach since 1979. Upon graduation from the University of Southern California with a degree in Industrial Management, he entered the Air Force. Mayor Anderson retired from the Air Force in 1984 as a Lt Col and began working with Civil Service at Eglin in 1985. He retired from Civil Service in 2005. Mayor Anderson holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of West Florida. Prior to being elected Mayor, he served four years as a Fort Walton Beach Council Member. His early involvement in the City was as a member of the Mayor's Advisory Group and the Around-the-Mound Project Advisory Group. As a City Councilman, he was a member of the Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) and the Northwest Florida Regional TPO. He is currently Chairman of the Florida League of Cities Home Rule Legislative Policy Council and on the Board of Directors for the Okaloosa School Foundation (Take Stock in Children). Mayor Anderson is the President of the Okaloosa County League of Cities and the First Vice-President for the Northwest Florida League of Cities. In 2007, he received the Florida Mentoring Partnership's Local Government Mentor of the Year award and was selected as the Florida League of Cities Mayor of the Year. He is a member of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce Advisory Board and Government Committee, the Emerald Coast Marine Institute Board of Directors, and the Shelter House Board. Mayor Anderson and his wife Linda have two sons, Matt (wife Cynthia and children Samantha, Alyssa, and Nicholas) and Sam (wife Jennifer)

Position: Council Seat I
Name: Mike Holmes
Term(s): 2003 - Present
Phone: (850) 243-8329
Email: mholmes@fwb.org



Background: Mike Holmes has lived in the Fort Walton Beach area since 1956. He graduated from Choctawhatchee High School in 1974. He has worked at Holmes Auto Repair since 1970. Councilman Holmes served on the City Code Enforcement Board from August 2002 until he was elected to City Council. Councilman Holmes is married and has three daughters.

Position: Council Seat II
Name: joyce gillie gossom
Term(s): 2010 - Present
Phone: (850) 244-9525
Email: jgossom@fwb.org



Background: Born in Chicago, Illinois, joyce gillie gossom and her husband Thom have lived in Fort Walton Beach since 1999. joyce received a Bachelor of Science degree in special education from Illinois State University in 1978, a Master of Education degree from Georgia Southern University in 1992, and an Education Doctorate from the University of West Florida in 2004. She has worked 30 years in academic, entrepreneurial, and corporate professions. Among the many professional hats joyce has worn, includes working as a special education teacher in Chicago IL and Nashville TN; as a management consultant in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama; and as an instructional designer and supervisor for Georgia Power Company. In addition, joyce has been a small business owner in Birmingham AL and a higher education instructor in Alabama and Florida. In 2004, she joined the University of West Florida where she currently serves as the Associate Dean for UWF Emerald Coast, the extended programs and regional engagement division. Throughout her professional career, joyce has served as an active member or as an officer with numerous civic, professional, and community organizations.

Position: Council Seat III
Name: Dennis Reeves
Term(s): 2007 - Present
Phone: (850) 864-4569
Email: dreeves@fwb.org



Background: Dennis Reeves is a lifelong resident of Fort Walton Beach. Upon graduating from Fort Walton Beach High School in 1988, he joined locally owned retail establishment, Don Alans Menstore as a sales representative and rose to Vice President and partner in 1998. Dennis continues to oversee the Fort Walton Beach location.

Position: Council Seat IV
Name: Mike Minich
Term(s): 2005- Present
Phone: (850) 243-2555
Email: mminich@fwb.org

Position: Council Seat V
Name: Bobby Nabors
Term(s): 2009 - Present
Phone: (850) 499-5369
Email: rnabors@fwb.org



Background: Bobby Nabors was born and raised in Fort Walton Beach. He majored in chemistry and graduated cum laud from the University of Florida in 2003. During his time at the university and the year following he traveled all over the US and the Caribbean as a sales rep and windsurfing instructor for water sports equipment manufactures. He has since started the water sports retail company Liquid Surf and Sail with locations in Fort Walton Beach, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Before wining a seat on City Council he held a position on the Fort Walton Beach CRA board.

Position: Council Seat VI
Name: C.H. "Bull" Rigdon
Term(s): 2010 - Present
Phone: -NA-
Email: brigdon@fwb.org

Position: Council Seat VII
Name: Dick Rynearson
Term(s): 2009 - Present
Phone: (850) 862-4004
Email: drynearson@fwb.org



Background: Dick Rynearson has lived in Fort Walton Beach since 1981. A native of Ohio, he graduated from Kent State University in 1967 with a bachelors degree in Aerospace Technology. Dick served 11 years in the United States Air Force as a pilot and missile test engineer. He served a tour in Vietnam as a C-7A aircraft commander/instructor pilot, and 2 tours on Guam as a B-52G aircraft commander flying missions over Southeast Asia. His combat service resulted in being awarded the Air Medal with 7 oakleaf clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Silver Star. In 1978 Dick joined Hughes Aircraft Company/Raytheon as a missile systems test engineer. He also worked in new business development before being promoted to site manager of the company's Eglin AFB based air-to-air missile test team. In 1995 he earned a Masters degree in business from Troy University. Dick retired from Raytheon in 2005. Dick's wife, Janey, is the owner of P S Gifts in Fort Walton Beach. They have 4 children and 10 grandchildren and are members of the Shalimar Methodist Church.