DestinFirst Bank :: Banking Built Around You

Home Why Destin First? Convenience Banking Personal Banking Commercial Banking Lending Reorder Checks Lost & Stolen ATM Cards Career Oppurtunities Contact

:: Board of Directors

Each individual on this dynamic board of directors is well known within the Destin business community for integrity and dedication. Not only do these leaders want Destin to have a better place to bank, they also want Destin to be a better place to live and work. They are committed to being good corporate citizens and giving back to the community they call home. Meet our board and discover why they wanted to be a part of Destinfirst.

Freddy G. Carr – CEO/President of Destin First Bank

“Direct access to seasoned bankers empowered to make decisions–I believed the people in our market are looking for a more viable banking alternative.”

Freddy Carr has more than 27 years of banking experience having held titles such as President/CEO and Chairman and Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, for a couple of national as well as local banks in Destin and the surrounding area. He is also very involved in the community and has held presidential positions on the Economic Development Council, the OWC Foundation, the Community Development Council, and the United Way of Okaloosa County.

Mr. Carr graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Auburn University and received a graduate degree in banking from the LSU School of Banking. He was born in Albertville, Alabama and has four children.

Jeanne Dailey - Co-Founder/President, Newman-Dailey Resort Properties

“I wanted Destin’s business community to have a bank that would be a business partner in the good times and the bad times.”

Jeanne Dailey has extensive experience in the management, marketing, and sales of real estate properties and maintains a large network of business associates throughout Destin and South Walton County. She has contributed greatly to the growth and development of Destin and was voted “Business Woman of the Year” by the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce in 2003 and “Small Business Person of the Year” by the Walton Chamber of Commerce in 2001.

Ms. Dailey graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from East Carolina University and earned an Associate of Fine Arts Degree from Sienna Heights University. She resides in Destin and has a daughter and son in college.

Donald J. Gaetz – Senator and Co-founder of Vitas Healthcare

“An intimate bank, passionately committed to knowing its customers as friends and treating them like family: That’s what I was looking for.”

Donald Gaetz played an integral role in creating Medicare and Medicaid Hospice Benefits throughout the nation as Chairman of the Board of the National Hospice Organization. He also co-founded VITAS Healthcare Corporation, one of the nation’s largest providers of hospice services.

As a community businessman, Mr. Gaetz was the founding Town Chairman and is the longest continuous property owner, other than the developer, of Seaside, Florida. He has business holdings in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties. Recently, he served as the elected Superintendent of Okaloosa County Schools, the highest performing public school system in Florida. In 2006, Mr. Gaetz was elected Senator of the State of Florida.

Mr. Gaetz graduated with a Bachelor degree in Religion and Political Science from Concordia College and earned a Masters in Public Administration from Troy University. He has two children and is married to the former Victoria Quertermous of Fort Walton Beach.

Tim Fulmer– CPA/Partner of Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC

“The Destin Business Community needed a bank that would listen to its customers’ needs and find real solutions to their customers’ problems.”

Tim Fulmer has over 24 years of experience in consulting services and accounting. He is a CPA and partner with one of the top 40 accounting firms in the country, Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC (CRI). CRI began as a small partnership in 1986 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Tim also serves as the Quality Control Director for the firm. As Quality Control Director, he is responsible for overseeing firm-wide quality control policies and procedures as they relate to accounting and auditing functions.

Prior to working with the firm, Mr. Fulmer was a bank auditor in the Tampa office of the international accounting and consulting firm, Ernst & Young, LLP. Tim received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Florida State University. In addition to actively serving the community, Tim was the Destin Chamber of Commerce’s 2005 Chairman of the Board and served on the Destin Board for 13 years. Tim is also a member of the following organizations:

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants

Tim lives in Destin with his wife, Lisa, and his two sons. His third son is attending college at Wake Forest.

William H. Smith - Founder, Pelican Real Estate and Development

“I thought Destin needed a truly local bank.”

Bill Smith founded Pelican Real Estate & Development in 1996. The company has offices from Apalachicola to Perdido Key and is a leader in real estate sales throughout Northwest Florida. Mr. Smith is passionate about the development side of real estate and serves as a member of the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors and the Walton County Property Owners Association.

Mr. Smith is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and served as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army for 20 years. He was born in Banning, California and now lives in Freeport with his wife and two daughters.

Dewey C. Wilson, Jr. – CEO and Chairman, Florida Community Services Corporation of Walton County

“I felt Destin should have a bank where decisions could be made on a local level.”

Dewey Wilson has more than 14 years experience in the community banking industry serving on the Board of Directors of Destin Savings Bank, which later became known as Destin Bank. Currently, he is the President and General Manager of Florida Community Services Corporation of Walton County , also known as Regional Utilities of Walton County. Prior to joining Regional Utilities in 1988, Mr. Wilson was the County Administrator for Walton County and served five years in US Air Force at the Eglin Air Force Base.

An active participant in the community, Mr. Wilson has board experience as Co-Chairman of the Executive Loan Committee, Chairman of the Audit Committee, member of the Governor's Growth Management Committee, and member of Board of Directors of Walton County Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Wilson holds active professional licenses as a general contractor, electrical contractor, and plumbing contractor. He lives in Freeport with his wife and child.

member FDIC.
Equal Housing Lender