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Don Gaetz's Biography

Office:

Contact Information

405 Senate Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

418 West Garden Street
Fourth Floor
Pensacola, FL 32502

Brackin Building, 3rd Floor
302 N. Wilson Street
Crestview, FL 32536

Full Name:

Donald 'Don' Jay Gaetz

Gender:

Male

Family:

Wife: Victoria; 2 Children: Matthew, Erin

Birth Date:

01/22/1948

Birth Place:

Rugby, ND

Home City:

Niceville, FL

Religion:

Lutheran

MA, Public Administration, Troy State University, 1999

BA, Religion/Political Science, Concordia College, 1971

Senator, Florida State Senate, District 1, 2006-2016; 2024-present

Candidate, Florida State Senate, District 1, 2024

Member, Constitution Revision Commission, 2017-2018

President, Florida State Senate, 2012-2014

Superintendent, Okaloosa County School District, 2000-2006

Chairman, Okaloosa School Board, 1994-2000

Town Chairman, Seaside, Florida, 1990-1991

Member, Appropriations on Pre-K-12 Education, Florida State Senate, present

Chair, Committee Ethics and Elections, Florida State Senate, present

Member, Finance and Tax Committee, Florida State Senate, present

Member, Fiscal Policy Committee, Florida State Senate, present

Member, Health Policy Committee, Florida State Senate, present

Member, Joint Administrative Procedures Committee, Florida State Senate, present

Member, Judiciary Committee, present

Member, Rules Committee, Florida State Senate, present

Former Member, Appropriations Committee, Florida State Senate

Former Member, Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, Florida State Senate

Former Member, Executive Committee, Economic Development Council

Former Member, Governor's Commission on Long-Term Health Care

Former Member, Okaloosa-Walton Workforce Development Board

Co-Founder/Vice-Chair, VITAS Healthcare Corporation, 1984-2004

Member, Capitol Hill Club, present

Fellow, Churchill Center, present

Member, National Press Club, present

Member, Theodore Roosevelt Association, present

Former Member, Air Force Association

Former Chair, Bluewater Elementary School Advisory Council

Former Member, Board of Directors, Bob Hope Village, Air Force Enlisted Widows Foundation

Former Member, Board of Directors, James Madison Institute

Former Member, Board of Directors, Niceville-Valparaiso Youth Baseball

Former Member, Board of Directors, Salvation Army

Former Chair, Board of Trustees, Cushman School

Former Co-Founder/Chair, Florida State Hospice Organization

Former Member, Gulf Coast Council, Boy Scouts of America

Former Chair, National Hospice Organization

Former Member, Niceville-Valparaiso-Bay Area Chamber of Commerce

Member, Okaloosa County Republican Club

Former Member, United States Capitol Historical Society

Former Member, University of West Florida Presidential Selection Committee

Hobbies or Special Talents:

Hunting, American and British political history, antiques

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