Commissioner Jim Darby has served as Flagler County District Three commissioner since 1992 and has been the Chairman of the Board since 1993. He was re-elected in 1996, 2000, and 2004. He's former Mayor of the City of Flagler Beach (1987-1992) and was Chairman of that city's Planning Board from 1985-1987.
He is also presently Chairman of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Advisory Committee (a Florida State committee – 1996/present), has been Kings Road District Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America (2002-2003), and is present Chairman of the Flagler County Tourist Development Council (1993/present), Chairman of Flagler County Public Transport (1993/present) and Chairman of the Flagler County Blue Ribbon Wetland Committee (2004/present).
As former President of both the Flagler County Council for the Arts and Flagler County Historical Society, he has also served as a former two term vice president of the American Cancer Society, former Director of the United Way and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Flagler/Palm Coast Arts and Entertainment, a cultural arts group seeking development of a Flagler County cultural arts center.
He is the 1998 recipient of the Silver Patrick Henry Medallion award given for patriotic achievement presented by the Military Order of World Wars. Also, in 1998, following the ’98 Florida wildfires, he was named by late Florida Governor Lawton Chiles as a recipient of the “Florida Finest” award, recognizing Floridians “who make their communities significantly better through dedication, hard work and good deeds”.
An Eagle Scout, Commissioner Darby is also a licensed pilot, holds a Florida Real Estate Broker-associate license with past positions including an 18-year middle management position with ITT Community Development Corp, Palm Coast; and more than 12 years as the Executive Officer of the non-profit Flagler County Association of Realtors, Inc. Past positions include journalistic editorships with Gannett Today, former Eau Gallie Courier and the former Melbourne Daily Times in Brevard County where he was its wire editor for Associated Press and United Press International. He served in the US Air Force, stationed at Patrick AFB, Florida during which military service he attended and graduated from the Florida Highway Patrol Academy, Tallahassee, Florida. He worked as a public relations correspondent and press officer in the Bahama Islands ( Nassau) from 1969 until 1972.
As a guitarist and vocalist, he has participated in numerous volunteer charity and fund-raising events in Florida for more than 40 years helping volunteer fire departments, libraries, restoration projects, religious functions and other special events.
This biography was prepared by the friends of Jim Darby. |
