Jimmy Patronis makes appointment to key Gulf Coast Board before he heads to Congress

While Jimmy Patronis is on his way to Washington, D.C., after claiming victory in Tuesday’s election in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, he still had some final business to conduct as Florida’s Chief Financial Officer.

One of his final acts as CFO before resigning ahead of the election was appointing a key municipal Board member in the Gulf Coast. Patronis named Charles Rigdon of Destin to be a member of the Triumph Gulf Coast Board.

That panel oversees Triumph Gulf Coast Inc., a nonprofit group organized in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf in 2010. The nonprofit organization supervises the expenditure of some 75% of funds recovered by the state as a result of the disaster and administers the distribution of those funds in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla counties.

Rigdon was appointed to the Board due to his background in finance. He is a principal in Harbor Capital, a real estate firm tied to Okaloosa and Walton counties. He also has a background in accounting and banking and about four decades in private equity.

Rigdon is replacing Reynolds Henderson. Henderson began serving on the Board in July 2021 and became Treasurer of the panel in 2022, serving in that capacity until last year.

Triumph Gulf Coast Inc. Board Chair Jay Trumbull Sr. said he’s in agreement with the appointment of Rigdon by Patronis. Trumbull added that Rigdon has big shoes to fill in replacing Henderson.

“Reynolds (Henderson) was a dedicated member of our Board and an advocate for our rural communities,” Trumbull said. “He remains committed to the economic betterment of the eight disadvantaged counties affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.”

Trumbull said he looks forward to working with Rigdon in the coming years. “His background and knowledge will provide continuity and a fresh perspective.”