The Honorable JERRY LOUIS MAYGARDEN, M.A., is a business leader with a long and distinguished career in public service. His professional life includes leadership roles in state and local government, hospital administration, and private philanthropy.
Jerry is a former city councilman and mayor of Pensacola who also served as a state legislator and majority leader in the Florida House of Representatives. For many years, he served as president of the Baptist Health Care Foundation, and he was a senior administrator and chief development officer for the Baptist medical system. Jerry was recently selected to serve as president and chief executive officer of the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce.
Jerry holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida. He also completed professional development programs in public policy and administration conducted by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.
Jerry is a life-long parishioner and servant-leader in the United Methodist Church. He is a member of the United States Mobile Riverine Forces and a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. He is a founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida, a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International, a 33° Scottish Rite Mason, and a trustee and chairman of the University of West Florida Historic Trust.
Jerry and his wife, the former Rhonda Fosha, have two children: Louis “Trip” Maygarden (Adrienne) and Morgan Maygarden Gleason (Tim). They also enjoy the company of their granddaughters—Emma Grace and Addie Mae Gleason. The Maygardens reside in the Historic District of downtown Pensacola.