October 8, 2023 • 22 mins
With 24 years of service to the City of Ocala, including 12 as mayor, hear from Kent Guinn as he completes his term and reflects on major accomplishments, challenges he continues to be passionate about addressing, and his favorite part about serving the citizens of Ocala.
Nonprofits featured in this episode: Open Arms Village and Children's Home Society
Kent Guinn
Kent Guinn assumed the office of Mayor in December 2011 after serving the City of Ocala for 12 years as the Councilman representing District 4.
Mayor Guinn has been in the financial services business for the past 41 years and is owner of the firm Guinn & Company, LLC. He has served on many local boards. He is a current member of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Florida Advisory Committee, U.S. Conference of Mayors, where he serves on the Criminal Justice and International Affairs Committee and is a Member of the Ocala Horse Alliance.
Mayor Guinn is a 5th generation Ocalan. His family has been in Ocala since 1850. He and his wife Sandra have been married for 43 years, have two sons and one granddaughter.
The Catalyst is hosted by the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership, sponsored by Douglas Law Firm and recorded live at Wiley Productions podcast studios, located in Ocala, Florida. New episodes, guests, and perspectives of leadership premiere twice a month. Follow us on Apple, Amazon, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy podcasts.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Natalie McComb (00:06):
The Catalyst, a CEP podcast on bold leadership
in the Ocala Metro, hosted bythe Ocala Metro Chamber and
Economic Partnership, sponsoredby Douglas law firm and recorded
live and Wiley productionspodcast studios located in
Ocala, Florida.
(00:29):
Welcome to the catalyst. I'myour host Natalie McComb, Vice
President for the Ocala MetroChamber and Economic Partnership
Foundation and I'm joined todayby Kent Gwynn, Mayor for the
City of Ocala. Welcome to theshow, Kent.
@Kent Guinn (00:41):
Thank you, Natalie.
Great to be here.
Natalie McComb (00:43):
So you have a long history of public service
to the City of Ocala. 12 yearson City Council representing
District Four, followed by morethan a decade as our mayor. So,
in your opinion, what makes thistown so special?
@Kent Guinn (00:56):
Well, I mean, I'm a fifth generation Ocalan. So I've
grown up here, seen it for along time, before I got on
council. I would just say topeople...I was just telling
gentlemen outside here about,you know, being able to pick the
phone up and say, hey, I've gota citizen that needs some help.
(01:16):
And people just go, "what do yougot Mayor?" You know, we work
together, we solve problems.
And, you know, if you don't havethat, if the community is not
oriented, you know, like that,things just don't work out. I
mean, I talk to other citiesaround the country, and, and
tell them about how easygovernment is and, you know,
public partnerships and thingslike that happen, and they were
(01:39):
like, we don't really work likethat. Yeah, fill in the blank,
whatever city it may be, youknow, we have problems dealing
with, you know, other citygovernments, county governments
and such. So, so yeah, we arefortunate to have people that
are very compassionate andcaring.
Natalie McComb (01:57):
Yeah, yeah, for sure. And, you know, most in our
town, may just know you asmayor, particularly a lot of
those who have more recentlymoved to Ocala. But you also own
a local business. So tell usmore about that experience.
@Kent Guinn (02:10):
So back in 1982, I got in the insurance business,
and I've been doing that forwhat it'll be 41 years. And so
we you know, doing business andestate planning for, you know,
professionals, business owners,things like that.
Natalie McComb (02:28):
Yeah, for sure.
For sure. And, as you mentioned,you're a fifth generation
Ocalean. Ocalean, am I sayingthat? Right? Yep. Which means
that you and your family havecertainly seen a lot of change
and a lot of progress in townover the years. What improvement
specifically the downtown areado you think has been the most
impactful?
@Kent Guinn (02:50):
Well, I'll touch on your question and kind of tie it
in. Probably that hotel. Thathappening was a real catalyst
for the growth in downtown. Backin 1967, there was a hotel there
that was torn down. My fathergot about, I can't remember how
many, bricks. Was about 5000bricks. And my job between the
(03:11):
7th grade and 10th grade was toclean bricks in the afternoon.
For the house he was going tobuild when we moved. And so I
did all that. I would invitefriends over and say, Hey, you
want to clean bricks? I'll giveyou a penny a brick. No, Kent
I'll pass on that.
Natalie McComb (03:29):
So you started a business if you will, right?
@Kent Guinn (03:33):
So we, yeah, we grew up here. And my father was
in the printing business. And hehad watched him, you know, work
real hard and sacrifice. Youdon't realize the things your
parents did until you get olderand kind of think, "wow, they
did that." So yeah, it was. Itwas great. It was great living
(03:54):
in Ocala.
Natalie McComb (03:56):
Wonderful. And, you know, it's one of those
things that certainly in yourposition as mayor, you've had to
be involved in a lot ofdifferent things. But your
service to boards,organizations, and nonprofits
over the years really startedbefore that. As mayor,
certainly, you've been involvedwith the US Conference of Mayors
(04:16):
and organizations that focus oncriminal justice, substance
abuse, and juvenile issues. Butone organization in particular
that you've had a long historyof service for is Children's
Home Society. And I understandthat has a personal connection
for you. Can you explain that alittle bit further?
@Kent Guinn (04:29):
Yeah, so you know, I was adopted. So back in 1954
my mother, who is an unwedmother that lived up in Corning,
New York area, you know, gotpregnant. And 19 year old unwed
girls aren't supposed to bepregnant, you know, in 1954. And
(04:53):
so her doctor somehow knew aboutChildren's Home Society and they
said Norma just go to toJacksonville and Children's Home
Soceity will take care of you.
And you can have the baby andcome back home. And, you know,
we'll say you went tosecretarial school or whatever.
And so she did that. I was born,it was Baptist Hospital then,
which became children's,Wolfson's Children's Medical
(05:15):
Center, shortly thereafter. Andso, for months someone took care
of me after I was born. And theyadopted me (my parents) and they
had adopted my sister throughCHS before that. So, then we
came to Ocala.
Natalie McComb (05:32):
Wow, and created your your family really.
@Kent Guinn (05:34):
Yeah, so I served on their board from gosh, the
state board from like, 1992. Iremember, I think when I became
mayor, I think I got off theirboard. It was just, I didn't
have the time to do it. But wasstill on the division board, but
yeah enjoyed it. I thought youshould obviously give back to
(05:56):
the organization that you gaveme life.
Natalie McComb (06:01):
Yeah. And for those who may not be aware of
Children's Home Society, we'llbe sure to include a link on the
episodes page. So you can learna little bit more about about
that organization. So, one ofyour major responsibilities as
mayor is overseeing the OcalaPolice Department, which you
have partnered with on a numberof programs. Anyone in
particular that you're mostproud of that you want to
highlight today?
@Kent Guinn (06:23):
I would probably say, you know, Chief Graham did
this program, it was the amnestyprogram. We worked with the
billboard companies and youknow, we had this campaign
talking about addiction is not acrime. And we were encouraging
people to come in, if theyneeded help, just to walk in and
go, "Look, I'm done. I can'tlive like this anymore, I need
(06:46):
some help." And we will takethem at no cost to The Centers
at the time. And, you know, theywould go into rehab for 90 days.
And, you know, come out theother side hopefully successful.
Now we have the hospitaldistrict that's partnered, and
done that with us. We have avariety of places to take people
(07:07):
now. But I would probably saythat saved a lot of lives. And I
would probably say that's one ofthe great things that we did.
Natalie McComb (07:17):
That's wonderful. And and I'm sure as
you've had some successes withprograms like that, and
initiatives that thankfullyother communities have learned
from or taken it as a model. I'msure not all those moments have
been have been easy. So whathave you found the most
challenging as mayor and beingin that position?
@Kent Guinn (07:39):
Well, it's working out better right now, but the
chronic homeless that's been areal problem. You know, there
are people that have mentalillnesses, but we need the state
to build more mentalinstitutions to get people off
the street, and get them thehelp that they need. And then
there's the truly homeless that,you know, I'll talk about Open
(08:01):
Arms Village in a second. Butyou know, that's one component.
Then the chronic homeless, andthat's the ones you see, you
know, in LA or San Franciscothat we see on TV. With the
tents all over the street andjust, you know, filth and the
drugs and things like that, thatthey live in. That's been a real
problem, you know, to deal with.
We're dealing with it, but we'vegot a three man task force.
(08:22):
That's all they do. Is they dealwith that.
Natalie McComb (08:27):
What's really your favorite part of the job?
What gets you coming in and yousay, you know what, I really
like this. It makes you comeinto City Hall every day just
energized for the next.
@Kent Guinn (08:38):
Well, I mean, you know, I love when the phone
rings, and people say, hey,Mayor, I need your help. You
know. And it's like, okay, whatdo you got? Yeah, you know, it's
a project is something to workon and things like that. And
that's, that's one of the thingsI was talking to the gentleman
outside earlier, than I can pickthe phone up and say, "hey,
Natalie, I'm working on this, orhey, Scot, Scot Quintel, when he
(09:00):
was a United Way, I've got aproblem and I need your help."
And just the resources and thepeople that just jump in and try
to help you solve problems. Youknow, I've got a thing on my
desk, talks about, from Reagan,talks about that there's no
limit to where a man can go ifhe's not worried about, you
(09:21):
know, who gets to credit. AndI'm always, I could care less
who gets the credit. It's like,this is the project. Let's jump
in and get it done.
Natalie McComb (09:29):
Yeah. And what a great position to be in as well.
And is there any advice thatthat you would have for other
leaders in this community whomay be considering running for
public office?
@Kent Guinn (09:42):
Well, I would say, you know, I've said this before,
if you don't genuinely careabout the people you serve, I
mean, like really care aboutthem. It's, you know, you
shouldn't be in that position.
You know, if you're doing itjust, you want to climb the
ladder and you know, go to thenext level in politics or that's
all that is. That's, it's notfor you. Yeah, you know, you
(10:04):
gotta be willing to ride aroundin the middle of the night and,
you know, find out, you know whysomeone's electric, you know, is
not on. You got to meet peoplein the middle of the night when
their son's wanting to get inthe, you know, the recovery
program. You got to be able to,you know, to do all that. That
was one of Greg's five rules,you know, was look for ways to
(10:27):
say yes. Have fun at your job.
If you make a mistake doing theright thing, don't worry about
it, you know, we'll fix it. Askfor forgiveness rather than
permission. You know, just meansif you see something that needs
to be done, just do it. Youknow, and don't ask, hey, boss
can I do this? Like your boss isgonna go, gosh you're killing
(10:49):
me. You don't need permission todo your job. Yeah, so, you see
something that needs to be done,do it. So that's one of the
great things about being themayor is, you know, I don't
answer to anybody except for thepublic. So every two years, they
get to decide if I'm doing agood job or not. Yeah, you know,
that's great.
Natalie McComb (11:10):
And you referenced that you made the
decision not to run forreelection this year. With your
final term as Mayor of Ocalacoming to a close later this
year, do you have any thoughtson what's next?
@Kent Guinn (11:23):
Yeah, I mean, I do when I'm talking to probably 3,
4, 5 people about what's next?
So, but I don't want to reallysay right now.
Natalie McComb (11:37):
Not ready to slow down quite yet?
@Kent Guinn (11:38):
No, I think I have a lot more to offer. So yeah,
I'll spend some time solvingproblems.
Natalie McComb (11:46):
What's one nonprofit organization that
you'd like to highlight today?
And why?
@Kent Guinn (11:50):
Well, I think I touched on them a little bit
That's wonderful. And for thoseof you who may not be familiar
earlier. And just to get alittle bit more in depth, is the
with Open Arms Village, we willbe including a link on the
Open Arms Village, you know,that we started, which was kind
of a partnership, and peoplereally got together to do that.
Father Pat, Karla Grimsley,Steve Hollister with Brothers
(12:10):
Keeper. Gosh, just a bunch ofpeople. That are not here now.
Yeah, and you know, these aremen, and now we're expanding it
to women, but these are men whoare homeless. Like I was talking
about maybe even chronichomeless, on the street, in the
woods, that have come to us andsaid, you know what, I just
(12:31):
can't live like this anymore. Ineed some help. And here's the
difference. And I'm willing todo all the things that are
necessary to get myself out ofthis situation. And I want you
to hold me accountable. So we dothat. So our success rate is
about 85%. When they leave, theyhave 1,000's of dollars in the
(12:53):
bank, because they don't payanything to live there at the
church. And they have a fulltime job. You know, and so
they've gone from I have nothingI'm on the street to I have, you
know, a full time job 1,000's ofdollars and a place to live. You
know, but I will tell you that,the difference in them and some
(13:15):
of the other ones that you seeis they're willing to do what's
necessary to do it right.
They're willing to accept thehelp. That's what people want.
What these men have achieved,but they're just not willing to
do the things that are requiredto get there.
(13:38):
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Natalie McComb (14:07):
So now is the fun part of the interview. We're
getting into the lightning roundquestions. All right. Ready? So
what advice would you give toyourself at age 15?
@Kent Guinn (14:20):
At age 15, I was just starting, I think the 10th
grade I would say, and I wasplaying a lot of golf. I would
say study really hard. Schoolshould be your entire focus.
Natalie McComb (14:36):
You mean it wasn't? Golf was a little up
there?
@Kent Guinn (14:40):
I would study, but I would just say you know, that
it's a short period of time,high school. Do really, really
well in their study, you know,go to your counselor, you know,
and you know, knock their doordown. Hey, tell me this, tell me
thatm you know, and you know,get yourself on the right track
(15:02):
to whatever it is that you wantto do. Whether it's law or own a
business or electrician,plumber, whatever it may be,
that you want to do, just getreally, really focused. All that
partying and all that stuff,that'll come and go. You got the
next, you know, 40-50 years ofyour life to live. And all of
(15:25):
that makes a difference in howyou're going to live the rest of
it.
Natalie McComb (15:28):
And how would you describe yourself in one
word?
@Kent Guinn (15:31):
Humble. People see people in my position. And they
think, oh, well, you know, he's,you know, on the news or this or
that, you know, but it's just,that's just part of the job. I
mean, you know, I think it'svery humbling, and I'll tell you
a piece of advice that I got,it's very humbling that you
(15:53):
know, anybody would want to haveyour picture their picture taken
with you. Gerald Ergle, MayorErgle, you know, when I became
mayor says, "Hey, Mayor, anyadvice you could give me?" He
says, yeah, he said, you know,don't think others don't think
you're as important as othersthink you are. I didn't really
get that until right at theChristmas parade a little girl
(16:14):
came, Ralph Emilio's daughter,said, "Oh, can I have my picture
taken with you?" Sure. Yeah.
Like, I'm thinking to myself,why would why would she want her
picture taken with me? And Itold the mayor, Mayor Ergle,
that because you make it a bigdeal for them because to them,
(16:36):
it's a big deal.
Natalie McComb (16:39):
What was your first job and what did you learn
from that experience?
@Kent Guinn (16:42):
First, like real job? Was working for Auggie
Greiner, at Greiner's men'sstore when I was in 11th grade.
And I learned a lot from him. Imean, he taught me he was like,
my second dad. You know, don'tjudge of all things. Don't judge
people by the clothes that theywear. And I learned that in the
(17:02):
banking business, you know, wesaw people that you know, had
chewing tobacco all over themand you know boots and that, but
were worth hundreds of millionsof dollars. You know? And, you
know, talk to everyone you know,Auggie would talk to anybody,
and they'd walk in the store.
You know, he would, "Hey, Mr.
Steinbrenner. How are you?"Like, wow that's George
(17:26):
Steinbrenner? Yeah. You know,what can I help you with? Just
hey, how's family? How's this?
How's that? You know? And soyeah, taught me to talk to
everyone. That's one of thethings I learned. Don't ever be
afraid to talk to people. Youknow, they're people just like,
you and I. And, you know, theygot problems. And, you know,
I'll tell you a quick story. Ihad called John Malone, welcomed
(17:50):
him to Ocala, they had boughtBridlewood farm. And so fast
forward a couple of years afterthat I saw him at Chester
Weber's event, somebody invitedme over to the table where he
was there and I said, youprobably don't remember me. And
he goes, "Remember you? I talkedabout you often." I go, really?
(18:11):
He goes, Yeah. And he said,"Most places I go, the first two
people that call me are theProperty Appraiser and the Tax
Collector." He's the largestlandowner in the country. He
said no, in Ocala, Florida, hesaid the mayor calls me and
thanks me for coming.
Natalie McComb (18:31):
But that's the impression you made. How
@Kent Guinn (18:33):
Yeah. Obviously, very successful man. But you
important that is.
know, you can talk to him, youknow. What I advise young
people, people in general, don'tbe afraid to, you know, talk to
people that are in positions ofauthority, whatever it is.
Natalie McComb (18:55):
And who is a leader, you admire?
@Kent Guinn (18:57):
Jared that runs Signature Brands. I played golf
with him before and talked tohim and just watched you know,
how he's worked at SignatureBrands. And he's great about,
asking his executives, hedoesn't tell them what to do. He
lets them figure it out forthemselves. He's great at asking
(19:18):
questions, and letting them leadthemselves to, you know, the
answer that they need. Wherethey need to be. Super involved
in the community, strongadvocate of United Way and
everything they're doing overthere. Strong Families, very
involved in that. I mean, he'sjust the kind of leader that,
(19:38):
you know, you look for, and Iwill tell you one thing that's
really important to me is thatthe neighborhood that I grew up
in is on the northeast side oftown, tough neighborhood. And
that's why my father, that's whyI clean those bricks to get out
of that neighborhood. I drivethat way every once in a while,
you know, look around. Actually,it's within about 75 yards of
(20:03):
Open Arms Village, which waskind of...
Natalie McComb (20:08):
Meaningful?
@Kent Guinn (20:09):
Yeah, back in that neighborhood and do that, you
know, 75 yards from where I grewup. But, you know, it was a
tough neighborhood. You learneddon't ever let anybody
intimidate you. You know, andyou have to learn that in
politics. And I think, you know,growing up in a neighborhood
like that has helped me, youknow, in, in public life, but we
(20:31):
need to have, we need to havelike more of people that don't
agree with each other, actually,find some common ground.
Natalie McComb (20:39):
Yeah, come together.
@Kent Guinn (20:40):
Yeah. I mean, I'll use some names here. You know,
some people that didn't livehere, they might not know. But
guys, like Buddy McKay was ourlieutenant governor, was
governor for three weeks underLawton Chiles. Jimmy Williams is
a lieutenant governor, livedhere. They're Democrats, I'm
Republican. But we need to havemore people that agree on
(21:02):
things. Find a common ground.
Natalie McComb (21:05):
Cause there's more that we agree on than we
don't. And to let those thingswe disagree on define the
narrative and prevent us fromfrom coming into any kind of
consensus for the community. Noone's benefiting from that.
@Kent Guinn (21:18):
Well, that's why I think local government works so
well. Yeah, we can do that. AndTallahassee, Washington, not so
much. So yeah, we need more ofthat. Because the people here in
local government are closer tothe people than you know,
Tallahassee and Washington. Wesee him in public, right? See
(21:39):
them at church, you'reneighbors, you know, hey, what
about my electric bill? Whatabout, what are you getting the
stop sign over there, thisstreet or that street?
Natalie McComb (21:49):
You're the neighbor that can solve the
problem, right? Or at leastfigure out how to solve the
problem, right? Yeah. That'swonderful.
@Kent Guinn (21:55):
When's the mosquito truck coming by? Yeah.
Natalie McComb (22:00):
Well, thank you so much, Mayor Guinn, for being
on The Catalyst today. We reallyappreciate your time.
@Kent Guinn (22:05):
Glad to be here.
Great questions. And thank you alot for inviting me.
Natalie McComb (22:12):
Thank you for joining us for another episode
of The Catalyst hosted by theOcala Metro Chamber and Economic
Partnership, sponsored byDouglas Law Firm and recorded
live at Wiley Productionspodcast studios. New episodes,
guests, and perspectives onleadership premiere twice a
month. Follow us on Apple,Amazon, Spotify, or wherever you
(22:35):
enjoy your podcasts. Have asuggestion for a future guest
email us atthecatalyst@ocalacep.com
The Catalyst, a CEP podcast on bold leadership
in the Ocala Metro, hosted bythe Ocala Metro Chamber and
Economic Partnership, sponsoredby Douglas law firm and recorded
live and Wiley productionspodcast studios located in
Ocala, Florida.
(00:29):
Welcome to the catalyst. I'myour host Natalie McComb, Vice
President for the Ocala MetroChamber and Economic Partnership
Foundation and I'm joined todayby Kent Gwynn, Mayor for the
City of Ocala. Welcome to theshow, Kent.
@Kent Guinn (00:41):
Thank you, Natalie.
Great to be here.
Natalie McComb (00:43):
So you have a long history of public service
to the City of Ocala. 12 yearson City Council representing
District Four, followed by morethan a decade as our mayor. So,
in your opinion, what makes thistown so special?
@Kent Guinn (00:56):
Well, I mean, I'm a fifth generation Ocalan. So I've
grown up here, seen it for along time, before I got on
council. I would just say topeople...I was just telling
gentlemen outside here about,you know, being able to pick the
phone up and say, hey, I've gota citizen that needs some help.
(01:16):
And people just go, "what do yougot Mayor?" You know, we work
together, we solve problems.
And, you know, if you don't havethat, if the community is not
oriented, you know, like that,things just don't work out. I
mean, I talk to other citiesaround the country, and, and
tell them about how easygovernment is and, you know,
public partnerships and thingslike that happen, and they were
(01:39):
like, we don't really work likethat. Yeah, fill in the blank,
whatever city it may be, youknow, we have problems dealing
with, you know, other citygovernments, county governments
and such. So, so yeah, we arefortunate to have people that
are very compassionate andcaring.
Natalie McComb (01:57):
Yeah, yeah, for sure. And, you know, most in our
town, may just know you asmayor, particularly a lot of
those who have more recentlymoved to Ocala. But you also own
a local business. So tell usmore about that experience.
@Kent Guinn (02:10):
So back in 1982, I got in the insurance business,
and I've been doing that forwhat it'll be 41 years. And so
we you know, doing business andestate planning for, you know,
professionals, business owners,things like that.
Natalie McComb (02:28):
Yeah, for sure.
For sure. And, as you mentioned,you're a fifth generation
Ocalean. Ocalean, am I sayingthat? Right? Yep. Which means
that you and your family havecertainly seen a lot of change
and a lot of progress in townover the years. What improvement
specifically the downtown areado you think has been the most
impactful?
@Kent Guinn (02:50):
Well, I'll touch on your question and kind of tie it
in. Probably that hotel. Thathappening was a real catalyst
for the growth in downtown. Backin 1967, there was a hotel there
that was torn down. My fathergot about, I can't remember how
many, bricks. Was about 5000bricks. And my job between the
(03:11):
7th grade and 10th grade was toclean bricks in the afternoon.
For the house he was going tobuild when we moved. And so I
did all that. I would invitefriends over and say, Hey, you
want to clean bricks? I'll giveyou a penny a brick. No, Kent
I'll pass on that.
Natalie McComb (03:29):
So you started a business if you will, right?
@Kent Guinn (03:33):
So we, yeah, we grew up here. And my father was
in the printing business. And hehad watched him, you know, work
real hard and sacrifice. Youdon't realize the things your
parents did until you get olderand kind of think, "wow, they
did that." So yeah, it was. Itwas great. It was great living
(03:54):
in Ocala.
Natalie McComb (03:56):
Wonderful. And, you know, it's one of those
things that certainly in yourposition as mayor, you've had to
be involved in a lot ofdifferent things. But your
service to boards,organizations, and nonprofits
over the years really startedbefore that. As mayor,
certainly, you've been involvedwith the US Conference of Mayors
(04:16):
and organizations that focus oncriminal justice, substance
abuse, and juvenile issues. Butone organization in particular
that you've had a long historyof service for is Children's
Home Society. And I understandthat has a personal connection
for you. Can you explain that alittle bit further?
@Kent Guinn (04:29):
Yeah, so you know, I was adopted. So back in 1954
my mother, who is an unwedmother that lived up in Corning,
New York area, you know, gotpregnant. And 19 year old unwed
girls aren't supposed to bepregnant, you know, in 1954. And
(04:53):
so her doctor somehow knew aboutChildren's Home Society and they
said Norma just go to toJacksonville and Children's Home
Soceity will take care of you.
And you can have the baby andcome back home. And, you know,
we'll say you went tosecretarial school or whatever.
And so she did that. I was born,it was Baptist Hospital then,
which became children's,Wolfson's Children's Medical
(05:15):
Center, shortly thereafter. Andso, for months someone took care
of me after I was born. And theyadopted me (my parents) and they
had adopted my sister throughCHS before that. So, then we
came to Ocala.
Natalie McComb (05:32):
Wow, and created your your family really.
@Kent Guinn (05:34):
Yeah, so I served on their board from gosh, the
state board from like, 1992. Iremember, I think when I became
mayor, I think I got off theirboard. It was just, I didn't
have the time to do it. But wasstill on the division board, but
yeah enjoyed it. I thought youshould obviously give back to
(05:56):
the organization that you gaveme life.
Natalie McComb (06:01):
Yeah. And for those who may not be aware of
Children's Home Society, we'llbe sure to include a link on the
episodes page. So you can learna little bit more about about
that organization. So, one ofyour major responsibilities as
mayor is overseeing the OcalaPolice Department, which you
have partnered with on a numberof programs. Anyone in
particular that you're mostproud of that you want to
highlight today?
@Kent Guinn (06:23):
I would probably say, you know, Chief Graham did
this program, it was the amnestyprogram. We worked with the
billboard companies and youknow, we had this campaign
talking about addiction is not acrime. And we were encouraging
people to come in, if theyneeded help, just to walk in and
go, "Look, I'm done. I can'tlive like this anymore, I need
(06:46):
some help." And we will takethem at no cost to The Centers
at the time. And, you know, theywould go into rehab for 90 days.
And, you know, come out theother side hopefully successful.
Now we have the hospitaldistrict that's partnered, and
done that with us. We have avariety of places to take people
(07:07):
now. But I would probably saythat saved a lot of lives. And I
would probably say that's one ofthe great things that we did.
Natalie McComb (07:17):
That's wonderful. And and I'm sure as
you've had some successes withprograms like that, and
initiatives that thankfullyother communities have learned
from or taken it as a model. I'msure not all those moments have
been have been easy. So whathave you found the most
challenging as mayor and beingin that position?
@Kent Guinn (07:39):
Well, it's working out better right now, but the
chronic homeless that's been areal problem. You know, there
are people that have mentalillnesses, but we need the state
to build more mentalinstitutions to get people off
the street, and get them thehelp that they need. And then
there's the truly homeless that,you know, I'll talk about Open
(08:01):
Arms Village in a second. Butyou know, that's one component.
Then the chronic homeless, andthat's the ones you see, you
know, in LA or San Franciscothat we see on TV. With the
tents all over the street andjust, you know, filth and the
drugs and things like that, thatthey live in. That's been a real
problem, you know, to deal with.
We're dealing with it, but we'vegot a three man task force.
(08:22):
That's all they do. Is they dealwith that.
Natalie McComb (08:27):
What's really your favorite part of the job?
What gets you coming in and yousay, you know what, I really
like this. It makes you comeinto City Hall every day just
energized for the next.
@Kent Guinn (08:38):
Well, I mean, you know, I love when the phone
rings, and people say, hey,Mayor, I need your help. You
know. And it's like, okay, whatdo you got? Yeah, you know, it's
a project is something to workon and things like that. And
that's, that's one of the thingsI was talking to the gentleman
outside earlier, than I can pickthe phone up and say, "hey,
Natalie, I'm working on this, orhey, Scot, Scot Quintel, when he
(09:00):
was a United Way, I've got aproblem and I need your help."
And just the resources and thepeople that just jump in and try
to help you solve problems. Youknow, I've got a thing on my
desk, talks about, from Reagan,talks about that there's no
limit to where a man can go ifhe's not worried about, you
(09:21):
know, who gets to credit. AndI'm always, I could care less
who gets the credit. It's like,this is the project. Let's jump
in and get it done.
Natalie McComb (09:29):
Yeah. And what a great position to be in as well.
And is there any advice thatthat you would have for other
leaders in this community whomay be considering running for
public office?
@Kent Guinn (09:42):
Well, I would say, you know, I've said this before,
if you don't genuinely careabout the people you serve, I
mean, like really care aboutthem. It's, you know, you
shouldn't be in that position.
You know, if you're doing itjust, you want to climb the
ladder and you know, go to thenext level in politics or that's
all that is. That's, it's notfor you. Yeah, you know, you
(10:04):
gotta be willing to ride aroundin the middle of the night and,
you know, find out, you know whysomeone's electric, you know, is
not on. You got to meet peoplein the middle of the night when
their son's wanting to get inthe, you know, the recovery
program. You got to be able to,you know, to do all that. That
was one of Greg's five rules,you know, was look for ways to
(10:27):
say yes. Have fun at your job.
If you make a mistake doing theright thing, don't worry about
it, you know, we'll fix it. Askfor forgiveness rather than
permission. You know, just meansif you see something that needs
to be done, just do it. Youknow, and don't ask, hey, boss
can I do this? Like your boss isgonna go, gosh you're killing
(10:49):
me. You don't need permission todo your job. Yeah, so, you see
something that needs to be done,do it. So that's one of the
great things about being themayor is, you know, I don't
answer to anybody except for thepublic. So every two years, they
get to decide if I'm doing agood job or not. Yeah, you know,
that's great.
Natalie McComb (11:10):
And you referenced that you made the
decision not to run forreelection this year. With your
final term as Mayor of Ocalacoming to a close later this
year, do you have any thoughtson what's next?
@Kent Guinn (11:23):
Yeah, I mean, I do when I'm talking to probably 3,
4, 5 people about what's next?
So, but I don't want to reallysay right now.
Natalie McComb (11:37):
Not ready to slow down quite yet?
@Kent Guinn (11:38):
No, I think I have a lot more to offer. So yeah,
I'll spend some time solvingproblems.
Natalie McComb (11:46):
What's one nonprofit organization that
you'd like to highlight today?
And why?
@Kent Guinn (11:50):
Well, I think I touched on them a little bit
That's wonderful. And for thoseof you who may not be familiar
earlier. And just to get alittle bit more in depth, is the
with Open Arms Village, we willbe including a link on the
Open Arms Village, you know,that we started, which was kind
of a partnership, and peoplereally got together to do that.
Father Pat, Karla Grimsley,Steve Hollister with Brothers
(12:10):
Keeper. Gosh, just a bunch ofpeople. That are not here now.
Yeah, and you know, these aremen, and now we're expanding it
to women, but these are men whoare homeless. Like I was talking
about maybe even chronichomeless, on the street, in the
woods, that have come to us andsaid, you know what, I just
(12:31):
can't live like this anymore. Ineed some help. And here's the
difference. And I'm willing todo all the things that are
necessary to get myself out ofthis situation. And I want you
to hold me accountable. So we dothat. So our success rate is
about 85%. When they leave, theyhave 1,000's of dollars in the
(12:53):
bank, because they don't payanything to live there at the
church. And they have a fulltime job. You know, and so
they've gone from I have nothingI'm on the street to I have, you
know, a full time job 1,000's ofdollars and a place to live. You
know, but I will tell you that,the difference in them and some
(13:15):
of the other ones that you seeis they're willing to do what's
necessary to do it right.
They're willing to accept thehelp. That's what people want.
What these men have achieved,but they're just not willing to
do the things that are requiredto get there.
(13:38):
episodes page, so you can clickand learn a little bit more
about the great work thatthey're doing. And now a word
from our sponsor.
@Sponsor (13:46):
Douglas Law Fi
Douglas Law Firm. We are afull-service law firm with many
practice areas to serve yourparticular needs. We are located
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hope you enjoy it.
Natalie McComb (14:07):
So now is the fun part of the interview. We're
getting into the lightning roundquestions. All right. Ready? So
what advice would you give toyourself at age 15?
@Kent Guinn (14:20):
At age 15, I was just starting, I think the 10th
grade I would say, and I wasplaying a lot of golf. I would
say study really hard. Schoolshould be your entire focus.
Natalie McComb (14:36):
You mean it wasn't? Golf was a little up
there?
@Kent Guinn (14:40):
I would study, but I would just say you know, that
it's a short period of time,high school. Do really, really
well in their study, you know,go to your counselor, you know,
and you know, knock their doordown. Hey, tell me this, tell me
thatm you know, and you know,get yourself on the right track
(15:02):
to whatever it is that you wantto do. Whether it's law or own a
business or electrician,plumber, whatever it may be,
that you want to do, just getreally, really focused. All that
partying and all that stuff,that'll come and go. You got the
next, you know, 40-50 years ofyour life to live. And all of
(15:25):
that makes a difference in howyou're going to live the rest of
it.
Natalie McComb (15:28):
And how would you describe yourself in one
word?
@Kent Guinn (15:31):
Humble. People see people in my position. And they
think, oh, well, you know, he's,you know, on the news or this or
that, you know, but it's just,that's just part of the job. I
mean, you know, I think it'svery humbling, and I'll tell you
a piece of advice that I got,it's very humbling that you
(15:53):
know, anybody would want to haveyour picture their picture taken
with you. Gerald Ergle, MayorErgle, you know, when I became
mayor says, "Hey, Mayor, anyadvice you could give me?" He
says, yeah, he said, you know,don't think others don't think
you're as important as othersthink you are. I didn't really
get that until right at theChristmas parade a little girl
(16:14):
came, Ralph Emilio's daughter,said, "Oh, can I have my picture
taken with you?" Sure. Yeah.
Like, I'm thinking to myself,why would why would she want her
picture taken with me? And Itold the mayor, Mayor Ergle,
that because you make it a bigdeal for them because to them,
(16:36):
it's a big deal.
Natalie McComb (16:39):
What was your first job and what did you learn
from that experience?
@Kent Guinn (16:42):
First, like real job? Was working for Auggie
Greiner, at Greiner's men'sstore when I was in 11th grade.
And I learned a lot from him. Imean, he taught me he was like,
my second dad. You know, don'tjudge of all things. Don't judge
people by the clothes that theywear. And I learned that in the
(17:02):
banking business, you know, wesaw people that you know, had
chewing tobacco all over themand you know boots and that, but
were worth hundreds of millionsof dollars. You know? And, you
know, talk to everyone you know,Auggie would talk to anybody,
and they'd walk in the store.
You know, he would, "Hey, Mr.
Steinbrenner. How are you?"Like, wow that's George
(17:26):
Steinbrenner? Yeah. You know,what can I help you with? Just
hey, how's family? How's this?
How's that? You know? And soyeah, taught me to talk to
everyone. That's one of thethings I learned. Don't ever be
afraid to talk to people. Youknow, they're people just like,
you and I. And, you know, theygot problems. And, you know,
I'll tell you a quick story. Ihad called John Malone, welcomed
(17:50):
him to Ocala, they had boughtBridlewood farm. And so fast
forward a couple of years afterthat I saw him at Chester
Weber's event, somebody invitedme over to the table where he
was there and I said, youprobably don't remember me. And
he goes, "Remember you? I talkedabout you often." I go, really?
(18:11):
He goes, Yeah. And he said,"Most places I go, the first two
people that call me are theProperty Appraiser and the Tax
Collector." He's the largestlandowner in the country. He
said no, in Ocala, Florida, hesaid the mayor calls me and
thanks me for coming.
Natalie McComb (18:31):
But that's the impression you made. How
@Kent Guinn (18:33):
Yeah. Obviously, very successful man. But you
important that is.
know, you can talk to him, youknow. What I advise young
people, people in general, don'tbe afraid to, you know, talk to
people that are in positions ofauthority, whatever it is.
Natalie McComb (18:55):
And who is a leader, you admire?
@Kent Guinn (18:57):
Jared that runs Signature Brands. I played golf
with him before and talked tohim and just watched you know,
how he's worked at SignatureBrands. And he's great about,
asking his executives, hedoesn't tell them what to do. He
lets them figure it out forthemselves. He's great at asking
(19:18):
questions, and letting them leadthemselves to, you know, the
answer that they need. Wherethey need to be. Super involved
in the community, strongadvocate of United Way and
everything they're doing overthere. Strong Families, very
involved in that. I mean, he'sjust the kind of leader that,
(19:38):
you know, you look for, and Iwill tell you one thing that's
really important to me is thatthe neighborhood that I grew up
in is on the northeast side oftown, tough neighborhood. And
that's why my father, that's whyI clean those bricks to get out
of that neighborhood. I drivethat way every once in a while,
you know, look around. Actually,it's within about 75 yards of
(20:03):
Open Arms Village, which waskind of...
Natalie McComb (20:08):
Meaningful?
@Kent Guinn (20:09):
Yeah, back in that neighborhood and do that, you
know, 75 yards from where I grewup. But, you know, it was a
tough neighborhood. You learneddon't ever let anybody
intimidate you. You know, andyou have to learn that in
politics. And I think, you know,growing up in a neighborhood
like that has helped me, youknow, in, in public life, but we
(20:31):
need to have, we need to havelike more of people that don't
agree with each other, actually,find some common ground.
Natalie McComb (20:39):
Yeah, come together.
@Kent Guinn (20:40):
Yeah. I mean, I'll use some names here. You know,
some people that didn't livehere, they might not know. But
guys, like Buddy McKay was ourlieutenant governor, was
governor for three weeks underLawton Chiles. Jimmy Williams is
a lieutenant governor, livedhere. They're Democrats, I'm
Republican. But we need to havemore people that agree on
(21:02):
things. Find a common ground.
Natalie McComb (21:05):
Cause there's more that we agree on than we
don't. And to let those thingswe disagree on define the
narrative and prevent us fromfrom coming into any kind of
consensus for the community. Noone's benefiting from that.
@Kent Guinn (21:18):
Well, that's why I think local government works so
well. Yeah, we can do that. AndTallahassee, Washington, not so
much. So yeah, we need more ofthat. Because the people here in
local government are closer tothe people than you know,
Tallahassee and Washington. Wesee him in public, right? See
(21:39):
them at church, you'reneighbors, you know, hey, what
about my electric bill? Whatabout, what are you getting the
stop sign over there, thisstreet or that street?
Natalie McComb (21:49):
You're the neighbor that can solve the
problem, right? Or at leastfigure out how to solve the
problem, right? Yeah. That'swonderful.
@Kent Guinn (21:55):
When's the mosquito truck coming by? Yeah.
Natalie McComb (22:00):
Well, thank you so much, Mayor Guinn, for being
on The Catalyst today. We reallyappreciate your time.
@Kent Guinn (22:05):
Glad to be here.
Great questions. And thank you alot for inviting me.
Natalie McComb (22:12):
Thank you for joining us for another episode
of The Catalyst hosted by theOcala Metro Chamber and Economic
Partnership, sponsored byDouglas Law Firm and recorded
live at Wiley Productionspodcast studios. New episodes,
guests, and perspectives onleadership premiere twice a
month. Follow us on Apple,Amazon, Spotify, or wherever you
(22:35):
enjoy your podcasts. Have asuggestion for a future guest
email us atthecatalyst@ocalacep.com
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