Mel Ponder doesn’t just talk conservative values – he lives them in every walk of life. He’s lived them as a family man, a man of faith, a business executive and as Mayor of Destin. Mel helped institute the Destin Week of Blessings, an annual event that unites area pastors and churches. This effort has now spread to several other cities impacting their communities.
Mel started his own small business to train and support local marketplace and business leaders and individuals, as well as ministers and others of faith to make a difference in their communities. He also worked hard to become a leader in various industries including regionalization, small business ownership, food/hospitality, retail, sales, marketing, nonprofit, and the real estate finance industries. This experience helped him serve effectively as Mayor as he gained the values of leadership, making tough decisions, and taking responsibility.