Hailing from the charming town of DeFuniak Springs, Florida, Gary T. Hartfield is an award-winning serial entrepreneur, leader, author, and philanthropist whose influence spans healthcare, insurance, education, and community development. His leadership and business acumen have made a measurable impact across Florida, creating jobs, expanding access to care, and shaping civic progress.

As the founder and CEO of Serenity Village Insurance & Consulting, Gary leads a full-service agency that provides commercial and personal insurance solutions to clients throughout Florida and Georgia. The company specializes in risk management and strategic coverage planning, serving more than 1,000 clients and employing over 100 Floridians. His healthcare enterprise, Serenity Village, grew into a multimillion-dollar operation serving the elderly and individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Beyond business, Gary’s leadership extends into public service. He currently serves as Vice Chair of CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas, where he was instrumental in merging the region’s two workforce boards into a unified $40 million system. He also served as the Director of HART (Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority), a Member of Plan Hillsborough’s Transportation Planning Organization, and a Member of the Tampa Historic Streetcar Board, 2023–2026. He helped guide the future of Tampa’s transportation and infrastructure.

In healthcare and philanthropy, Gary serves as a Trustee on BayCare Health Systems’ St. Joseph’s–Baptist Health Board of Trustees, Committee Member for the Clinical Excellence Board, Advisory Board Member for Moffitt Cancer Center’s George Edgecomb Society, and Board Member of the Ray of Hope Foundation. He also serves on the United Way Suncoast Board of Directors and is the Past Chair of the Admiral Society, where he has helped direct millions in philanthropic investment for education and family stability.

Gary co-chairs the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Visionary of the Year Campaign (2026) and serves as Diversity Chair for the CEO Council of Tampa Bay. He is also a Board Member of LIVE Tampa Bay, a Leadership Florida member, and a mentor with the Tampa Bay Chamber’s Access Tampa Bay program (formerly Minority Business Accelerator).

An educator at heart, Gary founded the TOBA Leadership Institute, a six-month development program that has graduated more than 120 emerging Black leaders since 2020. He also founded the All Hart Foundation, which has engaged more than 1,300 community members and corporate partners in leadership, equity, and empowerment initiatives.

Gary’s accomplishments have earned wide recognition. In 2025, he was named a Titan 100 Honoree, celebrating Tampa Bay’s top CEOs driving business and community transformation. He was inducted into the 2024 Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame by the Florida Council on Economic Education, received the Torchbearer Award from LIVE Tampa Bay, the Community Hero Award from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Foundation, and was previously recognized by Onyx Magazine as one of Florida’s Most Impactful and Influential Men.

Gary has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ABC News, Fox News, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine, and the Tampa Bay Times. He holds an MBA from the University of West Florida, an Executive Leadership Certification from Cornell University, and a B.S. in Electronic Engineering Technology from Florida A&M University.

Gary is the father of three beautiful children, Ashley, Imani and Garrett, and is committed to sharing his experiences to inspire others.