Hailing from the charming town of DeFuniak, Spring, Florida, Gary T. Hartfield is an award-winning serial entrepreneur, leader, author, and philanthropist. His leadership experience and business acumen have allowed him to impact multiple industries, including education, health care, real estate, and insurance. He is the president and CEO of six Residential Group Homes throughout Florida, delivering personalized and therapeutic healthcare services for the elderly and developmentally disabled. Gary is also the founder and CEO of Serenity Village Insurance & Consulting, a full-service agency providing insurance solutions to clients throughout Florida and Georgia. The company specializes in commercial risks, partnering with hundreds of business owners to deliver the products and solutions that matter most, including liability insurance, workers’ compensation, and auto and property insurance.

Gary’s leadership acuity and career efforts have served as an engine for job creation, with his businesses which have employed more than 100 Floridians across the state. Serenity Village Insurance has grown to serve more than 1,000 clients in Florida and Georgia since its founding in 2012.

Gary’s key business roles and accomplishments extend to the nonprofit realm, where he serves as the CEO and Chairman of Empower Florida, Inc., an association representing the needs of more than 20,000 business owners who serve the intellectually and developmentally disabled throughout Florida. He also serves on multiple boards and councils, including the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), Career Source Tampa Bay, St. Joseph’s Baptist Health Board of Trustees, United Way Suncoast, the CEO Council, Alleghany Franciscan Ministries, and Live Tampa Bay. Gary co-chaired The Skills Center’s Capital Campaign for nearly three years. The campaign raised more than $28 million for the organization and community. 

An educator at heart, Gary launched the TOBA Leadership Institute, a 6-month leadership program designed to equip young Black professionals with the tools and resources needed to be influential community leaders and board members. Since 2020, the institute has graduated more than 75 members.

Gary is also a recognized social justice advocate. He founded the All Hart Foundation in response to the social justice issues that emerged during the COVID-19 Pandemic in response to the racial tensions surrounding the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubery, Brionna Taylor, and others between 2020 and 2022. The foundation has developed progressive solutions that empower and transform communities of color. The organization partners with community stakeholders and allied organizations to develop programming, training, and education that align with its mission of empowerment and change. The organization has impacted nearly 1,000 individuals to date.

Gary’s entrepreneurial energy and penchant for business analysis derive from a robust education. He received his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of West Florida and an Executive Leadership Certification from Cornell University. Gary earned his Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering Technology from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. His memoir, Stand, was published in 2015. In 2019, Gary was recognized by Onyx Magazine’s “Black Men Honors ‘Florida’s Most Impactful and Influential Men.’” Gary has received numerous awards for his impact on the community. These awards include the “Community Hero Award” from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade Foundation and the 2024 Torchbearer Award bestowed by Live Tampa Bay, an organization working to end the opioid epidemic. He was most recently inducted into the 2024 Class of the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame by the Florida Council on Economic Education.

A member of the Forbes Business Council, Gary has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ABC News, Fox News, the Tampa Bay Business Journal, and the Tampa Bay Times. 

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