
As a lifelong local, Destin Councilman Kevin Schmidt has seen a lot of change over the years as our area has grown in popularity. While Destin is a vacation spot for many, Kevin is passionate about advocating for the people and families that live here—not just what benefits visitors. Whether it’s safety concerns, improvements for parks and recreation, or planning upcoming events, he listens to the residents and wants their input on topics that are being discussed. He’s also an entrepreneur, dad of three, and wife to his high school sweetheart, Natalie. Check out our Q&A to learn more about Kevin and his vision for Destin.
Are you originally from Destin?
Yes! My parents moved here from Birmingham in the ’80s and I’ve resided here nearly my entire life. I originally met my wife Natalie when we were in middle school (she at Bruner and I at Destin). We started dating our sophomore year at Fort Walton Beach High School and were high school sweethearts. We got married shortly after college and are now raising our 3 children in Destin as well.
What do you love most about living in Destin?
One of my favorite things about living in Destin is the small-town community and area. I love how I can travel anywhere in Destin within 5-10 minutes. I can jog down to the ball park, the harbor, the schools, etc. It’s just such a tight-knit community and you can do so much and see all of your friends on a daily basis around town.
What inspired you to join Destin City Council?
I was first inspired to run for Destin City Council when I lived off Airport Road and I saw the constant issues of safety on that street. When I started looking into how to get involved in the city and how the city government works, I quickly realized that there was a big need for some forward thinking representation. A lot of great people have served on the Destin City Council but I quickly recognized the need to have a different generational mindset and attitude to get involved. It has been a great first four years of serving and I’m very excited about what’s to come during my second term.
What do you love most about being a councilman?
I love being able to have the opportunity to create/make impacts in my community. From making decisions on future developments to partnering with the community to try to steer Destin’s vision into the future for our younger generation! I love being able to keep my friends, family, and neighbors informed about what is going on around town.

What are your top projects/priorities right now?
After being re-elected, I am making it my top priority to help better the parks & recreation opportunities for our residents, and our youth specifically. Destin is a destination for so many people but too often we forget about the people that make Destin, Destin! Our locals. We have to fix, improve, and add more options for our kids, families, grandparents, and every resident that is in town!
What are some upcoming events or projects that Destin locals will be excited about?
One of my favorite events that is coming up is the Destin Christmas Parade. That will take place on 12/14/24. The city is just kicking off Phase 1 of the utility under grounding project. A lot of past council members and staff worked hard to get that going and it’s exciting to be on council now as we finalized that contract. Another item that is coming to us soon is the design/idea to bring a new community center and city hall near Morgans Sports complex. There is a BIG need for a new community center and I hope the council members and community will come together to figure out how to make this happen!
Tell us a little about your business, Books by Schmidt:
My background is in business and accounting so when I was looking at taking my entrepreneur mindset to the next level, I was first just looking to do something that I could make some extra money with. While running our grocery concierge business, BeMyShopper (which we recently sold after 12 years), I started Books By Schmidt November 30, 2017 to bring in some extra money. What I quickly realized was how much I loved being able to help other small businesses and individuals make sure they are successful when it came to their companies finances. It was important to me to be able to allow business owners to focus on what they do great, be it a product they make or a service they provide by working in collaboration with them to be sure they had whatever they needed to make informed decisions about their business.

What inspired you to specialize in watersport rentals and tour operators?
Living in Destin and enjoying the water all of my life, as Destin watersports continued to grow and become more popular for locals and visitors, I saw a group of individuals that I figured I could niche to. I knew that as many new/old businesses were getting started and growing that I wanted to help where I can to assist in bookkeeping needs for them. When trying to find a niche, it was important to find an area of interest that I found exciting and could try to relate to when talking to business owners. Watersports is such a fun and unique industry so it makes doing bookkeeping for them exciting every day!
What are your top 3 Destin recommendations?
Depending on the time of day, you can find my family enjoying some great drinks/food at East Pass Coffee Co, The Harbor Tavern, La Paz, Dewey Destin’s, Boshamps, and topping it all off with Pink Coyote ice cream (pictured below)! Besides eating, I would make sure to head down to the harbor and stroll up and down the docks checking out all of the fish being hauled in! Lastly, depending on the time of year, get out to a park and enjoy all the activities that our little ones are involved in like Destin Dolphin Football, Destin Little League Baseball/Softball, Soccer at Morgans, basketball at the community center, and so much more!

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