I AM DESTIN Tim Krueger

What is your hometown and how did you end up on the Emerald Coast?

I was born in upstate NY but fortunately my parents decided to move to Florida when I was five so I’ve been here since the 60s, first in Clearwater then Pensacola. I did a stint in Houston from 1980 to 1996 to get my ‘big city’ experience. The irony is I wanted to go back to Pensacola but luckily for me my firm relocated me to Destin.

What is your profession and what led you to choose it?

I grew up poor. Don’t get me wrong, I had a roof and rarely went hungry but that was about it. I learned to hustle when I was about eight -- washing cars and doing odd jobs, but my best venture was my lawn service. I learned if you always did more than you promised you could build a thriving business. As a young man in Houston, I was a partner in an electronics store. I wanted something bigger and got a break when I ran into an old friend from Clearwater who became a stockbroker. I went on an interview in 1983 and here I am forty years later co-managing a billion dollar wealth management team at Merrill Lynch along with my partner Cory Fosdyck and our other fantastic teammates. What I love about the business is that you can always learn something new every day if you keep an open mind.

What are some of your favorite things about Destin?

Destin is special in so many ways. It’s a beautiful barrier island blessed with a large harbor and a pass to the Gulf. I often tell folks that Destin has the best beaches in the world and the best water in the country and I have yet to find anyone who can refute that. Where else can you hop on your boat, in my case a 1995 Cobalt, and run through the myriad of islands between here and Pensacola. That stretch looks just like it has for thousands, perhaps even millions of years. This is one of the biggest benefits of being surrounded by the largest military range in the free world -- Eglin. While one can argue about the pros and cons of the development we’ve experienced, it’s irrefutable that Eglin and Hurlburt have spared thousands of acres of land, a lot of which we can all enjoy.

Three words that best describe you.

Fun-Loving. Thoughtful, Caring and Giving (yes I know that’s three), Impatient

Favorite place for dining or going out?

If its not being on the water, on the jet ski, or aforementioned boat I would say fishing in the gulf with one of our many local charter captains. I also enjoy riding the Harley north of the bay. People tend to forget one of the big positives of the development in our area is we have so many great entertainment venues and restaurants, too many of which to name here. Speaking of which, we do avoid the chains and do our best to support our local establishmants.

What is one thing that you do not go a day without?

A hug from sweet Jill and some exercise to keep the body fit and the spring in my cranium from exploding.

Finish this statement. I AM Destin because…

I believe you shouldn’t complain if you don’t have a solution, which is why I’ve been involved in and even led various committees in the city. I believe if you have the ability to give back you should, which is why I am a trustee of Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation. I support Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, Boys & Girls Club of the Emerald Coast, and Special Operators Transition Foundation, just to name a few.

I am Destin because I made a decision when turned 37 to ‘write a call on my career’ and live where I wanted to raise my children and subsequently retire. While that was a bit scary at the time it was one of the best decisions I ever made.