#1 David Bear

By Tom St. Myer

compare you for the loss of a parent. I always just thought it was the absence of that parent after they die. Maybe that is the case because it's all so new that I'm not feeling that quite yet."

Lewis Jr. left an indelible legacy with his fingerprint on virtually every significant economic development in Escambia County over the last 50-plus years. He and his family shared what David described as beautiful conversations in his final days. The last meaningful con - versation between Lewis Jr. and David revolved around what else but the family business.

David assumes the reins as CEO from his father with his brother-in-law, Chad Bonner, serving as president and his brother, Lewis Bear III, as vice president. That leadership structure kept the company running smoothly while Lewis Jr. was ill. Yet, in his final days, he still questioned who should be CEO among the three choices.

"He was very successful, and I believe he did a really great job of succession planning; whether he believed he did enough went into his question," said David, who joins his father in the exclusive No. 1-ranked Inweekly Power List club. Lewis Jr. held the top spot in 2009.

"I told him I thought I was doing a good job, and then he asked about my brother and my brother-in-law and how they would feel about it. It was one of those conversations that sort of needed to happen."

The mere idea of David being CEO of Lewis Bear Company would have been preposterous 30 years ago. He was a college dropout in a rehab facility in Jackson, Miss. David stayed in Jackson after he checked out of rehab. ue to look for opportunities to continue to diversify and protect our company. Our industry is so highly regulated that one little legislative bill could completely deregulate us."

"There was a lot of support there, a lot of people that I was in treatment with who were getting out at the same time," he said. "...I was scared that I would come back here and have a hard time not going back to the same places with the same people. Although I loved all those people, it was just not a healthy choice for me, so I stayed in Jackson."

David returns to his office from a nearly twohour meeting with emails and paperwork piling up on this late March morning. He is "underwater" after focusing primarily on his father for the past few months.

After the funeral, David and his family took a trip with the Merrills to the Bahamas. Longtime family friend Collier Merrill lost his father about three years ago, and David credited him for being the perfect sounding board on the trip.

"It was good for him to get away because I went through the same thing around spring break when my dad passed," said Merrill, who considers Lewis Jr. to be the second closest person he has lost behind only his father. "Everybody wants to talk about it. You're trying to get stuff done, and suppliers and vendors just want to tell stories about your dad. I told him don't get overwhelmed."

One phone call from his father dramatically changed his life. Lewis Jr. planned to sell the grocery business and buy out their cousins for the beverage company. Did David want to be part of the family business? David paused only briefly before saying yes. Lewis Jr. responded, "Then get your ass back to college, finish and come back home. You've played around enough."

David graduated from Belhaven University and returned home with a new outlook on life that remains fervent today. He applies the principles he learned during recovery to all aspects of his life.

"I need to be honest. I need to be successful. It's a daily thing," David said. "I fail at times on different things. I don't have everything in check. I'm obviously not perfect, but (the principles) are my fallback."

One of his failures surfaced about a year ago. David focused on his family, the company and philanthropic activities—but not his health. He began to resemble his father, with a portly frame and high blood pressure. Fearing a diagnosis of cancer or type 2 diabetes, David went to a doctor, discovered he was positive for type 1 diabetes and was prescribed insulin.

The diagnosis served as a wake-up call. David cut out sugar, sweets and starches from his diet and began walking. The walking soon turned into running a few miles three-four days a week. David has lost about 40 pounds and no longer takes insulin shots.

"My dad's kidneys failed not because he had bad kidneys but unmanaged high blood pressure," David said. "His eating habits weren't great. His personality sometimes got in the way, which drove his blood pressure up. I thought, that's me in 30 years, and I don't want to be where he is now in 30 years."

Following in the footsteps of four previous generations sometimes weighs on David. He feels that pressure every morning, sometimes waking up as early at 3 a.m. In the past, David called on his father for advice. Lewis Jr. always managed to see the bigger picture and provide the right answer. That safety blanket is no longer a phone call away.

"I don't have somebody to bounce anything off of," David said. "Really, it's up to me to contin-

Merrill said Lewis Jr. provided his son leeway at the company but yanked on the reins when he thought it necessary. Father and son clashed at times due to the similarities and contrasts in their personalities. David is his own man, and his personality shines through with his choices in wardrobe and office decor. On this March morning, he wears dark jeans, a navy blazer over a button-up shirt and no tie. Lewis Jr. never wore jeans to the office.

A caricature of one of his favorite musicians, Frank Zappa, hangs behind his desk with the quote, "You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of football team or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." Not exactly the type of artwork anyone would associate with his father.

Yet peel back the layers and their similarities as workaholics and philanthropists shine through. His father's gruffness served a purpose.

"I always thought I wanted to be a softer, nicer version of him, but the older I get and the more responsibility I take on, I totally understand him so much more," David said. "There are so many things you want to do, and you feel obligated to do and need to do that there's not a lot of time to put up with a lot of bull."

Lewis Jr. told David that he was born on third base, but they still had to make it home on their own.

"You don't just slide into home without effort," David said. "I'm still climbing the hill. I feel like there's so much work that still needs to be done in so many different things."

The team members at Retina Specialty Institute and IRIS: Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems wish to congratulate visionary retinal surgeon, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Dr. Sunil Gupta for being featured in the Top 10 on the Inweekly 2023 Power List.

Dr. Gupta provides world-class retina care while utilizing the most cutting edge retina treatments available. Lead by his compassion and innovative nature, he has greatly impacted the healthcare industry, our community, and – most importantly—his patients lives.

Dr. Gupta’s team at RSI is currently home to over 25 clinical trials in the retina space; ranging from Advanced Dry and Wet Macular Degeneration, to Retinal Vein occlusion trial treatments.

Retina Specialty Institute and IRIS are proud to have Dr. Sunil Gupta championing the mission to end preventable blindness!