Board of Directors

F. Diane Pickett, Chairman and Founder

Ms. Pickett is Founder and Chairman of the Florida Chautauqua Center, Inc., and as such took it as a personal challenge in 1996 to revive DeFuniak Springs' once nationally famous Chautauqua Assembly. Returning to DeFuniak Springs in the mid 1980's, she developed a keen interest in historic preservation and the myriad problems affecting small town America. She has been very active in community efforts regarding the revitalization of one of the South's most historic cultural areas and hopes to eventually return the Chautauqua Assembly to its original multi-week season of "A Winter Assembly in the Land of Summer."

Christopher Mitchell, President

Christopher Mitchell is a resident of DeFuniak Springs. In 2007, he concluded a nine year career as an award-winning broadcast journalist with WMBB-TV, an ABC affiliate based in Panama City, Florida to assume a new role with a local development company. Chris grew up in Foxboro, Massachusetts and is a 1985 graduate of Georgia Southwestern College (now named Georgia Southwestern State University) in Americus, Georgia, where he received a B.A. in political science. Following college graduation, Chris worked as a personal aide to former President Jimmy Carter at The Carter Center, a non-profit, non-partisan public policy institute affiliated with Emory University. His work with the Carters took him to numerous countries throughout central Africa and England.

William V. "Bill" Linne, Treasurer

William V. Linne is a Board Certified Tax Attorney practicing in Florida and Alabama with an office in Downtown Pensacola, Florida. Bill received his B.S. degree in Accounting from Michigan State University where he belonged to the Accounting Honorary, Beta Alpha Psi. Bill graduated from The University of Virginia School of Law in 1972 and later received his Masters in Taxation or L.L.M. from The University of Florida School of Law. The principal areas of Bill's practice include Trusts and Estates, Trust and Estate Administration, Corporations and Real Property. Bill serves on The First Judicial Circuit Committee on Professionalism. Additionally, he is an active member of the Florida Bar Tax Certification Committee, which writes the exams for prospective tax lawyers. He is also an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, Past President of The Five Flags Rotary Club and Past President of The Pensacola Council of the Navy League. Bill currently serves on the Board of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Lane Rees, Secretary

Lane Rees is president of Human Resource Solutions Inc., a management consulting company providing human resource expertise for progressive organizations. He graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University and received a master’s degree in educational administration from Texas A&M. Mr. Rees has been recognized in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in Industry and Finance, and Who’s Who in America. In 2000, Mr. Rees was elected county commissioner in Walton County, Florida, serving as chair in 2001/2002. In 2002, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Mr. Rees to the Florida Medical Examiner Commission. Mr. Rees splits his time between Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and Dallas, Texas.

Victor Bowman

Victor S. Bowman, AIA NCARB is a member of AIA, NCARB and is Director of Architectural Design,
Pendleton + Bowman, Inc. in Seaside. Mr. Bowman is a past guest lecturer and professor at
Florida A&M University’s School of Architecture.