Mayor D.C. Reeves Brings Bold Vision—and Veterans—to Pensacola

Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves, a former sportswriter and brewery owner, recently took his message of modern leadership and veteran empowerment to a national audience on The Good Government Show, a podcast that highlights public officials making a real difference in their communities. In a wide-ranging conversation, Reeves reflected on his unconventional path to office and the innovative ways his administration is putting military veterans to work in city government.

“I used to cover football for a living. Then I became the mayor,” Reeves quipped. But behind the humor is a serious commitment to public service, especially for those who have already served their country. Pensacola, often called the “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” is home to one of the largest concentrations of veterans in the U.S.—and Reeves wants to make sure they don’t just retire in the city, but thrive there. “It’s our duty to invest in people who have invested in us,” he said.

The mayor highlighted his city’s proactive approach to hiring veterans not only into public safety and first responder roles, but also into leadership and technical positions. His own city administrator, Tim Kinsella, is the former commander of NAS Pensacola and a testament to the value veterans bring. Reeves emphasized that military service builds transferable skills like leadership, accountability, and crisis management—qualities he says every organization should prioritize. “You hire for attitude and train for skill,” Reeves explained. “Veterans bring instant credibility.”

Reeves also discussed broader efforts to modernize local government—from strategic planning and performance pay to reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies. One key change? Restructuring city salaries to recruit and retain top talent, while simultaneously trimming unneeded positions. “Nostalgia is the enemy of progress,” Reeves said. “Just because we’ve always done it this way doesn’t mean we should keep doing it.”

Ultimately, Reeves offered a refreshing take on what good government looks like in practice: data-driven decisions, transparency, and a commitment to treat taxpayer dollars as if they were his own. “I’m not trying to be president. I’m here because I love this city,” he said. And whether he’s cleaning up payroll spreadsheets or mentoring veterans into leadership roles, Pensacola’s mayor is showing that sometimes, the best politics is just doing the next right thing.