Gary’s leadership acuity and career efforts have served as an engine for job creation, with his businesses which have employed more than 100 Floridians across the state. Serenity Village Insurance has grown to serve more than 1,000 clients in Florida and Georgia since its founding in 2012.

Gary’s key business roles and accomplishments extend to the nonprofit realm, where he serves as the CEO and Chairman of Empower Florida, Inc., an association representing the needs of more than 20,000 business owners who serve the intellectually and developmentally disabled throughout Florida. He also serves on multiple boards and councils, including the Tampa Bay Chamber, Career Source Tampa Bay, the CEO Council, the Nonprofit Leadership Center, The Skills Center, Live Tampa Bay, and the Tampa Organization of Black Affairs.

Gary’s entrepreneurial energy and penchant for business analysis derive from a robust education. He received his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of West Florida and an Executive Leadership Certification from Cornell University. Gary earned his Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering Technology from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. His memoir, Stand, was published in 2015. In 2019, Gary was recognized by Onyx Magazine’s “Black Men Honors ‘Florida’s Most Impactful and Influential Men.’"

A member of the Forbes Business Council, Gary has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Fox News, and the Tampa Bay Times.