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40 Under 40 Awards
The 40 Under 40 Awards is a signature event hosted by United Way Emerald Coast (UWEC) NextGen United and presented by FPL to honor and celebrate 40 of Okaloosa and Walton counties' top most outstanding young professionals. This event recognizes individuals (ages 21-40) who excel in leadership, community involvement, and professional achievement. These honorees are career-diverse professionals who are passionate about making a positive impact in our community and are committed to upholding the NextGen United mission of engaging, educating, and empowering the next generation of leaders.
How It Works
The process of selecting our 40 Under 40 nominees is a multi-step procedure. It begins with an open nomination process, allowing the public to nominate individuals they believe deserve recognition. After receiving nominations, UWEC reaches out to the nominated individuals and invites them to submit applications. A dedicated selection committee then carefully reviews the applications to identify the top 40 honorees. To be eligible, nominees must be between the ages of 21 and 40 and either reside or work in Okaloosa or Walton County. Please note that previous honorees are not eligible for consideration.
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The 2025 NextGen United 40 Under 40 Honorees have officially been announced! We can’t wait to celebrate these incredible leaders at our 40 Under 40 Awards.
Alexa Lambert, 25, Tap the Coast
Alyssa Riley, 29, Carr, Riggs & Ingram
Amanda Sanders, 38, Gordon Martial Arts
Andrew B Kindle, 39, Okaloosa County Emergency Medical Services
Austin Bentley, 31, United Community Bank
Brooklyn Peters, 23, Okaloosa County School District & Choctawhatchee High School
Chesley Polk, 35, Polkadot Entertainment
Crystal Weatherington, 35, LJA
Dani Bartley, 31, United States Air Force
Daniel Collins, 34, Community Bank
Daniel Morrow, 36, Dave Morrow: Allstate Insurance
Emily Clarrey, 26, Katie's House of Flowers & Gifts
Emily Criddle, 31, Community Bank
Emily Dahm, 39, Eglin Air Force Base
Francis Camosse, 39, 3rd Planet Brewing, Niceville FL
Gabby Callaway, 34, Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County
Gerard Bhagwatsingh, 34, Fort Walton Beach Police Department
Hailey Lovejoy, 30, Walton County Sheriff's Office, Florida
Jae Baldizzi, 27, RELI Marketing
Jennifer Gutai Comella, 39, Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC - Florida
Jessica McCormack, 38, McCormack Tax
Joe Gordon, 39, Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office
John Feeney, 34, Alday-Howell Engineering, Inc.
Joshua Grace, 39, Crestview Police Department
Justice Jones, 26, 850 Social Babes
Justin Turner 40, Spine Life Chiropractic
LXS Fregger, 37, Bit-Wizards
Mariah Reynolds, 40, Homelessness and Housing Alliance
Michael Tomlin, 37, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC
Nicole Arnett Sanders, 37, FiftySix
Quennie Pearl Kayser, 26, Odom Hotelz
Ryan Fingall, 38, Eglin Federal Credit Union
Samantha Gusoff, 38, Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson & Big Gus Tractor & Equipment
Sara Greco, 37, Air Mobility Command Public Affairs & Lead Into It, LLC
Sean Devlin, 28, Sean Devlin Home + Design
Shae Bonifacio, 29, City of Crestview
Shannettra Francis, 26, City of Niceville
Tarra Wixom, 35, Pink Coyote Dessert Co.
Tevan Millette, 29, U.S. Army
Tiffany Edwards, 38, Weatherby Consulting
Past Honorees
To view a list of our past 40 Under 40 honorees, click here.
In September 2024, we proudly celebrated our 4th Annual 40 Under 40 Awards—an unforgettable night honoring young professionals who are making a difference. Check out the 2024 photo album and relive the highlights in our recap video below!
Huge thank you to our sponsors!
Our 5th Annual 40 Under 40 Awards presented by FPL is right around the corner — and there’s still time to get involved! A few sponsorship spots remain for this special celebration of leadership, innovation, and community impact. Interested in partnering with us? Contact us at development@united-way.org to learn more.