I AM DESTIN - Helen Donaldson

What is your hometown, what brought 

you to the EMERALD COAST and how 

long have you been here? 

I was born and raised on a small ranch in 

Sweeny, Texas. Thirty-eight years ago on 

the spring vacation before I graduated high 

school, my parents and I visited my aunt and 

uncle, Mayor Captain, Major Ken Beaird 

and wife, Fran at their Destin harbor front 

motel, The Reveille.  Mom mentioned that 

she would love to have a small motel in Destin 

and then we went back home to Texas. A 

few weeks later Aunt Fran called to tell my 

folks that the motel right next door to theirs 

was for sale. Before I knew it, my parents had 

purchased the Flamingo Motel in Destin! I 

was in college, they quit their jobs, sold the 

ranch and packed everything up and moved to 

the beach! Of course, I spent my spring break 

and summer vacations in Destin and then 

made the permanent move here in 1980. I’ve 

called Destin home now for 36 years.

What is your profession and give a brief 

description of what you do. 

I am the Executive Director of the Destin 

Fishing Rodeo. As the only full-time 

employee I am in charge of purchasing, 

merchandising, advertising, magazine layout 

and design, sales and marketing. Not to 

mention Tournament Director and Miss 

Destin Pageant Organizer!

Perhaps the most rewarding part of my job 

is my role as Pageant Organizer. I have had 

the opportunity to meet hundreds of Destin’s 

young women through the Miss Destin 

Pageant. Our community has raised some 

wonderful young ladies. The girls that were 

lucky enough to be chosen to reign as Miss 

Destin are just a few of the incredible people 

I’ve had the opportunity to get to know 

through the pageant. 

The most fun part of the job is serving as 

Tournament Director; The Annual Destin 

Fishing Rodeo was established in 1948 and 

has become an economic force in the fall 

season for Destin. We have over 35,000 

anglers compete each year from October 

1 – 31.They come from over 35 states and 

some years we have international anglers 

participate. The Rodeo has become a spectator 

sport as well, hundreds of folks come to the 

docks at AJ’s every day in October to watch 

the weigh-ins and listen to the fi sh tales of our 

weighmaster, Bruce Cheves. I enjoy meeting 

the visitors, telling them about my hometown 

and our fi shing opportunities.  

 

      

  

What lead you to choose this 

profession?

I believe that the Rodeo job chose me! I was 

the Director of Community Development 

for the Destin Chamber of Commerce, 

conducting the Destin Seafood Festival and 

Mayfests each year. In August 1998, when 

I decided to leave the job and stay home 

for a while, the incoming chairman of the 

Chamber (and outgoing chairman of the 

Rodeo) approached me about the Rodeo job 

that would be available on November 1. I 

hesitated, then he told me it would be just a 

“part time” job (except October) so I decided, 

why not?  Well, needless to say Mr. Dale 

Peterson fi bbed a bit about the part time, but 

I have been here ever since and have loved 

every “full time” moment!

What do you like best about Destin? 

What makes it unique?

Well, of course what drew me here is what 

draws everyone… emerald green waters and 

white sand beaches.  I believe that the best 

part of Destin is the “small-town community 

feel” that we have in the harbor area of Destin. 

That’s the center of my universe. We have the 

largest charter fi shing fl eet in the state! People 

that make their living from the Harbor are 

a unique group of folks that work very hard 

to make a living amid the constant changing 

regulations. They change what they can, 

accept what they can’t and continue to offer 

the experience of a lifetime for visitors to our 

town.

Three words that best describe you.

 

Fun, Dedicated, Patient

Favorite things you like about Destin.

Watching the sunset from a Harbor Front 

establishment. Spending time with my 

husband and my grandchildren, strolling the 

Boardwalk along Destin’s Harbor and the 

sound of a charter boat backing into a boat 

slip.  

Finish this statement, I AM DESTIN 

because…

Destin has made me who I am. Destin was 

established by the fi shing community and the 

fi shing community is a huge part of my life 

every single day.

122 I Am Destin - Helen Donaldson.indd   1

9/27/16   2:43 PM