Col Mike Newberry,Served as the Club President since 1 July 2024. His hometown isGainesville Florida where he attended college, high school and middleschool. He graduated from the UF Environmental Engineering Sciences,College of Engineering, and served 26 years in the USAF as a BioenvironmentalEngineer. The first half of his military career he was responsible forAir Force OSHA programs. The second half of his career he was responsiblefor environmental programs at all levels of management including 5 years in thePentagon heading environmental policy. Following his military retirementas Colonel, he served as Operations Director for an Engineering andConstruction Company in Orlando Florida.
I graduated, after 6 years, from The University of Florida in 1980 with a BSChE degree (I had a lot of fun!). After eight years in NW Alabama, I moved to the Houston, Texas area and joined the Houston Gator Club in 1989. I became involved with the Board, served in several officer positions, and eventually found myself as President. During my tenure I led the Houston Gator Club to Outstanding Gator Club Programming 1997-1998, Outstanding Gator Club, 1999-2000 and personally awarded the Outstanding Gator Club Member 2000-2001. The Gator football team and the Houston Gator Club was on a roll!
In 2010, I moved to Jacksonville, FL and joined the Jacksonville Gator Club and finally moving to Panama City, FL in 2016 joining the Panhandle Gator Club. I found a friendly group of Gators who wanted me to become President immediately, but I told them not until I retired from The Dow Chemical Company... That happened in January 2018, and I was nominated as President in June 2020. I served as President of The Panhandle Gator Club from 2020-2021 through 2024-2025 as I was finally term limited and had to relinquish the position. I still serve on the Board of Directors.
I live in the Panama City area with my beautiful wife and two dogs in a small unincorporated area of Bay county bordered by Lynn Haven to the East, Panama City to the South and St Andrews Bay to the North and West. An area known as Goose Bayou. I have three children, one in Texas and two in the local area and seven grandkids, two in Texas and five locally.
I have lived through the ups and downs of Gator sports. I attended every home game of the Gator football season of 1979, which the Gators finished 0-10-1. I have been to all four National Championship football games and Final Four basketball games. I was a season ticket holder for 38 years and have been to over 300 football games and have most ticket stubs to show! I am an avid Gator supporter and have my office bookshelves of Gator memorabilia, signed helmets, footballs and basketballs to show my love of the Gators through the years.
Father time is slowing me down from my travels, but I do not miss many sporting events on TV and a football game or two each year in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium/Steve Spurrier Field.
My passion for the Florida Gators began in 1981, the year I married my husband. Our shared attendance at numerous games, along with frequent visits to Gainesville, quickly made the city one of my favorite destinations. The vibrant energy of the campus community left me wishing I had completed my college education there, and I often imagined what it would have been like to study at UF.
For the past several years, I have been proud to be an active member of the Panhandle Gator Club, currently serving as the club’s secretary—a role I have held for six years. My responsibilities involve organizing and overseeing a variety of community events each year, which I truly enjoy.
The club’s events bring together Gator fans from Panama City, creating an atmosphere of excitement, especially when we welcome outstanding guest speakers. The strong support from the local Gator community helps make our shared Gatorhood thrive.
I encourage all Gator fans and UF alumni to join the Panhandle Gator Club. Your involvement helps make a meaningful difference in the lives of UF students through the scholarships our club makes possible. Become a part of our vibrant Gatorhood in Panama City and help us continue to build our legacy. Go Gators!
Susan has been a member of the Board of Directors with the Panhandle Gator Club since 2017. She was born and raised in Miami, FL and graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL and received a Bachelor of Arts. She has one son, Jonathan, who served in the US Air Force and iscurrently living in Cocoa Beach, FL.
Susan has been a Licensed Realtor and Broker Associate since 2006 in Florida & Georgia. She was the President of the Central Association of Realtors (CPAR) in 2022. Susan is currently on the Board of Directors for CPAR as well as on the Florida Realtors Board of Directors for 2025. Susan has served on the Habitat for Humanity Bay County Family Services Committee since 2024.
I have been a dedicated Gator fan for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Panama City, Florida, it just made sense to support the University of Florida. Later in life, I moved to Gainesville, where I raised my three sons, all surrounded by the energy and spirit of the Gator Nation. I quickly grew to appreciate everything Gainesville had to offer—especially its vibrant sports scene.
Even after moving back to Panama City, my Gator pride never faded. Each return to Gainesville for football, baseball, or basketball games—whether men’s or women’s—fills me with awe at how much both the city and the university have grown and evolved.
For many years, I have been an active member of the Panhandle Gator Club, a tradition I share with my oldest son and my wife. One of my favorite experiences is when the club hosts renowned coaches or legendary Gator figures at our events. Speakers like Steve Spurrier, Todd Golden, Billy Napier, and Billy Donovan always bring excitement and draw crowds of passionate fans. Beyond that, the club organizes social gatherings to unite Gators in the community and supports scholarship fundraising for students attending UF.
During football season, my family and I host Gator watch parties at Rock’it Lanes. I warmly invite all Gator fans to join us cheering for our team. These traditions are what fuel my excitement and pride in being a Gator. Go Gators!
Dale is a UF graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Env). He was born in Sioux Lookout, Ontario Canada into a U.S. Air Force family but grew up in Panama City, Florida. After UF, Dale’s career bounced him around Florida from Gainesville to Lakeland to Brooksville and finally back to Panama City. He retired from full-time engineering in 2024 and now enjoys hobbies including travel, antique outboard motors, birding, and our Florida Gators. He has been involved in the Panhandle Gator Club for over 20 years.