Kent Starmon
Kent Stermon was a politically connected Florida businessman who had ties to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Florida Politics.com described Stermon as “one of the most connected political figures in northeast Florida”.
Stermon committed suicide, the Atlantic Beach Police Department said First news on the coast.
First news on the coast he called him a “local political donor highlighter”.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Stermon was found dead in a vehicle
According to ActionNewsJax, Stermon “was found dead in a vehicle outside the United States Post Office in Atlantic Beach.”
His body was discovered at around 8pm on December 8, 2022, on Mayport Road “when an employee leaving the Post Office discovered a male alone in a closed vehicle,” the site reported.
He had been reported missing, the death ruled a suicide and not a suspected crime, ActionNewsJax reported.
2. Stermon, who was married with children, ran a company that served the “military market.”
Stermon was president of a company which “allows Defense Department transportation providers to better serve the military market,” according to its LinkedIn page.
TMM, Inc., wrote on LinkedIn:
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our President and COO, Kent Stermon.
Kent was a loving husband and father, devoted leader, mentor and friend. Kent, one of TMM’s original five employees, has been integral to the growth and development of TMM over the past 18 years. Kent’s passion for serving TMM employees and customers through a culture of service is a core value of our organization.
Kent has been with the company since 2004 and will be greatly missed.
The Florida State University System wrote in a biography for him:
Kent Stermon, of Jacksonville, is the president of Total Military Management. He has served on several non-profit boards of directors, including the Boys and Girls Club, Dreams Come True and the NFCA of Northeast Florida. He is an ardent advocate for law enforcement and was named Citizen of the Year by both Duval and the Saint John County Sheriff’s Office for his philanthropic efforts in support of law enforcement. He is currently a member of the Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Board and served as chairman of the Governor’s Public Safety Transition Advisory Committee.
In 2011, Jacksonville Business Journal named him Ultimate CEO and he was recognized as a member of its 40 Under 40 list. He holds a BA in Finance from Georgia State University.
3. Stermon was under investigation for allegations of “sexual misconduct”
According to News4Jax, Stermon was under active investigation for allegations of “sexual misconduct” when he died. The details of those allegations are unknown.
The Jacksonville sheriff’s office told the TV station that the Stermon investigation was an “active investigation” and began “a few weeks before his death.”
“This investigation is still ongoing at this time and will continue until completed. As with all active investigations, there is currently limited information available to release. However, as soon as this investigation is completed, all applicable information will be available for public release,” Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters told News4JAX.
4. Stermon had recently suffered a stroke
According to Florida Politics, Stermon, 50, was dealing with health issues. A few hours before his death, he told the site that he suffered a stroke that week.
However, Florida Politics reported that Stermon was “optimistic”.
“I’m getting as far away from politics as possible right now,” Stermon wrote to the site. “My prognosis is good and I’ve just been released from hospital, but I have a lot of work to do to be healthy.”
First Coast News reported that Stermon was close to law enforcement in Florida, with several naming him citizen of the year.
5. Stermon had ties to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Executive Office of the Governor, State of FloridaRon DeSantis and his wife Jill Casey Black DeSantis.
Florida Politics wrote that Stermon had deep ties to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
“Stermon has had a unique role in regional politics, making connections in particular for Ron DeSantis’ unlikely path to the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2018,” the site wrote.
Taryn Fenske, director of communications for DeSantis, released this statement from DeSantis to the site:
“The Governor and First Lady were shocked and saddened to learn of Kent’s passing, and their prayers (and the prayers of our entire office) are with his family at this difficult time.”
According to Florida Politics, Stermon “rented a house from DeSantis while he was in Congress” and “helped build a bridge to the Northeast Florida establishment in both fundraising and endorsements.”
Stermon “was nominated to the Florida Board of Governors by DeSantis in 2019,” according to First Coast News, which obtained this statement from the board:
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Governor Kent Stermon. For the past three years, Kent has served on this board with honors. He has been an advocate of higher education and student success in Florida and a longtime supporter of the University of North Florida in many ways over the years. The Board of Governors extends its deepest condolences to the Kent family at this difficult time.
This is the original version of Heavy. com
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