Clifford Ross Hinkle Sr.

Clifford Ross Hinkle Sr. was born in Apalachicola, Florida, on November 3, 1948, and raised in Tallahassee. He attended Florida High School and earned a B.S. in business administration from Florida State University in 1971. He later earned a doctorate in public administration from Nova Southeastern University.
He was appointed Assistant County Administrator for Leon County in February 1973 before serving as acting County Administrator beginning in April 1974. On September 17, 1974, the Leon County Commission unanimously appointed Hinkle County Administrator. During his tenure, Hinkle was responsible for the acquisition of the federal land that became Tom Brown Park and worked behind the scenes in support of the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. He held the position for three years before resigning on December 3, 1977, to join the private sector.
Hinkle passed away on December 5, 2015.