Gayle Nelson

Gayle Nelson was a Tallahassee native who worked as a property manager and held management positions with several business firms. Nelson represented the citizens of District 2 on the County Commission from 1978-1992. Throughout her four terms in office, Nelson was a strong advocate for the creation of the permanent Main Library downtown, encouraged diversity on the County Commission and in the community, and was a champion of the environment. She wanted adequate planning before decisions were made about growth policies and development and worked hard to maintain neighborhoods. One of her primary focus areas was encouraging direct involvement of citizen groups in the County’s decision-making process. She was selected as Board Chair in 1981-1982, 1984-1985, and 1988-1989.