DAVID M. BEAR

CEO, THE LEWIS BEAR CO., PENSACOLA

Founded in Pensacola in 1876, the Lewis Bear Co. is a wholesale beverage distributor across the Panhandle with about 290 employees. Bear has been in company leadership for two decades and became CEO in 2023. As a member of the Triumph Gulf Coast board, he has worked closely with legislative leaders to ensure the Triumph Gulf Coast money stays in the disproportionately affected region and continues to be used for the Legislature’s intended purpose. Soon after the BP oil spill, he created a successful arts and cultural tourism marketing campaign to help recover, diversify and enhance the area’s tourism base.

EDUCATION: University of Florida (BS, JD), Belhaven College (BS)

FIRST JOB: Working in the warehouse at The Lewis Bear Co. I was picking orders to be loaded on trucks to be delivered to customers.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: I wouldn’t choose any other career, but I would go to law school to better understand regulations affecting my company.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: I love to listen to music and find it brings harmony to my otherwise chaotic life. Long Live Rock!

NONPROFIT PASSION: I was the founder of the designated Local Arts Agency in Escambia County, Art, Culture, and Entertainment (ACE). We created a cultural tourism marketing program called Foo Foo Festival to attract cultural tourists to Pensacola to enjoy our city’s rich heritage and world-class professional arts and cultural programs.

INDUSTRY TREND: Alcohol sales are contracting, and hemp-infused beverages are expanding.