When an IVLP group comes to Northwest Florida, we don’t just host them, we connect them with the people and places shaping America’s future. In September 2025, Gulf Coast Diplomacy welcomed eight participants from the Indo-Pacific for a seven-day International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) focused on cooperative efforts to combat transnational crime. The project was...
Gabby Hultstrand combines her love of golf with service to children in her community. Through her partnership with First Tee Gulf Coast, she organizes putt-putt tournaments to raise funds for pillows at Sacred Heart Hospital’s pediatric center and to provide scholarships for youth interested in golf. Inspired by her own experience receiving a blanket while...
Deborah Watts is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur whose work is grounded in providing a “voice to the voiceless.” She is the co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, created to honor the memory of her cousin, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy who was brutally lynched in Mississippi in 1955, and his mother, who devoted...
Daryan “Dare” Rose-Havens has built a life of service rooted in compassion and community support. A librarian in her 20s, she devotes much of her time to the Amazing Grace Bully Rescue in Pensacola, where she cleans kennels and fosters animals in need of homes. Her motivation comes from the belief that “we as a...
Jen Deubler’s dedication to environmental stewardship began when she discovered Ocean Hour on social media and embraced its mission to “defend our natural environment and wildlife by promoting a clean, peaceful, and fulfilling existence through community involvement and education.” She has played a key role in large-scale cleanups and the Borrow-Bins program, which promotes sustainable...
From age five, Cindi Bonner began a journey rooted in compassion, selflessness, and dedication to her community. Inspired by her parents’ example that “giving back is not about recognition or reward but about doing what is right,” she has devoted her life to helping others. She founded the Gulf Coast branch of the Rally Foundation...
Alicia Tappan is the founder and CEO of Survivor-Led Solutions. This company empowers the voices of human trafficking victims and survivors, focusing on “collaborating, uniting, and promoting anti-trafficking efforts locally and around the nation.” Alicia’s story is unique because she is a survivor herself. Her experience motivated her to serve others and give them the...
As a rising senior at Pensacola High School, class of 2026, Aniekan Akpan is making a powerful impact as the founder of the Northwest Florida Red Cross Youth Club. Inspired by his early volunteer work and his mother’s role at the Red Cross, he started the club to engage youth across the region. Under his...
Lovingly known as ‘Miss Nancy’ around her community, Nancy Feliciano has spent her life helping others as a mother, military spouse, and community volunteer. “What comes back from volunteering is love from other people.” Her service work centers around her faith community at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Nancy brings joy and warmth to every role...
Daniel Huntley has spent over a decade serving the Pensacola community, most notably as the dedicated advisor for West Florida High School’s Key Club. Inspired by his father’s example of service, Huntley mentors a new generation of student leaders who volunteer with organizations like Ocean Hour, Miracle League, Habitat for Humanity, and many more. He...
