After about three months of searching for a replacement for former Commissioner Rodney Long, who resigned in December, the Alachua County Commission no longer has an empty seat.
The newest member of the commission is moving from a pulpit to another kind of platform.
Winston Bradley, 71, who is a pastor at a church he formed six years ago, was appointed to the commission by Gov. Rick Scott on Feb. 17.
He will serve until November when three seats on the County Commission, including his, will be filled through an election.
Bradley is a Gainesville native. He is married and has two grown children who have since moved away.
Born and raised in Gainesville, he played basketball and football on the dirt roads in his neighborhood in northwest Gainesville and loved doing handy work around the house.
He went to college at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach. He taught eighth grade social studies for a year, then joined the Air Force for four years. He served in Cambodia during the Vietnam War.
Bradley then worked as a technological supervisor for NASA’s space program at the Kennedy Space Center. After, he worked as an insurance agent for Allstate Insurance for 20 years. He retired from selling insurance in 2000.
Bradley started a nondenominational church called Kingdom Life Ministries in southeast Gainesville. He has been the pastor since its inception and will continue his work there while serving on the commission.
Three years ago, Bradley cut off the top of his index finger while he was sawing a piece of wood. He said he stayed calm, drove himself to the hospital and sat in the waiting room until a doctor saw him.
“I am a very relaxed guy,” he said. “People think I am really serious because I don’t smile too much, but once you get to know me, you’ll see that I keep an open mind.”
Most of his easygoing nature comes from his spirituality, he said.
Bridgette Lewis, a 46-year-old Gainesville resident and member of Bradley’s church, said she is proud her pastor gets to sit on the commission. She said he will bring a voice to the voiceless.
“He is very helpful and very insightful,” Lewis said. “And he will talk to absolutely anybody and help them with their problems.”
County Commissioner Paula DeLaney said Bradley’s financial background will be helpful to the commission, especially while it’s planning the budget.
“He dealt with lot of numbers when he sold insurance, and a lot of times that’s the hard stuff to wrap your arms around,” DeLaney said.
She has known Bradley for 20 years. She said she supported him when he ran unsuccessfully for the Alachua County School Board in 1992 and 1996.
Along with his professional duties, Bradley has served on public committees. For the last 13 years, he has served on the Santa Fe College Board of Trustees. Bradley also served on the Gainesville Housing Authority board for 12 years.
“No matter where I am, I pride myself on honesty and integrity,” he said.
Though he came onto the commission with no specific agenda, Bradley said he hopes to work to create more opportunity for businesses to set up shop in Gainesville.
By sifting through county codes and ordinances, he said he wants to find what is stifling businesses from thriving in the city and the county.
“I appreciate this honor that has been put in front of me,” he said. “I want things to run smoothly, and I want to protect citizens. We’ve got to be good stewards for the county.”
Newly appointed County Commissioner Winston Bradley speaks at a commission meeting Tuesday. Gov. Rick Scott appointed Bradley to replace Rodney Long after Long resigned in December.
