The Niceville Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon celebrating its two newest inductees to the Civic Hall of Fame later this month. 

• The event started in 2016 as a way to honor and commemorate members of the Niceville Valparaiso area who have made exceptional contributions to the good of the community.  

“The idea behind the event was to recognize what has happened in the past, and the hard work that people in our community have done to get us where we are now,” said Tricia Brunson, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. “We hope to recognize and pay tribute to the history the accomplishments celebrate together and also encourage people to continue that work.

This year’s Hall of Fame class will be the fifth honored since the event’s inception. The last class to be enshrined was the class of 2019, which includes members such as A.L. Johnson and Addie R. Lewis.

Over the years, the Hall of Fame has inducted 20 members into its ranks, not including its two new soon-to-be inductees.

Prominent members of the Hall include: 

• James Ellsworth Plew, a pioneer developer in the region who founded the Bank of Valparaiso and helped make Eglin Air Force Base what it is now by leasing Valparaiso Airport to the government
• The Spence Family
  • Walker Vester Spence, a former Mayor of Niceville who was a distinguished figure in the forestry industry in the area and helped charter the Okaloosa National Bank, the first bank of Niceville; he and his wife Lola were part of the 333 individuals who lent their signatures to the Niceville Charter in 1937, officially incorporating Niceville as a city.
  • Francis Walter Spence, a former president of the Chamber and USAF Colonel who was the first to endorse building a bridge connecting Niceville to Destin, which led to the opening of the Mid-Bay Bridge.
• The Ruckel Family
  • Ramonde “Rae” Ruckel Byrne Williams, a former president of the Chamber who founded the First Judicial District Guardian Ad Litem Program; was awarded one of the first two Life Directors of the Chamber.
  • C. Walter “Walt” Ruckel Jr., a former president of the Chamber and U.S. Army Air Force airplane mechanic who was a charter member of both the Rocky Bayou Country Club and Niceville Valparaiso Rotary Club.
• Earl C. Talbot Sr., a former Mayor of Crestview who worked to introduce natural gas to the area by helping found the Okaloosa Gas District, where he was named General Manager.

“Mr. Talbot saw the need back in the early 1950s that this area would need a low-cost energy source in order to grow and thrive, and attract people to live here,” added Brunson. “He stuck with that thought and Okaloosa Gas became a reality. He managed it for many years and won lots of awards, and he really was the basis for what Okaloosa Gas is today.”

Brunson says that Talbot set the example to be involved with the community, and to look at the different needs and ways that Okaloosa Gas could give back. 

• Even today, the legacy that was started by Mr. Talbot continues as their employees have served in many leadership positions and continue to be involved in different initiatives throughout the county.

The luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 20 at the Niceville Community Center and is sponsored by the CCB Community Bank.

For more information on the event and to purchase tickets, click here.