By Mark Stanley and Tracy Steely,

Chris Jayne is a joyful guy who always has a smile on his face and an encouraging word. He very much enjoys working at Fuller Insurance and is about to celebrate his 14th anniversary with them in May.  His expertise is working with residential and commercial contractors, local business owners, commercial non-profits (including churches) and high-value residential homeowners. Chris is from Jackson, Michigan. His family has been involved in Christian Camp Ministry since Chris was very young. Chris had a great childhood making friends and just being a kid while living at Camp Michindoh in Hillsdale, MI. He grew up in a blended family with 5 other siblings. Chris loved to play basketball and was talented enough to play college basketball but didn’t pursue that goal. He is very involved with his church, Redeemer 30A, and has a passion for foster care.

Please tell us about your current career. “I am the senior insurance adviser for Fuller Insurance. I was the first employee hired back in May of 2007. There are so many things I love about my work. I like that I have the freedom to serve my clients’ needs because I’m an independent agent. I really enjoy construction and design, so the job never gets boring. I enjoy the relationships and friendships I’ve built with clients. There is a lot of autonomy and personal flexibility, but also responsibility to succeed and take ownership of my work. Each employee is valuable and plays a significant role. The owner, Garrett, writes code which allows our agency to excel and perform work very efficiently. I love that I work with four monitors.”

What inspired you or led you to your current career? “A family friend first encouraged me to seek a career in insurance back in 2002. I was led to work in P&C Insurance when I was working for a different insurance company providing employee benefits solutions and I wanted to leave so bad. It’s only by the Lord’s mercy that I was led to interview with Garrett through a mutual friend back in 2007.”

How long have you lived or worked in our community? “I moved to Destin in July of 2001 and have lived in South Walton since February of 2007.”

What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community? “I love the state parks and coastal dune lakes. We have a lot of land that is protected, and it makes our beaches and our “home” special.  I love to paddle board on the lakes. I love the communities of Watercolor and Seaside and how they intermingle. I love that we have so many local businesses and not big chains or corporations.”

What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community? “Smiling Fish Cafe.”

If you could choose anyone, who would you have lunch with and where would you go locally? “David Platt. His faithfulness to God’s Word and his sound teaching of Scripture radically (pun intended) changed my life.  I would take him to Stinky’s Fish Camp for Taco Tuesday or Chanticleer.”

Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years? “By God’s grace still advising clients regarding insurance and real estate. I would love to be married to a Godly woman that would seek fostering and adoption with me. I have a heart for missions, and I could see myself being a long-term missionary.”

Who inspires you to be better? “The Apostle Paul and my daughters.”

Tracy Steely and Mark Stanley are the hosts of a community website called The Faces of Walton County. The project aims to showcase the diverse residents of our community, one Face at a time. To nominate someone for an interview visit www.thefacesofwaltoncounty.com or call Tracy at 850-803-9822.

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