Meet Eric Gray

Meet Eric Gray. He’s the guy who thinks “public service” should actually serve the public. Wild, we know. By day, Eric runs the Christian Service Center for the Homeless, where neighbors get help with housing, food, showers, laundry, basically the stuff that keeps dignity intact. He’s been cheered as Central Floridian of the Year and once called a CEO of the Year, which is a fancy way of saying he gets things done without a lot of drama.

Eric also shows up where the decisions are made: Planning & Zoning. Chambers of Commerce. Task forces with names so long you need oxygen. He’s the boringly persistent person in the room asking, “Who benefits?” and “Where’s the return for families, not just the big guys?”

Fun facts: seventh‑generation Floridian; oldest of five; married to Heather, an occupational therapist; dad to four kids who keep it real. And yes, he really was Head Drum Major of the UF Gator Marching Band, which explains the volume and the timing.

Now he’s running for Florida House to do the unglamorous work: more affordable homes, better schools, smarter growth, and a budget that treats tourist taxes like your money, not Monopoly money. Expect questions. Expect real results. Expect less nonsense.