Meet Marie Hinson.

A bathtub in a pasture might seem like an unlikely place to find one of Northwest Florida’s leading ladies. Then again, Marie Hinson has never lived an ordinary story.

Born into a Walton County farm family in New Home—a community that disappeared when its land became part of Eglin Air Force Base, leaving only its cemetery behind—Marie learned early what it means to lose a place without losing its story. That lesson in resilience, along with a lifelong faith, helped shape a career devoted to education, public service, and culture.

Marie became the first woman to serve on the City Council in Monticello, Florida. In DeFuniak Springs, she has never treated history and culture as things to be merely remembered. As a former board member of the Chautauqua Assembly, she helped carry forward the town’s tradition of culture, learning, and community. She also conceived the idea for LakeFest, creating another way for people to gather around the lake at the heart of DeFuniak Springs.

Music is part of that story, too. A lyric soprano, Marie and her husband Charles wrote music for early productions of the beloved oral-history theater company Grit & Grace. Marie appeared in its first production and returned as a featured performer this year.

Through her work as board president with the Walton County Heritage Museum, she has also helped preserve the stories and places that give this community its character.

Marie's story is one reason DeFuniak feels less like a town looking backward and more like a place discovering what history can become.

PILLARS OF THE RENAISSANCE

History • Creativity • Community

Every Renaissance Needs Leading Ladies.

Meet the People Making It Happen.