Charles Bare was elected in November 2022 as the City Council Representative for District 2.
Charles Bare previously served as the last at-large council member from November 2012 to November 2016. He was elected Council President in November 2015. During his four years on the City Council, he served on the West Florida Regional Planning Council, Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization (Chairman), Northwest Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization, Community Drug and Alcohol Council and the Florida League of Cities Transportation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee (Vice Chairman) and Federal Action Strike Team.
Charles was born in Lakenheath, England during his father’s service in the United States Air Force. In 1972, his family moved to Woodbridge, Virginia where he completed his K-12 education.
In 1988, Charles traveled to Pensacola to attend the University of West Florida. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Legal Administration in 1992 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1994, he completed his Master of Public Administration with a specialization in coastal zone studies at the University of West Florida.
Charles is the owner of The Charles Bare Company which provides management and technology consulting services for small businesses and non-profits. He began his working career with the U.S. Department of Education in Atlanta. He served as both a program reviewer and criminal investigator/special agent. He is a graduate of the federal criminal investigation training and inspector general investigator training programs. He moved back to Pensacola in 1997 to begin working as the Assistant Director of Governmental Relations at the University of West Florida. After two years he was promoted to Director of Governmental Relations. He spent four legislative sessions in the state capitol advocating for the University of West Florida.
In 2003, Charles was deployed to Southwest Asia for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served both in Iraq as a Civil Affairs Officer and in Kuwait as the Director of Special Projects for the Humanitarian Operations Center, a multi-national organization. Upon his return, Charles spent a year as the District Representative for Congressman Jeff Miller.
Charles is a graduate of Leadership Pensacola, Leadership Santa Rosa, and the West Florida Leadership Academy. He is a member of First United Methodist Church where he has taught confirmation, kindergarten through third grade Sunday School, and Vacation Bible School. He is a member of Team Rubicon and The Mission Continues. He has deployed numerous times with Team Rubicon following natural disasters including Hurricane Michael.
Charles is married to JoEllen. They have three children: Jackson, Conner, and Davis.