The Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce inducted retired Colonel Jim Heald into their Civic Hall of Fame at a ceremony on July 20th.ย 

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Heald, former commander of the 46th Test Wing and the 40th Flight Test Squadron accepted the award with his family along to witness the ceremony.ย 

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Since his retirement from the Air Force, Heald has involved himself in numerous defense support initiatives for the Emerald Coast region. He serves on the Florida Defense Support Task Force, a role heโ€™s been in since 2018, the board of the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce, the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee and various defense support initiatives.ย 

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As a member of those committees, he has worked with the federal government to secure a second F-35 training squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, an advanced munitions technical complex and the rebuilding process for Tyndall Air Force Base.ย 

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RELATED: Geraghty takes over command at Eglin Air Force Base.ย 

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Currently, Heald serves as the Vice President for Strategic Operations at InDyne – a defense consulting company with locations in Crestview, Eglin Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Maryland and California.ย 

Retired Colonel James Heald with his friends and family. The Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce added Heald to their Civic Hall of Fame.
f-35 fighter jet on the ground
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