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

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. 

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 he’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. 

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. 

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

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.