Antonius G. Barnes
Commissioner

Hello, my name is Antonius G. "Gen" Barnes and I am a native of Lynn Haven. I am 34 years of age and was first elected to the city commission in 1996. I am married and have a son and stepdaughter. I am employed by Bay District Schools where I am a high school administrator at Mosley High School in Lynn Haven.

My educational background includes attending Lynn Haven Elementary School, Mowat Junior High School, which now is Mowat Middle School, and A. Crawford Mosley High School graduating in 1984. After high school, I attended and graduated from Gulf Coast Community College in 1987 where I received an Associate in Arts Degree in Pre-Criminal Justice. I continued my education at Florida State University graduating in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Science. In 1990, I was accepted to graduate school and began working on my Master in Arts Degree at Florida State University in Eastern European History. I have completed all of my coursework and am working on my thesis that should be completed in the fall of 2000. Also, I completed Florida State University Modified Educational Leadership Program. This program will prepare me for an assistant principalship within our school district.

My family and I are members of the Lynn Haven United Methodist Church where I have served as a Sunday School Teacher, Chairperson of the Council on Ministries, member of the Chancel Choir, and have recently been appointed to the Conference Council on Ministries of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Last year, I had the opportunity to serve as an alternate lay delegate to our annual conference and this year I am proud to announce that I will serve as Lay Delegate representing my church at our annual conference to be held in Montgomery, Alabama.

I am a former member of the Lynn Haven Volunteer Fire-Rescue Department where I served as President for several years. Likewise, I am a former employee of the city where I served as the city's first paid communications officer for the Lynn Haven Police Department after the city's fire department was relieved of those duties.