Scott Inglis

For You. For the Town.

So who is Scott Inglis?

I grew up in the small town of Fox River Grove, Illinois. My family lived in a 700-square-foot house along the Fox River. When I was 12, my parents divorced, and I lived with my dad, seeing my mom every other weekend. We lived far enough outside of town that I attended school in a different district in Algonquin.

Like a lot of kids growing up, I learned early how to take care of myself. I cut grass and shoveled snow to earn money to buy the things I wanted. My parents worked hard, and life at home wasn’t always easy. Those experiences taught me independence, resilience, and how to stand on my own two feet.

At 15, I entered a high school work program. I excelled in shop class but did just enough to get by in others. I worked three hours a day as a dishwasher at the school. As soon as I turned 16, I got a job at a small grocery store as a bag boy. Before long, I was stocking shelves, working produce, and helping in the deli. I saved enough money to buy my first car — a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle — the first of many vehicles I would work on over the years.

I later moved to a larger grocery store in the next town and became an assistant produce manager. By 17, I realized I didn’t have the grades for a four-year college — and I didn’t want to spend my life working in a grocery store — so I signed up for the United States Navy.

Through the delayed entry program, I shipped out one month after graduating high school. I volunteered for submarine duty, and at just 18 years old I was on a submarine heading to the Mediterranean. Those early years are where I truly grew up — learning teamwork, dedication, accountability, and developing a thick skin… with just a hint of sarcasm.

Over a 20-year Navy career, I served on a submarine and a submarine tender, and later worked at multiple Navy maintenance facilities, taking care of submarines and surface ships. I retired in 2006 from Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville.

During that time, I learned that doing the job right mattered more than rank or titles. Once, while buried deep in piping repairing a large pump, I answered yet another voice asking when the work would be done: “It’ll be done when it’s done.” When the reply came back, “Aye aye, shipmate,” my coworker quietly informed me it was the ship’s captain. Lesson learned — focus on the work, be honest, and stand by what you say.

I first moved to Fernandina Beach in 1991 while stationed at Kings Bay. A girlfriend and I shared an apartment on South Fletcher Avenue. When the relationship ended, I kept the apartment and began volunteering at Fort Clinch State Park. It was there I realized this wasn’t just a place to live — it was home.

While living on the island, I got into scuba diving and met Lisa, who has now been my wife for 33 years. Scuba diving became a big part of our lives. Before and after we were married, Lisa and I were members of the Nassau County Dive Rescue Team, assisting the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.

We were married on the beach at Main Beach in 1993. We have lived in our home in Fernandina Beach since 2002.

After retiring from the Navy, I worked as a mechanic, electrician, engineering technician, government inspector, and shipbuilding specialist supporting Navy operations at Kings Bay and Mayport. In 2015, I returned to school full-time and became an X-ray technologist. I worked in Gainesville and later in Jacksonville until the physical demands of military service caught up with me.

During and after COVID, I adjusted to part-time work — driving a school bus, working as a limo driver, repairing golf carts, and now working on electric bikes a few days a week.

Today, I work part-time and volunteer full-time. For the past three years, I have served as Chairman of the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival, overseeing every aspect of one of Fernandina Beach’s most important traditions. I am also an active member of the Fernandina Beach Shrine Club and deeply involved with American Legion Post 54, overseeing flags for Memorial Day, Veterans Day, the Fourth of July, and the daily care of the Veterans Memorial.

I enjoy riding my motorcycles, working on my old Army Jeep, boating, kayaking, camping, and spending time outdoors. I believe Fernandina Beach works best when leadership is honest, practical, and grounded in the community — not politics, not ego, and not excuses