There’s no place like home, and there’s no home like Walton County.
We can thank visionaries like Jeanne Dailey, founder and CEO of Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, Inc., for helping put South Walton on travelers’ radars. But how did her journey begin?
Born and raised in a suburb of Toledo, Ohio, Jeanne moved to the area in 1983. With the help of business partner Randy Newman, they started Newman-Dailey Resort Properties; the rest, as they say, is history!
When she first started the company, Jeanne didn’t know whether it would last. “I thought I would live/work here for a year or two and then move to a ‘real city’ and get a ‘real job’,” Jeanne laughs. To her pleasant surprise, life in Walton County turned out to be even better than the big city!
Even before South Walton became the well-known destination it is today, Jeanne fell in love with life beside the Gulf. She became the sole owner of Newman-Dailey in 1988, back when only the locals knew the lay of the land.
“No one had ever heard of Destin, 30A, or South Walton, so it wasn’t easy,” Jeanne explains. “There was only one traffic light between Destin bridge and Panama City and one grocery store,” she recalls. “You could drive along the beach in the fall and winter and not see another car.”
So how did Jeanne help transform the area into a major visitor draw?
Jeanne credits the people of Walton County. “The people that live here are one of a kind. They are the most passionate, kind, caring, friendly people I have ever met,” she explains, and Newman-Dailey could not have succeeded without their support.
“As a business owner and single mother of two, I credit the success of Newman-Dailey to this community and my family that supported me along the way.” Above all, Jeanne thanks her hardworking employees. “I’ve learned that when things get tough, you must have a team you can rely upon,” emphasizes Jeanne, and since most of her staff members have worked at the company for over a decade, she knows they’re true blue.
To show her appreciation for the Walton County community, Jeanne believes in giving back to the community that has given her so much. “From United Way to the Rotary Club, I’ve supported various organizations over the years, but my involvement on the board of Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation has been one of the most rewarding,” Jeanne says.
The organization benefits 16 local nonprofits helping children in need in Northwest Florida. The funds raised have impacted the lives of more than 90,000 youth, including those afflicted by health issues and abuse. Jeanne is honored to have been selected as the 2024 Chair of DCWAF, which is recognized as one of the nation’s “Top 10 Charity Wine Auctions” by Wine Spectator.
To stay on top of the latest trends as Walton County continues to grow, Newman-Dailey remains active in industry associations like Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA). “My daughter, Tiffany, serves as lead consultant for legislative initiatives with VRMA and has created a Florida PACT – the Florida Professional Vacation Rental Coalition (FPVRC) to advocate for the vacation rental industry,” Jeanne says, adding: “We’re proud to be pioneers in the vacation rental industry and our goal is to grow the leaders of tomorrow.”
Even though they adopt cutting-edge technology to streamline their operations, Newman-Dailey keeps human touch at the forefront of the business. “In the day and age of business consolidation and automation, we’re proud to keep the human touch, and have boots on the ground to provide personalized, local service,” Jeanne explains. Even in growth mode, the company is passionate about staying true to their roots in South Walton. “We want to remain the Best of the Emerald Coast for vacation rentals and property management,” she emphasizes, and she couldn’t do it without the local community.
