Scott Clemons

Scott Clemons, the mayor of Panama City, has joined the board of directors of the National Issues Forums Institute, which promotes public deliberation in the United States. Clemons joined the board at the Institute's annual meeting in Washington, DC, in March 2008. NIFI's directors are volunteers drawn from leaders in government, colleges and universities, civic organizations, libraries, the media, and medicine.

Clemons was elected the mayor of Panama City in May 2007. As mayor he has initiated a communitywide discussion on Panama City's future. Recently he was appointed a member of Florida's commission on volunteerism and community service.

Previously he served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1990 to 1998. While in the House, Clemons served as freshman class president, chair of the Telecommunications and Utilities committee and vice chair of the Banking and Corporations committee.

He is also president of The Clemons Company, an employee benefit program consulting firm in Panama City, and previously practiced law at Bryant, Higby, & Williams. Clemons received a BA in political science from the University of the South at Sewanee in 1982 and a Juris Doctorate from Mercer University in 1986.

He is a member of Board of Directors of the United Way and the former chair of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, Early Education & Care Inc., and the Bay Calhoun and Gulf Readiness Coalition.

The National Issues Forums Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, promotes the use of public deliberation in schools, colleges, civic organizations, and religious institutions. It serves as a partner with public affairs television stations and other organizations that want to reach a wider audience. In addition, the Institute produces issue books used by the National Issues Forums network to stimulate public deliberation on major issues facing Americans.

The National Issues Forums' work produces more than just talk. Results of public deliberations are shared locally by forum sponsors and institutes and nationally with members of the U.S. Congress, the executive branch, and the media. This year, results of one forum series were compiled in a report, Public Thinking about the Energy Problem: Choices for an Uncertain Future, which is available at www.nifi.org. People from 42 states and the District of Columbia participated in forums examining this topic. This year, the National Issues Forums Institute will promote deliberation on several key national issues including "Coping With The Cost of Health Care: How Do We Pay For What We Need?"