Dr. Darryl Aubrey

Meet Dr. Darryl Aubrey!  Dr. Aubrey has served on the Village Council of North Palm Beach for 14 years and is our current Mayor.  Born in Lexington, Kentucky, he later moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he finished up his high school years.  He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech, a master of business administration and then a doctorate in management systems from the University of New Haven.  He served in the U.S. Navy as a Supply Officer with the 6th Fleet.  Dr. Aubrey was a high-level executive for Exxon when he took early retirement in 1986.  He then went on to become a tenured professor of management and chair of the management faculty at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.  Eventually, he and his wife grew tired of the bitter winters of the northeast and went to Houston on a consulting job for IBM.  Once that was finished, they then found their way to Florida, where his wife grew up.

He is blessed with 3 children: Deborah, Morton, and David.  He also has 2 grandchildren ages 10 and 14.  He lives in North Palm Beach with his miniature pinscher, Duke, by his side.

Thank you, Dr. Aubrey, for meeting me for coffee recently and sharing stories from your amazing life and your love for The Palm Beaches.

Questions:

Q: What inspired you or led you to your current career?

A: “My wife Joan applied for and became the Village Historian back in 2003.  She was the historian for several years and I got in the habit of going to the occasional council meeting with her and that’s how it started.  I went to a few council meetings and concluded that I had a lot of management experience and I could probably contribute something to running the Village.  My main interest has been fiscal responsibility.  I’m a fiscal conservative.  I’m somewhat left of center on social issues but I’m pretty far right of center on fiscal issues.  I believe in balanced budgets, running surpluses and reserves.  It’s been 14 years now and they have passed very quickly.”

Q: What is your favorite restaurant in The Palm Beaches, and what do you love there?

A: “My new absolute favorite is Farmer’s Table at the newly reopened North Palm Beach Country Club.”

Q: How long have you lived or worked in The Palm Beaches?

A: “We bought our house in 2000 and moved here full time in 2002.”

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in The Palm Beaches?

A: “Ed Eissey. He was a prominent member of our community.  I admired his accomplishment and I enjoyed working with him.”

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?

A: “I’ve traveled a lot in my life.  The place I like best is Luxemburg.  I’ve even traveled with my dog there.  It’s a small country with a population of about 400,000 people.   You can travel around the entire country in 1 day by car.  Luxembourg City has a huge WWII cemetery where General George S. Patton is buried.  It’s called Luxembourg American Cemetary and Memorial.  It’s a place where you just can’t help but be overcome emotionally.  There’s a beautiful chapel there.  Luxembourg City itself is a delight.  It’s small and easy to get around.  You don’t need a car.  It’s very walkable, something we are trying to create here in North Palm.”

Q: What is your favorite movie OR what is the first movie you remember seeing in a theatre?

A: “I can’t remember my first movie, I’m sorry to say.  My favorite movie is The Godfather, it’s a fascinating movie.  It romanticizes the mafia, organized crime and has very good acting and character development.  The one thing about The Godfather that has always intrigued me is that as you watch that movie, your sympathies align with that family.  You find yourself really pulling for those characters who in the story are doing bad things.”

Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?

A: “You need to listen and try to understand people having opposing views rather than getting into a confrontation.  Try to get inside their heads and see where they are coming from.  I would say tolerance, good behavior, listening skills, and civility.  Ed Eissey used to say “we can disagree, but we shouldn’t be disagreeable.”  It’s a good set of rules for conduct.  These are powerful words.”

Q: What is something on your bucket list?

A: “I guess I would like to retire.  I would probably spend more time traveling and visiting with my grandchildren and children.”

Q: What is your favorite music/ 3 bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?

A: “I enjoy the music that Peter, Paul, and Mary did back in the 1960s.  It was protest music at the time but I never felt that way.  I just enjoyed the rhythm and the lyrics.  One of my favorite songs is The Last Farewell by Roger Whittaker.  I like classical music as background music.”

Q: What current/former local business makes you the most nostalgic about The Palm Beaches?

A: “I’m not sure, it is really hard to tell.”

Q: Choosing anyone in a non-relative with whom would you love to have lunch?

A: “Elizabeth Warren so I can try to understand some of her viewpoints a little better.  I’m not sure she understands how the economy works.  We would probably go to Ruth’s Chris.”

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about The Palm Beaches?

A: “I think the people here are very nice and welcoming, I love the climate here, even in summer.  I live near the water and we get a nice breeze all the time.   The political atmosphere is generally well managed.”

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?

A: “I see myself right here if my health continues to look good, just enjoying the sunshine, the nice weather, and the ocean breeze.  It’s a pleasant place to live.”

Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?

A: “When I retired the first time, I went through some placement activities hosted by Exxon.   They provide counselors to help retirees figure out what they want to do next.   My advisor was shocked when I told him that I wanted to go off into the Maine woods, live in a cabin and write books.  I said that at that point in time that I could write a book but I don’t think I could.  It would be fun, though.”

Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?

A: “Family, meal times together and my pets.”

Q: If you had a full-time staff member that was fully paid for, who would you choose? Chef, Housekeeper, Driver, Coach, Physical Fitness Trainer, or Nanny?

A: “Captain on my new boat and a housekeeper.”

Q: If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?

A: “Julia Roberts, I think she is an interesting lady.  She plays a lot of roles and she plays it all well and she seems like a nice person too.”

 

The Faces of The Palm Beaches is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community.  Who do you know that should be featured on The Faces of the Palm Beaches?

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