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Audit dreams
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| Lake City native David Martin, who once washed campers at his family’s business, Martin Campers, was appointed as Florida’s newest Auditor General on Oct. 1, 2007. COURTESY PHOTO |
Lake City man selected as Florida’s Auditor General
By MICHAEL MITSEFF
mmitseff@lakecityreporter.com
When David Martin was just a boy, growing up in the small rural community of 1960s Lake City and washing campers at his family’s business, Martin Campers, it’s doubtful he ever imagined that one day he would become Florida’s Auditor General.
Whether imagined or not, Martin was selected by the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee from a short list of three candidates and was sworn in as the state’s newest Auditor General on Oct. 1, 2007.
Martin said that working in the Auditor General’s office is an exceptional privilege.
“I work with a group of excellent professionals who love doing this work and pursue it to a standard of excellence; I enjoy and love what I do,” he said.
The work that the state’s top CPA and staff of top professionals perform “was established by law to be operationally independent within state government,” Martin said.
“Our office performs about 200 audits per year, which include state government agencies from the smaller community colleges and school districts to the largest entity that we audit, which is the state of Florida,” he said.
Martin attributes working with his father as one of the reasons he’s enjoyed success in his career and in life.
“Working with my dad, I learned a lot about life and ethics in business. Those were valuable times for me,” Martin said. “My dad and mother, Shirley, both believed there was great benefit in learning to work hard.”
Martin’s dad, Robert, said that his son helped him in the business since he was big enough to do anything.
“He washed the campers and, as he got a little older, he did repairs and installations,” Robert Martin said.
Robert and Shirley Martin said they are extremely pleased that their son is the new AG.
“I learned a lot about life and the benefits of integrity in business by observing our dad’s approach to business. My sisters, Paula (Martin) Moreshead and Melanie (Martin) Hybart, also worked in the business,” David Martin said.
When Martin graduated from high school, he wasn’t sure if he would work in the family business or go to college.
“I settled on a degree in accounting because it would benefit me even if I did return to the family business.”
Martin’s career was soon destined to take an opportune turn that would set him on his life’s career path.
“At that time in the accounting profession, one year of experience was required to become a licensed CPA. So I became aware through a friend in town that there was an opening in the Lake City auditor general’s office. It’s a satellite office connected to the Jacksonville office,” Martin said.
Though Martin worked in the AG’s office in Lake City, he was still unsure if a career in government was for him.
“After one year in the local AG office, I had an interest in public accounting, so I went to work for a local CPA firm, Odom & Company on South First Street,” Martin said. “I wanted to experience something outside of Lake City and moved to Jacksonville to work in the AG office in 1983 until 1986, and then I transferred to the Pensacola office.”
In the meantime, Martin met his future wife in Jacksonville and the move to Pensacola motivated he and Emily to wed in 1986. They now have four children, three boys and one girl — the oldest is 20, the youngest, 8.
“I’m most thankful for my wife of 21-plus years and our four exceptional children for whom I am privileged to be their dad,” Martin said.
In June 1987, Martin and his new bride moved back to Lake City where he returned to work in the AG office.
Martin was promoted to supervisor in June 1989, and he was encouraged to move to the Tallahassee AG office.
“There were opportunities in the Tallahassee office, and over the years, I was moved up,” Martin said.
Martin continued to move up, and in February 1991, he became audit manager for school districts statewide, and on Oct. 1, 2007, moved up to the top position in the AG’s office.
Martin’s early years growing up in Lake City were not only shaped by working in the family business, but also by experiencing the close-knit community that exists in small towns that once proliferated across the country.
“I miss the small town community atmosphere that was there when I grew up,” Martin reminisced. “I still like that type of atmosphere although Tallahassee is not that large of a city.”
Martin has family that lives in Fort White which includes an uncle, J. Willie Martin, who served as Columbia County School Board member in the 1970s.
“All my memories growing up in Lake City are good,” Martin said. “A family friend, Warren Hollingsworth, who was a good friend through the years, passed away a few weeks ago. He always referred to Lake City as his center of the universe.”
Whether imagined or not, Martin was selected by the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee from a short list of three candidates and was sworn in as the state’s newest Auditor General on Oct. 1, 2007.
Martin said that working in the Auditor General’s office is an exceptional privilege.
“I work with a group of excellent professionals who love doing this work and pursue it to a standard of excellence; I enjoy and love what I do,” he said.
The work that the state’s top CPA and staff of top professionals perform “was established by law to be operationally independent within state government,” Martin said.
“Our office performs about 200 audits per year, which include state government agencies from the smaller community colleges and school districts to the largest entity that we audit, which is the state of Florida,” he said.
Martin attributes working with his father as one of the reasons he’s enjoyed success in his career and in life.
“Working with my dad, I learned a lot about life and ethics in business. Those were valuable times for me,” Martin said. “My dad and mother, Shirley, both believed there was great benefit in learning to work hard.”
Martin’s dad, Robert, said that his son helped him in the business since he was big enough to do anything.
“He washed the campers and, as he got a little older, he did repairs and installations,” Robert Martin said.
Robert and Shirley Martin said they are extremely pleased that their son is the new AG.
“I learned a lot about life and the benefits of integrity in business by observing our dad’s approach to business. My sisters, Paula (Martin) Moreshead and Melanie (Martin) Hybart, also worked in the business,” David Martin said.
When Martin graduated from high school, he wasn’t sure if he would work in the family business or go to college.
“I settled on a degree in accounting because it would benefit me even if I did return to the family business.”
Martin’s career was soon destined to take an opportune turn that would set him on his life’s career path.
“At that time in the accounting profession, one year of experience was required to become a licensed CPA. So I became aware through a friend in town that there was an opening in the Lake City auditor general’s office. It’s a satellite office connected to the Jacksonville office,” Martin said.
Though Martin worked in the AG’s office in Lake City, he was still unsure if a career in government was for him.
“After one year in the local AG office, I had an interest in public accounting, so I went to work for a local CPA firm, Odom & Company on South First Street,” Martin said. “I wanted to experience something outside of Lake City and moved to Jacksonville to work in the AG office in 1983 until 1986, and then I transferred to the Pensacola office.”
In the meantime, Martin met his future wife in Jacksonville and the move to Pensacola motivated he and Emily to wed in 1986. They now have four children, three boys and one girl — the oldest is 20, the youngest, 8.
“I’m most thankful for my wife of 21-plus years and our four exceptional children for whom I am privileged to be their dad,” Martin said.
In June 1987, Martin and his new bride moved back to Lake City where he returned to work in the AG office.
Martin was promoted to supervisor in June 1989, and he was encouraged to move to the Tallahassee AG office.
“There were opportunities in the Tallahassee office, and over the years, I was moved up,” Martin said.
Martin continued to move up, and in February 1991, he became audit manager for school districts statewide, and on Oct. 1, 2007, moved up to the top position in the AG’s office.
Martin’s early years growing up in Lake City were not only shaped by working in the family business, but also by experiencing the close-knit community that exists in small towns that once proliferated across the country.
“I miss the small town community atmosphere that was there when I grew up,” Martin reminisced. “I still like that type of atmosphere although Tallahassee is not that large of a city.”
Martin has family that lives in Fort White which includes an uncle, J. Willie Martin, who served as Columbia County School Board member in the 1970s.
“All my memories growing up in Lake City are good,” Martin said. “A family friend, Warren Hollingsworth, who was a good friend through the years, passed away a few weeks ago. He always referred to Lake City as his center of the universe.”
