Stories about the individuals connected to Palm Coast’s past, from developers and public figures to residents and lesser-known characters whose lives and actions influenced the community.
Most Palm Coast residents pass landmarks every day without knowing the people behind them. This article looks at the life and legacy of Alan Smolen, whose leadership during a critical period helped transform Palm Coast from a troubled development into a functioning community whose institutions continue to serve residents today.
William Venne never sought the spotlight, but Palm Coast’s early success owes much to his steady leadership. From safeguarding parklands to shaping the city’s first council, his quiet dedication helped guide Palm Coast through its most formative years.
From surviving a traumatic childhood to serving aboard aircraft carriers, building businesses, mentoring children, and leading civic and charitable organizations, Frank Consentino Jr. has lived a life defined by motion, service, and resilience. This autobiography traces a journey shaped by craft, faith, loss, and an unwavering commitment to helping others.
From its beginnings as a bold ITT experiment to its evolution into an incorporated city, Palm Coast has been shaped by a small number of individuals entrusted with ultimate responsibility. This series explores the six leaders whose decisions, vision, and constraints defined each era of the city’s growth.
Arthur E. Dycke is a longtime educator, author, and one of the foundational historians of the City of Palm Coast. After a career of more than three decades as a teacher, he retired to Palm Coast with his wife, Louise, in the early 1990s. Soon after the city’s incorporation, Dycke began formally documenting its history…