By Heather Bennett Eye
Some people find their way to South Walton by chance. For Chris Howse, it was love, though, he’d be the first to tell you it took a little faith to get here.
His wife, Jessica, put down roots in South Walton four years ago, building a career as a property manager, quickly becoming part of the fabric of the local community. Chris, meanwhile, was living in North Carolina. The two met through a dating app run by their church. Both are devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and marrying within their faith was important to them. Jessica asked him to come visit her, and a cross-country courtship later, he made the move south. He’s now called South Walton home for the last year and a half. The two married in September, and are now expecting their first child, a baby boy.
Working remotely has allowed Chris the freedom to work from anywhere, so he found the transition to South Walton easy. In his fundraising role, he works with high-net-worth donors, over the phone or by Zoom, flying out as needed. He also found he enjoys the likeminded people in our community. “It’s super pro-liberty, pro-America here,” said Chris. “I’m not used to that, and so it was just all too nice.”
Earning a degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University, Chris has spent his career in civic engagement. For several years he worked as a field representative for Turning Point USA, traveling to college campuses across the country to promote free markets, constitutional principles, and active citizenship. In that role, he organized large events featuring nationally recognized voices like Charlie Kirk. Chris also organized a major pro-life event in Michigan in the lead-up to a statewide abortion referendum.
Today, Chris channels that same energy into children’s education and development. He fundraises for the Libertas Network, which oversees the widely known Tuttle Twins educational series. The books are used by homeschooling families and found in hundreds of schools and libraries across the country, introducing children to concepts like entrepreneurship, financial literacy, inflation, personal responsibility, civics, and American history.
“The Tuttle Twins gives us a chance to take back control of the education system and have millions of new children have their minds, which are still malleable as clay, believing in free markets, America and liberty, at a much younger age,” stated Chris. “I’m passionate about helping equip the next generation.”
Chris also fundraises for the Children’s Entrepreneur Market program, an initiative that gives kids the chance to launch real small businesses in community event settings. “We partner with community events like fairs and carnivals, downtown annual events that already have all of the traffic, and that way the kids get hundreds, if not thousands, of organic customers, and that’s where all of the learning takes place,” said Chris. “They’re learning supply and demand, marketing, self-confidence, and work ethic all at once.”
For Chris and Jessica, South Walton is now considered home, and as they prepare for the arrival of their son, and continue building their lives along the Emerald Coast, they’re investing in the community around them. Chris is looking to get involved in local politics, and public speaking engagements with the local schools to give presentations on the Tuttle Twins and civics.
You can connect with Chris on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-howse27/. If you’d like to know more about Libertas, the Tuttle Twins, and the Kid’s Market, please visit their website at: https://libertas.org.
