PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Chase Christianson, the CEO of HCA Gulf Coast Hospital, has been appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to the Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida.

This organization focuses on educating children before kindergarten and providing parents with the resources needed to support their children’s early education.

Christianson, who previously served as the chief executive officer of Parham Doctors’ Hospital, brings valuable experience to his new role. He emphasized the importance of education in building future generations.

“If you want to think about building the next generation and impacting our community on generations on end, it really starts with education,” Christianson said. “Any social perspective of life, if you have a strong foundation in education, you’ve got an opportunity to be successful going forward and having a positive impact on your future families, on the communities around you and the neighbors you live, work, and play by.”

Christianson will serve as the chair of the Early Learning Coalition, leveraging his leadership and expertise to advance early childhood education initiatives in the region.