2/24/2023 - By Mike Hess

For 17 and ½ years, when you entered the Harrell’s office, one of the faces you could expect to see was that of Gary Rust, always ready with a smile and a good conversation. Gary was a member of the Harrell’s family for nearly two decades before he decided it was time for him to retire and spend more time with his wife, Linda.

Gary was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and later got his degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia. During his time in university is when Gary met his wife and not too long after that they were married, graduated, and moved to St. Louis the same year following graduation. During the ten years they lived in St. Louis, Gary worked at a “Big 8” public accounting firm where he obtained his CPA designation, before he and Linda moved to Vero Beach, Florida.

Gary’s Journey to Harrell’s

“I had been working in Vero Beach since 1985. In 2005, Matt Shook, a friend and past Vero Beach neighbor called me and made me aware of a potential CFO position at Harrell’s.” Gary said, “At that time, I was working as a CFO in the citrus industry. The industry had just been crippled by numerous hurricanes and the spreading of the citrus disease canker and I felt it would continue to struggle in the future. So, the Harrell’s opportunity might be worth investigating.”

After this decision, Gary interviewed with the Harrell’s, Matt Shook, and the rest of the exec team where he was offered the CFO position. But that doesn’t mean the decision was easy. At that time, Linda was in the process of recovery from breast cancer surgery and was going through chemotherapy, and their daughter, Meggie, was going to be a senior in high school. All this to say, picking up and moving their family across the state was a tough prospect.

The Rust Family's Guiding Light

Through all of the trials and tribulations, Gary and his family always had an anchor of peace to rely on. “Backtracking to 1985, shortly after moving to Vero Beach I placed my faith in Jesus Christ. Through God’s grace and his redemptive plan for mankind, I became a Christian. Since that time, I had always wondered what it would be like to work for a company like Harrell’s, that gave glory and honor to God and attempted to model their corporate behavior based on Christian principles,” Gary said.

Even though the decision was tough, Gary and Linda committed their decision to prayer and Gary ended up accepting the position at Harrell’s. Gary and Linda came together to decide it would be the best middle-ground for him to work and live in Lakeland while Linda and Meggie stayed in Vero, until Linda’s cancer treatments were completed and Meggie had graduated high school.

A Few Words of Wisdom

Over his many years in the professional field, both with Harrell’s and otherwise, Gary makes special note of how important it is to embrace change. “Change is inevitable, especially in a dynamic organization such as Harrell’s, and just because something has been done a certain way for a long period of time doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way to do it now.”

Keeping this advice to embrace change in mind is essential for the benefit of any growing company, community, or person because after all, how can anyone/thing reach a goal if they aren’t willing to change for the better?

Gary in Retirement and the Future

After a long career, multiple moves, changes of position, life events, and many others, Gary and Linda are more than ready for his retirement. Outside of the office, Gary loves to be on the water fishing, freshwater or offshore if there are fish that’s where you’ll find Gary much of the time. He’s also a project guy and a fixer, Gary loves to have some sort of project to work on and put his mind to. “My daughter and son-in-law, who are licensed Christian counsellors, tell me my personal rating as a ‘reformer/improver’ is the highest they’ve ever seen.”

Otherwise, Gary and Linda plan to take some much-needed time traveling and spending more quality time together as the days are now fully theirs to put toward what they please, including improving Gary’s golf game which has been dormant for years.

Thank you, Gary, for your countless hours and invaluable service to Harrell’s as a company and as a family. You will be missed but we are excited for what this next chapter holds for you and your family.