R.J. was elected in March 2026. A Flagler County native, he brings a background in business operations, regulatory compliance, and community advocacy to the role.
R.J. is a fourth-generation pyrotechnician, and Vice President of Ralph Santore & Sons, Inc., based in Bunnell. The company is one of the few pyrotechnics manufacturers in the United States and supplies professional effects to the entertainment industry worldwide. He also serves on several committee boards of the American Pyrotechnics Association.
His civic priorities include responsible coastal development, infrastructure, transparent municipal governance, and expanding resident participation in local government. R.J. believes that an engaged community is a stronger community, and he is committed to making city government more accessible to the people it serves.
To R.J., the heart of Flagler Beach has always been its local family businesses: the shops, restaurants, and homegrown operations that give this town its character and keep it from becoming just another tourist corridor. Protecting that identity is central to how he approaches his role on the commission.
R.J. lives in Flagler Beach with his wife Jennifer and their daughter. He also has a son attending the University of Central Florida.