Published guide · By Doug Liles
Beyond the Hype
A practical starting point for district leaders: the policy to establish before a purchase, useful applications, and the questions to ask a vendor.
Read the field guide →Doug Liles · Applied AI & public service
Put AI to work.
Keep people in control.
I help special districts, local governments, and nonprofits turn a real operational problem into a useful AI project—with human review, clear limits, and a record you can inspect.
Founder, builder, and elected special-district commissioner.
Based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
Selected work
Start with something you can examine.
A field guide, a delivered conference session, and a public comment. Each opens the work and the context behind it.
Delivered session · June 9, 2026
Unmasking AI for Special Districts
My presentation at the Florida Association of Special Districts Annual Conference in Orlando: a commissioner's 90-day roadmap for operations automation.
Public comment · July 22, 2026
Florida's mitigation banking rules
My published comment on proposed rule changes, asking for site-specific ecological and hydrological findings before wetland functions are replaced with mitigation credits.
What brings you here?
Work with Doug
Find a useful first project, plan a careful pilot, or equip your board to make an informed decision.
Explore engagements →Explore public service
Follow the commission work, inspect the public record, and understand how Florida special districts operate.
See the public record →Read, watch & listen
Practical guides, conversations, and presentations on putting AI to work responsibly.
Start with the writing →The person behind the work
A builder's perspective.
A public servant's responsibility.
I'm Doug Liles—founder and CEO of the Good Samaritan Institute and founder of Good Combinator. Three decades of building homes, companies, and a nonprofit research institute shape how I approach new work: start with a real need and make something useful.
I also serve as an elected Special District Commissioner in South Walton County, Florida, host AI for Good: Transforming Communities, and bring people together at Point Preserve.
The podcast
AI for Good: Transforming Communities
Commentary, explainers, and source-based discussions about AI and communities. See episode pages for format and review notes.
Explore the episodes →The Ecosystem
One mission, many roots
Institute mission and public resources · delivery status in directory
Learning and builder resources · program evidence in directory
Public venue and lodging offers · operator details in directory
New to special districts? Start with Florida Special Districts, Explained.
Bring one problem worth solving.
Start with the workflow, the people it affects, and what a useful result would look like.