Background & CV
Curriculum Vitae
Doug Liles, M.S. — scientist, builder, and applied-AI founder. A Memphis native, Doug trained in the life sciences, spent three decades building companies and homes on Florida's Emerald Coast, and ran the Good Samaritan Institute through an early chapter in cancer-research science before turning it toward AI for good. He serves as an elected Special District Commissioner in South Walton County, Florida.
For headshots, bios, and media inquiries, see the press kit or contact directly.
Current roles
- Founder & CEO, Good Samaritan Institute (GoodSam.ai)
- Founder, Good Combinator
- Commissioner (Seat 1), South Walton Mosquito Control District — elected 2020
- Host, AI for Good: Transforming Communities
- Managing Member, Point Washington Preserve, LLC (Point Preserve)
- Florida Certified Building Contractor (DBPR #CBC1251862)
Scientific background & research
Doug began his career in the life sciences as an undergraduate and graduate research assistant and a scholar in medical microbiology. Through the Good Samaritan Institute he worked in cancer biology, oncology, and nanomedicine in the 2000s — taking part in programs of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the National Cancer Institute's Translational Research Working Group. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Conference participation
- 2008
- Numenta HTM Workshop — Palo Alto, CA (early machine intelligence)
- 2006
- Cancer Biology: Chairs & Program Directors — Asilomar, CA
- 2006
- Translational Research Working Group Roundtable — Atlanta, GA
- 2005
- NCI Translational Research Working Group — Phoenix, AZ
- 2005
- NSTI Nano Impact Summit: Enabling the Interdisciplinary Science of Nanotechnology — Washington, DC
- 2005
- AACR: Cancer, Proteases, and the Tumor Microenvironment — Bonita Springs, FL
- 2005
- Cancer Nanotechnology Symposium: Nanotechnology Platforms for Molecular Medicine — Washington, DC
- 2004
- 40th ASCO Annual Meeting & Educational Symposia — New Orleans, LA
- 2003
- AACR: Oncogenomics — Dissecting Cancer Through Genome Research — Phoenix, AZ
- 2003
- Imaging in 2020 — III — Jackson Hole, WY
Education
- 1986
- M.S. (Master of Combined Sciences), University of Mississippi Medical Center — Jackson, MS
- 1982
- B.S., Animal Sciences, University of Tennessee — Knoxville, TN
Career history
- 2015–present
- Managing Member, Point Washington Preserve, LLC (the Point Preserve campus) — Santa Rosa Beach, FL
- 2013–present
- Real Estate Developer & Builder, Southern Hybrid Homes, LLC — FL
- 2003–present
- Founder & CEO (formerly Director), The Good Samaritan Institute — FL, 501(c)(3)
- 1990–present
- Real Estate Developer & Builder, Liles Family Limited Partnership — MS
- 2019–2020
- President, Building Industry Association of Okaloosa/Walton County
- 2017–present
- Columnist, Florida Builder Magazine; speaker, Southeastern Builders Conference
- 1985–2003
- Entrepreneur — Home Video; Wolf, Inc. — MS
- 1987–1988
- Educator, Hinds Community College — MS
- 1982–1986
- Graduate Research Assistant & Scholar in Medical Microbiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center
- 1980–1982
- Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of Tennessee
Honors & appointments
- 2019
- Builder of the Year, Building Industry Association of Okaloosa/Walton County
- 2012
- Florida's STEM Strategic Plan Working Group
- 2008–2019
- Citizen Scientist, Lake Watch — Coastal Dune Lake water-quality testing
- 2008–2019
- Science Fair Judge, Walton County School District
- 2016–2018
- Walton County School District Advisory Council
- 2018
- Walton County School District External Accreditation Review Committee
- 1982
- UT Knoxville Class A Tennis Champion
- 1980
- Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society
Community & education programs
- GSI Virtual Mentor — with the University of Florida (2013) and NASA (2012)
- Lego Robotics Competition
- The Santa Rosa Project
- Building Off-Grid
- Save Our Bay
- School & community gardens — Good News Preschool, Butler Elementary, and a community garden (2010–2011)
Memberships & affiliations
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- American Mosquito Control Association
- Government Blockchain Association
- University of Tennessee Alumni; University of Mississippi Alumni
- Walton County Chamber of Commerce; Better Business Bureau
Credentials
- Florida Certified Building Contractor — DBPR license #CBC1251862