Gulfport’s former fire chief is remembered as a dedicated professional and ‘gentle giant’
Former Gulfport fire chief Mike Beyerstedt is being remembered as a professional, a nice guy and a “gentle giant.”
He died suddenly Tuesday while on vacation with his family in Florida.
“He was a great guy. It was just a shock,” said Lindsey Inman, CEO of Island View Casino, which owns Windance Country Club.
“I can see him walking in my door right now,” he said, on a sad day at Island View. Three years ago Beyerstedt traded his stressful job as the city’s fire chief to become the general manager of Windance.
While it’s a comparatively laid-back job, “He took it very seriously,” Inman said. “He continually overwhelmed me with his attitude,” Inman said, and the smile on his face.
It’s not everyone who can straddle professionalism with kindness and family values.
“This man was the kindest man I can remember ever meeting,” said Kathy Santiago, director of player relations and business development at Island View.
She called him a soft spoken, “gentle giant” and said, “It takes a special person to be strong and be kind like that.”
Santiago said she got to know Mike and his wife Kelly while attending golf events.
“When Mike and Kelly were together you could see the adoration he had for his wife and the love they had for one another,” she said.
‘Work hard and do the right thing’
Originally from Indiana, he was a sergeant in the Marine Corps and listed Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, among his many accomplishments. He was fire chief in Jackson, Michigan for a year before heading to the Coast to serve as Gulfport Fire Chief from 2011 to 2023.
On his Twitter/X account bio he quoted: “Work hard, do the right things, and good things will happen!”
“Mike was always upbeat,” said former Gulfport police chief Leonard Papania. “He came to Gulfport as we were still rebuilding from Katrina and recovering from the financial crisis. It was a challenging time to join the team,” he said.
Mayor Billy Hewes called him “a dedicated servant and friend” and said Beyerstedt “leaves a wonderful legacy of exemplary service, having made a profound difference in the lives of our citizens.”
Under his leadership, Gulfport Fire Department in 2018 was the first in the state to receive a Class 2 rating since the Mississippi State Rating Bureau was formed in 1924. That meant property owners in the city could see an additional 2% in their insurance because of the rating and it put the fire department in the top 2% nationwide.
“This is a big deal. A really big deal,” State Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said at the time during a press conference on the steps of Gulfport City Hall.
“He brought us optimism, professionalism and friendship. He has left a mark on our city and will be remembered as a great person,” Papania said.
Retiring words
Beyerstedt retired in September 2021, after the challenges of COVID and the many rescues and tragedies he saw as chief.
“It has been great working with the unbelievable people at the Gulfport Fire Department now for almost 11 years,” he posted on Facebook and said he was “looking forward to new opportunities and challenges with Columbia Southern University and the Island View/Windance Country Club team.”
He stayed in the firefighting field as an educator in fire service management and administration at Columbia Southern University
He also served as president of the Mississippi Fire Chief’s Association, a member of the Mississippi State Fire Academy Advisory Board, and a member of the State Minimum Standards Board. He joined the local advisory board for The Salvation Army and rang the bell last Christmas.
What he valued in life was evident in 2021, when former Gulfport fire chief James White died. “James was a great guy and a wonderful leader. More importantly than that he was just a tremendous person, Beyerstedt said. “He was humble in my dealings with him. Just a gentleman. That’s something I would like to keep with me and remember James by. Just what a good person he was.”
Now those who knew Beyerstedt are remembering him for these same qualities as a professional and a good person.
The winning shot
He managed the golf course as his retirement job, and he and his wife just built a new home on the course, said Michael Bruffey, vice president and general Counsel at Island View Casino. “He was very happy,” Bruffey said.
He helped the casino win the inaugural MS Casino Cup in Tunica last fall, competing against the other casinos in the state and the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
“Mike made the putt on the last hole to secure the win, edging out the commission by one shot. Mike was also an amazing golfer on top of everything else,” Bruffey said.
