2014 - Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce

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July 2014 | www.fwbchamber.com | The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
A Message from the Chair of the Board
It Was a Busy Month!
The stage is empty. The lights
are off. The music is over. The
vendors have moved on to their
next event. The crowds have all
gone home. Captain Billy is back
on the high seas plundering, pillaging and making pleasure. The City
lost again but the Mayor is holding
his head high in pride. Yes folks, the
59th Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival
Ron Grissom
is over for this year. Bowlegs
Gulf Power
couldn’t have gone better. The
weather was perfect, the parade went off without a hitch,
the vendors were happy, the fireworks were spectacular and
the music was great. I talked to Capt. Bill Royal with the
Ft Walton Beach Police Department and he told me that for
the most part everyone behaved. None of this would have
happened without the hard work and dedication of our wonderful volunteers and Chamber staff. I know I can’t thank
everybody individually so I will just give a big shout out to
all the folks who were parade marshals, helped with traffic
control, worked in the booty store or one of the beverage
tents. Bowlegs for 2014 is over - I can’t wait until next year!
In other news, some of us on the Military Affairs
Committee (MAC) went on a civic leader’s tour last month
sponsored by the 919th Air Force Reserve Wing stationed
at Duke Field. Our MAC members were accompanied by
MAC members from Crestview and Navarre. We toured
Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi. When we arrived at
Keesler, we had a very informative and entertaining briefing
with the famous Hurricane Hunters. These guys fly into
tropical storms and hurricanes that might enter the Gulf or
the Caribbean. They are measuring wind speed, direction
What’s INSIDE
and barometric pressure for the National Hurricane Center in
Miami. What I didn’t realize about the Hurricane Hunters is
that they are reservists who come from all over the country
to fly this valuable and hazardous mission.
We also toured the Navy’s Construction Battalion (CB)
training facility at Gulfport. The Navy trains sailors, soldiers
and airmen in all phases of building construction and maintenance in support of combat missions around the world.
We saw the troops in training scenarios building sheds,
putting on roofs and pouring concrete slabs. All under the
watchful eyes of their instructors who represent all three
services. In fact, our tour guide was an Air Force Master
Sergeant. For those of you familiar with Red Horse, this is
where they get their training.
From there we were treated to a combat convoy simulator complete with a 50 caliber machine gun and M-16
rifles. The CB base has a 360 degree simulator for training
troop convoy drivers and rifle squads in tactical maneuvers
while under enemy fire. We were split into small groups
and either assigned to drive a Humvee or man a position.
Of course Past Chair, Mark Hamrick, jumped on the top
mounted 50 caliber machine gun. I felt like a kid again
playing war games. But then I realized that this is serious
business that our brave men and women confront every day
in Afghanistan.
The next day we were off to the John Stennis NASA
Center. The Navy has a training facility where they train
mostly foreign students in river boat combat tactics, assault
and evasion. Most of us did not know this training took
place. The Navy used to do this in the Panama Canal Zone
before the transfer of the canal to the country of Panama.
Thanks to Major Terry Lisenby and Dan Neely with the
919th for making this tour happen.
Coastlines is a publication of the
Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
Message from the Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
34 S.E. Miracle Strip Pkwy.
President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
(850) 244-8191 • FAX (850) 244-1935
Longevity in Design - and Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Showcase Your Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Published & printed by
Applause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 & 7
Northwest Florida Daily News
Billy Bowlegs - Thank You Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Business After Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Submit info to
Ribbon Cuttings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 & 11
Eppi Azzaretto – [email protected]
Nothing but Networking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
First Friday Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Take a Trip | Take a Coastlines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
New Member Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16-17
Membership Renewals/ New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Chamber Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Contact your Daily News Advertising
Sherrie Taylor at 315-4341
Tom Sexton, Graphic Designer
www.tsexton.com
The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce | www.fwbchamber.com | July 2014
President’s Message
Bowlegs Activities - Then...and Now
For the last year I have had the
pleasure of learning —and writing —
about the History of the Billy Bowlegs
Pirate Festival. Surprisingly, it had
never been documented. What started
out to be a simple brochure morphed
into a 40-page booklet with great vintage photos (available at the Chamber).
By interviewing past Captain Billys’
Ted Corcoran
as well as longtime residents of Fort
President/CEO/IOM
Walton Beach, this historical document
has attempted to capture the essence of what this event has
meant to our City.
The stories are incredible: ‘Kidnapping’ women from the
beach to serve as the Captain’s Queen; blowing up wooden
forts in the Sound with dynamite; pirates storming the land
throwing firecrackers at the festival goers—and the festival
goers loving it; stopping cars driving near parade route and
demanding that they drive them to the store to get cigarettes;
digging up the sand dunes searching for buried treasure, etc.
Obviously, it was all in good fun—but can you imagine even
trying to do that now?
The event—originally held on Labor Day weekend to celebrate the end of the season—was changed, in 1960, to the
first weekend in June to entice tourists to visit the area. Many
locals view it as their own cherished tradition, and forget the
Festival’s origins. Of course there are portions of the event
that are geared to the residents, but it was CREATED TO BE
A DRAW FOR OUT OF TOWN GUESTS! And it continues
to serve that goal.
After each of the past couple of festivals, I have received
a handful of notes expressing a few residents’ dismay at the
21st Century version of the Festival. These comments recently
included:
“What has happened to Billy Bowlegs? The Chamber of
Commerce has lost its sense of what this festival used to be.
As a resident of the Fort Walton Beach area since 1962 I can
attest that the BB Parade has gone from a very special event
to nothing more than pure advertising.
Citizens of this area are very disappointed that there is no
Bowlegs treasure hunt, the lack of supervision of the parade,
the lack of floats, bands, and community organizations.
Youngsters miss the coins, beads, cups, and candy. Personally,
I miss the Shriners on their little go carts. What you have is
extensive vehicles from area businesses with signs all over
them promoting their business, loud emergency vehicles,
numerous politicians and very little in the float category.”
Please allow me to attempt to elaborate on some of the
issues raised here:
First, the challenge we have is that the Festival has become
one of the top 10 pirate festivals in the state of Florida, arguably one of the larger annual festivals in Okaloosa County
and a Top 20 event as notated by the Southeastern Tourism
Society. The festival has achieved its goal (some would say
surpassed)—to kick off the summer season— and promote
Fort Walton Beach as a great place to have fun. There are
10,000 people attending the parade, and as many just on
Friday night watching the fireworks. The festival’s founding
fathers could not have imagined that it would become this
large. Imagine Alexander Graham Bell, too, noting what his
invention has become!
As for the parade. First of all, the Shriners were in this year’s
parade – and so was the Liza Jackson band. Unfortunately, it
is challenging to secure marching bands because school is out
and the bands have typically disbanded for the summer.
As for the quantity of floats and the throws. Participating
in a parade is expensive. A case of beads can run almost $40,
and for the Bowlegs parade, the Chamber alone spends almost
$1,000 for items that you are simply throwing away!
The cups and coins are even more expensive! Thus, if a
group desires to throw something during the parade, it can
become very pricey. Even buckets of gum add up. And very
few floats ever have any throws left over after the parade! So
what is the incentive for a business or organization to invest
hundreds (in the case of some of the Krewes—thousands!) of
dollars on items to toss during the parade? Fun and community support are the two that come to mind. However, we are
unable to force an organization to participate, and certainly
have no control over what they choose to throw. The Chamber
charges a minimal parade entry fee to assist in paying for
insurance and other expenses. We always waive the fee for
those organizations that are unable to afford it. (The Chamber
loses money each year on the parade.) However, we average
over 80 floats –of which over half are local community organizations, some businesses, and elected officials - and yes, some
blaring fire trucks and police cars like to participate as well.
We understand the commentary from the Bowlegs fans. I
wish I could have grown up here (I arrived in 1990) to have
experienced the small town feel that once was Bowlegs.
However like everything else, times have changed. We can’t
go back to “the way we were.” The world is not the same,
nor is this cherished event. Traditions evolve over the years,
to meet changing times, economic conditions, and logistical
concerns.
We write about the treasure hunt in our festival history,
but suffice it to say that too changed from family fun to an
extremely competitive battle to win the prizes. We are hoping
to find a volunteer to assist us with a geo-caching treasure hunt
concept for the future.
Speaking of volunteers, the entire festival is organized by
volunteers. (This year, we had over 300!) From the Krewe,
to the Militia, to the folks pouring Pepsi—this is an event run
by community. I am looking forward to working with Captain
Billy LX and his Krewe, and we will do all we can to make the
2015 Festival the best ever.
If you would like to volunteer to assist in planning the festival; or share your specific ideas as to how we recapture your
memories from long ago, please send your thoughts to my
attention at [email protected]. Did I mention that
we are looking for someone to create an on-line treasure hunt?
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July 2014 | www.fwbchamber.com | The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
Longevity in Design – and Membership!
Thirty years ago this month, my husband and I stepped
out in faith and purchased a franchised interior design business. I had read about a woman who owned a Decorating Den
Interiors franchise in WOMAN’S DAY magazine and I showed
it to my husband and said, “Look at this. I think I could do
this.” I felt it was a service that was needed in our community
of Fort Walton Beach. And with a degree in Home Economics
and the ability to sew a seam and put several colors together, I
was a perfect fit.
At the time, Marnie and Roger Tate were our neighbors, and so we asked their
advice. Of course, they thought it was a great idea and Marnie advised us to join the
Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce and ABWA as soon as possible. And of
course we took her advice. We had our ribbon cutting at the First National Bank and
Trust Main Branch on Eglin Parkway. I think we were one of the first members to have
a ribbon cutting that wasn’t at an actual location.
It never occurred to me that failure was an option. I had purchased a business and
I was going to be successful. All I had to do was follow the tried and true system provided to me by my parent company, set sales goals, get involved in the community, and
sell some draperies! And sell them I did!
Looking back, I can remember the very first appointment I had was for a vertical
blind on a sliding glass door. I sat in my van and put my hands to my head. Oh, dear,
what to do. But I followed the rules I had learned and walked out with a little sale under
my belt. Jim and Millie Glenn became clients within the first few months of owning
my business and being a chamber member! I was nervous and excited to have Chamber
then-president Jim Glenn as my client!
Thirty years later, the Decorating Den Interiors concept is very much the same.
Instead of driving a big cargo van full of samples, I’m now streamlined into a Honda
Odyssey. All of my appointments are still held in the client’s home. After all, how
can you decorate someone’s home if you don’t see it? I carry samples into the home, I
measure and price after selecting appropriate fabrics, area rugs, and furniture.
I’ve been so blessed over thirty years to have many clients who continue to call me
for my products and services. I’ve always said, if you make the right choice when
designing draperies or furnishings, it is timeless and lasting. Two recent calls were from
clients who had draperies they bought from me 20 years ago and were still happy with
them! That is such a compliment.
Over the years I’ve won numerous awards including the most coveted award of
Franchise Owner of the Year. My little franchise here in Fort Walton Beach, was the
top franchise in retail sales for 3 years in a row! In addition, I’ve won numerous design
awards and been published in many magazines.
I can’t finish this testimonial without thanking all of my prior clients, friends and
supporters who have purchased from me and referred me to others. Many of these have
been Chamber connections, and my community involvement has helped my business
tremendously.
Carol Stearns, Decorating Den Interiors
(850) 244-2255
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The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce | www.fwbchamber.com | July 2014
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Our Members are the lifeblood of our Chamber – and Events are a close second.
So we understand how important those meetings, fundraisers, and special events are
to your organization. That’s why we’ve come up with new ways to Showcase Your
Event. Some are FREE (do we have your attention??) - while others have a modest
price tag.
Did you know that the “Community Calendar” page is the single most-visited page
on the Chamber’s popular website? Locals and visitors use it as their “go-to” calendar
for what’s happening on the Emerald Coast. Best of all, it’s FREE for Chamber members to list their events on the Community Calendar. Just go to FWBChamber.com,
where you’ll find an easy-to-complete form to submit all the details and get your event
listed on the Calendar. There’s also a short video on our YouTube channel, explaining
the process in detail. Don’t forget to follow your submission with more details and
graphics – just send to Eppi at the Chamber – [email protected].
If you want to extend the reach of your efforts, we offer our popular email blasts
at a very affordable price. And our newest offering is a banner ad where you can get
special attention on our Community Calendar page (or even our Home page) for a few
days or a few weeks. It’s a very customizable service – at a great price.
Call the Chamber at 850-244-8191, and we’ll help you design an approach that will
work for you!
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July 2014 | www.fwbchamber.com | The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
Each month we highlight the accomplishments of
Chamber businesses and individuals. Submit your news
and pictures to [email protected] Limit 150 words
or less.
Fairfield Inn & Suites Fort Walton Beach-Eglin AFB
Earns 2014 Tripadvisor Certificate Of Excellence
Fairfield Inn & Suites Fort Walton Beach-Eglin AFB
recently announced that it has once again received a
TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only
to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding
traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Only the top-performing 10
percent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor receive this
prestigious award.
To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, businesses
must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of
a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor,
and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12
months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews
received within the last 12 months.
“Fairfield Inn & Suites is pleased to receive a
TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,” said Patti Demski,
General Manager at Fairfield Inn & Suites Fort Walton
Beach-Eglin AFB. “We strive to offer our customers a
memorable experience, and this accolade is evidence
that our hard work is translating into positive reviews on
TripAdvisor.”
Gulfarium Fun for Big Brothers Big Sisters Matches
Big/Little matches paired through Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Northwest Florida enjoyed a special splash of
fun this spring thanks to a $1,000 grant from the Lockheed
Martin Corporation Foundation and a matched donation
of $1,000 from the Gulfarium.
On May 18, matches enjoyed an afternoon at the
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Fort Walton Beach
watching dolphin and sea lion shows, perusing animal
exhibits, and getting up close and personal with an array
of animals. With the donation from the Gulfarium, they
provided matches the opportunity to swim with stingrays
during an exciting Stingray Bay Snorkel encounter. This
and other animal interaction programs aim to inspire
guests to respect and preserve wildlife by providing
unique and memorable experiences for visitors of all ages.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida has been
the area’s leader in one-to-one mentoring for over 25 years
by serving children ages six to eighteen. Our mission is to
provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, one-to-one relationships that change their life for
the better, forever. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest
Florida served 562 children in 2013.
Companies may earn Fit-Friendly recognition by
implementing physical activity practices such as providing walking routes, promoting walking programs, online
newsletters, tracking tools to motivate employees, and
allowing staff to wear athletic shoes in the workplace on
designated “sneaker days”. Studies suggest implementing
a worksite physical activity program and promoting a culture of activity will help companies increase productivity,
reduce absenteeism, lower turnover, and reduce healthcare
costs. Currently, American employers face increasing
healthcare expenses and health-related losses in productivity that cost an estimated $225.8 billion a year. Many
American adults spend most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs; their lack of physical activity raises their risk
for a host of medical problems, such as obesity, high blood
pressure, and diabetes. The Fit-Friendly Companies
Recognition Program helps change corporate cultures by
motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.
Twin Cities Woman’s Club Donates
Movie Night to CIC Kid
The Twin Cities Woman’s Club presented a donation of $500 to Children in Crisis to sponsor a Movie
Night for the at-risk kids living at the CIC Children’s
Neighborhood. The Movie Night complete with popcorn,
will be enjoyed by over 30 kids.
The Twin Cities Woman’s Club has been a part of the
community since April, 1983. They are a group of women
who have joined together for fellowship and who through
constructive action help build, serve, improve and enjoy
the communities in which they live.
According to Lillian Lewis, President of the organization, “We have supported Children in Crisis over the years
and know the important role that the organization plays in
our community. We give our donation so CIC can carry
on their good work.”
Southern Vacation Rentals Welcomes New FWB
Property Manager Mike Johnson
Southern Vacation Rentals welcomes Mike Johnson to
his new role as Property Manager
in Fort Walton Beach, joining
longtime Lead Property Manager
Heather Hyde. Mike has been with
Southern for 3 years and previous- Photo left to right: Ken Hair, CIC President & CEO receives
ly served as a reservations agent.
He is located on-site at Southern’s
office at Sea Oats on Okaloosa
Island.
Twin Cities Hospital Recognized
as a Fit-Friendly Company
The American Heart Association recently recognized
Twin Cities Hospital as the most recent employer in
Okaloosa and Walton Counties to achieve Fit-Friendly
status. Designed to be a catalyst for positive change
in American business, the Fit-Friendly Companies
Recognition Program identifies employers who champion
the health of their employees by creating physical activity programs within the workplace. Twin Cities Hospital
proudly joins CHELCO, Gulf Power, Okaloosa County,
and North Okaloosa Medical Center as an American Heart
Association Fit-Friendly Company. The Fit-Friendly
Companies Program is helping improve the health of
Americans by focusing on activities that are convenient,
easy, and free.
a $500 donation for a “Movie Night for the CIC Kids”
from members of the Twin Cities Woman’s Club; Brenda
Brown, Co-Chair Childhood Concerns, JoAnn Dunnam,
Chair Childhood Concerns, Lillian Lewis, President and Allie
Noah, CIC Development Director.
Wyndham Vacation Rentals® Managed Property
Recognized as Top Tennis Resort
Wyndham Vacation Rentals®, the world’s largest
professionally managed vacation rental business and part
of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE:
The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce | www.fwbchamber.com | July 2014
WYN), recently announced that TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort, a Wyndham Vacation
Rentals professionally managed property, was recently named a Gold Medal Resort by
Tennis Resorts Online.
The prestigious Tennis Resorts Online (TRO) ranking, which lists the best tennis
resorts and camps in the world, has ranked several resort communities where Wyndham
Vacation Rentals® manages properties at the top of their categories. “Top 100 Tennis
Resorts and Camps” is released annually asking TRO readers to assess resorts and camps
around the world in 20 categories from on-court experiences such as quality of program
and value to off-court offerings including lodging and restaurants.
Making the list every year since its inception, TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort in
Destin, Florida ranked thirteenth for “Top 100 Tennis Resorts and Camps” and fifth
place for “best value for the dollar.”
Situated on 52 acres near Destin, Florida and bordered by both the Gulf of Mexico
and a tranquil nature preserve, TOPS’L Beach and Racquet Resort has won numerous
awards over the years for its facilities including “Best Tennis Facility” by the readers of Emerald Coast Magazine in 2013. Booking details and additional information
about TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort can be found online at: http://www.wyndhamvacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/florida/northwest-florida/destination/resort/topslbeach-racquet-resort.
Best Western Ft. Walton Beachfront Does It Again!
Best Western Ft. Walton Beachfront Awarded 2014
Tripadvisor Certificate Of Excellence
Recognized as a Top Performing Hotel as Reviewed by Travellers on the World’s Largest Travel Site
Best Western Ft. Walton Beachfront today announced that it has received a
TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding
traveller reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide.
Establishments awarded the Certificate of Excellence are located all over the world and
represent the upper echelon of businesses listed on the website.
When selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor uses a proprietary
algorithm to determine the honorees that takes into account reviews ratings. Businesses
must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, volume
and recency of reviews. Additional criteria include a business’ tenure and popularity
ranking on the site.
“Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence again, is a true measure of the
care and top notch customer service our entire team loves to show our guests. Thank
you so much to all of our past guests who took the time to complete a review on
TripAdvisor,” said Toni Richardson, Asst. Manager/Director of Sales & Marketing at
The Best Western Ft. Walton Beachfront. “There is no greater seal of approval than
being recognized by one’s customers. With the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
based on customer reviews, the accolade is a remarkable vote of confidence to our business and our continued commitment to excellence.”
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Members of our new and re-structured Referral Partners
& Marketing (RPM) committee are revving up for our first
sponsored First Friday Coffee on July 11 2014 - Yahoo!
Ok, maybe we are getting ahead of ourselves here. Since
the introduction of the new RPM committee, membership
has grown to more than 25 members and our membership
continues to grow. So what is all the excitement about? Well,
first thing, the RPM committee enables all Chamber members
to join a group and network their business with other businesses. The committee provides business networking skills
presented by one of highly recognized members, Desley
Parker (Success with Desley). The referrals and leads provided enhance businesses within the group, and the educational
sessions are just amazing!
Then to top it off, for a nominal fee, you become the proud
sponsor under the RPM committee of a yearly First Friday
Coffee and a Business after Hours, plus many other benefits,
too many to mention at the moment.
So now we are back to our July FFC. The event will take place on the second
Friday of July due to the 4th of July holiday. The venue (Shoreline Church) will be
converted into a wonderful open trade show with our members showcasing and promoting their businesses. There will be music and spectacular door prizes presented
from all our participating RPM members. Here is an inside update – the prizes given
will total over $4,500 in value! To be eligible for these great door prizes, attendees
will need to visit each business and have their RPM card stamped. (Cards will be
provided at the event). Breakfast will be standup finger food provided by Golden
Corral, mmmmm good!
RPM has a limited number of business slots available for the event, so if you want
to be part of a committee that will network your business, provide training sessions,
refer sales leads, and sponsor the upcoming July FFC and our BAH in October,
please contact Eppi Azzaretto, at the FWB Chamber of Commerce. Go RPM!
Patrick Black (Perfect Imprints)
Paul Montalvo (Professional Computer Training & Services)
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July 2014 | www.fwbchamber.com | The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce | www.fwbchamber.com | July 2014
Thanks to Cumulus Broadcasting for their special Bowlegs edition of
Business After Hours. It was a windy afternoon, and everyone had a
great time.
In July, we’ll see you:
Thursday, July 17, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
EIM – electrons in motion, LLC - 714 Doyce Drive in Fort Walton Beach
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July 2014 | www.fwbchamber.com | The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce | www.fwbchamber.com | July 2014
RIBBON CUTTINGS
Children’s Center Horizons of Okaloosa County
343 Holmes Blvd. | Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
850-863-1530
Bayview Plaza and Veterans’ Park Emerald Coast Convention Center
Four Points by Sheraton
1250 Emerald Coast Parkway | Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
850-609-3913
1325 Miracle Strip Pkwy, SE | Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
850-796-3815 | www.fourpointsdestinfwb.com
Keller Williams Realty – Landmark Center
217 Miracle Strip Pkwy, SE | Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
850-582-6442
Jennifer Schweikert State Farm
ENG Lending
423 Racetrack Rd., NE | Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
850-226-7949
348 Miracle Strip Pkwy, SW, #37 | Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
850-499-5602
Something Else, LLC
251 Mary Esther Blvd. | Mary Esther, FL 32569
850-543-2019
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July 2014 | www.fwbchamber.com | The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
Nothing But
etworkin
N
G
We had a GREAT luncheon at KMJ Diner in June.
Thanks to Keisha and her crew for doing a fabulous job!
Next month, we’ll be:
Thursday, July 10 – 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Original Waterfront Crab Shack
104 Miracle Strip Pkwy, SW | Fort Walton Beach
(across from FWB City Hall)
The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce | www.fwbchamber.com | July 2014
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Gulflf P
Power: E
Edd TTaylor,
Bentina TTerry,
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Th
h k to our sponsors at G
l B
Nancy Henson, Steve Rhodes, Jeannie Gatlin, Pam Martin, Jim
Kubik, Bob Mantovani, Connie Samples, Cleve Fann, Ron Grissom.
Gulf Power
Horizons
D. R. Horton Builders
Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization
Gulf
G lf P
Power shared
h d some off tth
their
h i ti
time with
itth K
Kelly
llll
Hale of Building Homes for Heroes.
TTh
h also
l gave their
h ffriends
d at H
h
They
Horizons the
opportunity to share some news about upcoming
events.
June is “Pirate Season” at the FWB
Chamber, and two of our favorite pirates
came, dressed to kill. That’s ECPRO’s
Jean Dutton and the Okaloosa-Walton
Building Industry Association’s Alan
Baggett.
Eglin Federal Credit Union
Landrum Stafﬁng Services
ERA American Realty of NW FL
Handwoven by Design
Buddy Bowman, Quantum Light Energy Coach
KMJ Diner
White-Wilson Medical Center, P.A.
Warren Averett
ABWA
Life’s A Beach Publications
Barbara Britt worked
tirelessly on the Young
Entrepreneurs Academy,
and was presented with
the “Above and Beyond”
award by Chair Ron
Grissom. Ryan Kochan,
the winning YEA student,
shared the moment with
her, as did Gary Westfal,
one of the terriﬁc YEA
mentors.
R
P
B
I
Ryan Price
off Business
Interiors
receivedd a very
well deserved “Above and Beyond” Award from
Chair Ron Grissom.
Beach Community Bank
Systems of Sound
Kasba Dancers
Destin Commons
American Society for Training and Development
Boomer Beach Fitness
Riviera Fitness
Duane Keck
Northwest Florida Daily News
Xtreme Sports Fan
Carr, Riggs & Ingram
Edible Arrangements
If you’d like to relive the fun of FFC, you
can view it on EmeraldCoastTV.com
Please help us welcome these new members: James Lopez,
HealthQPons; Kim Keeling, Solutions Studios; Dr. Len Fabian,
HealthSource of Fort Walton Beach South; Darlene Hines, Mary Kay; and
Inger Alderfer, American Heart Association.
Kell Elliott, Okaloosa Outpatient Center; Mark Olshefski, New York Life;
Johnny C. Alexander with SK8R Dolls T-Bear, Michi-Gangster, and MaliBruise Barbie; and Jason Monroe from WelcomeMat Services.
July 2014 | www.fwbchamber.com | The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
YOU STOP WORKING
AT 65. YOUR MONEY
STOPS WORKING AT
65. THIS COULD BE
A PROBLEM.
Candace Collister Charles C. West, ChFC® Jessica Davenort, AAMS®
Registered Associate Branch Mgr / Financial Planner
Financial Planner
Chris Latta, CFP®
Kelly Latta
Clay Brock
Financial Planner
Financial Advisor
Financial Planner
Investment Mgt Consultant
THE CHAMBER
Business Forum
So this is our commitment to you. We will work as diligently to help
manage and preserve your money as you did earning it. And help
create a passionately disciplined plan designed to help provide
sustainable income for your riveting next chapter. Discover all that
we can do for you.
LIFE WELL PLANNED.
29 Eglin Parkway N.E., Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
11490 Emerald Coast Pkwy, Destin, FL 32550
1429 Quintard Ave. Anniston, AL 36201
850-796-2045
www.irarollover.pro
*Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC, an independent broker/dealer, and are not insured by Bank insurance,
the FDIC, or any other Government agency, are not deposits or obligations of the bank, and are subject to risks, including the possibility of loss of principal.
SHOWS WILL BE AIRED AT THE FOLLOWING TIMES:
Wednesdays at 8am,
Mondays, Thursdays, Sundays at 6pm
or anytime On DEMAND on Cox Advanced TV!
INTENSE CLIENT FOCUS
Fort Walton Beach
(850) 863-8203
M-F, 8 am - 7 pm
Saturday, 8 am - 12 pm
Voted Best Medical Practice!
Navarre - NEW!
Warren Averett Members Gene Barker, CPA;
Kelley Chamblin, CPA, CCIFP and Lori Kelley, CPA
(850) 396-0108
M-F, 8 am - 5 pm
Niceville
TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING
Warren AverettREALLY
Members ChadIMPORTANT
Hamilton, CPA
(850) 897-4400
M-F, 8 am - 5 pm
Saturday, 8 am - 12 pm
Kevin Bowyer, CPA.CITP, CISA and Angela Balent, CPA
To us, intense client focus starts with the notion that we’re in the
relationship business. Yes, it’s personal. But it goes beyond the personal
trust factor to forward thinking advice. We offer a sounding board for
ideas, guidance for business improvement and connections where
they count. In the end, we’re a resource to help our clients take care
of important things in business and life.
Let’s thrive together.
Destin
(850) 269-6400
M-F, 8 am - 5 pm
Vaccinations
Annual Physicals
Wellness Checks
Sports Physicals
www.warrenaverett.com
Florida l Alabama l Georgia
2100777
2107124
Ron Grissom
2101117
14
The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce | www.fwbchamber.com | July 2014
Take a Trip | Take a Coastlines
Our members are going to some pretty glamorous places these days – and they’re
taking some good reading material right along with them.
If you choose to take your Coastlines with you on a trip, take a photo and share it
with us. Send it to [email protected].
Col. Dick Cole, one of our surviving Doolittle Raider friends, made a trip to Washington to appear in the Memorial Day Parade. He’s pictured here with his escort, our
own Wes Fields, in front of the historic Mayﬂower Hotel.
A few members of the Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee had a great visit to
Keesler AFB and the Stennis Space Center, among other places. Read all about their
visit in Ron’ Grissom’s article on page 2.
Kim Smith of Kelly Services, enjoyed a recent trip to Lake Tahoe in California,
where it snowed the day after this photo was taken!!
15
July 2014 | www.fwbchamber.com | The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
a large range of quality insurance services
since 2001. Our knowledge of the Emerald Coast
ensures you get the right coverage. We are
very excited to be members of the Chamber and
to have the opportunity to get to know other
business people in the local area.
Linda C.
Cooper, Health
Markets, 850714-3945. I am
an independent
insurance
broker. I offer a wide variety of insurance with
multiple insurance companies. Please check
out my website for more information. www.
healthmarkets.com/linda.cooper. My consultation
is free, with no obligation to purchase.
J. D. Peacock, JD Peacock 4 Clerk of Court, 20
Hillcrest Drive, Shalimar, FL, 32579, 850-218-5030.
Candidate for Okaloosa County Clerk of Circuit
Court and Comptroller.
Inger Alderfer, American Heart Association,
Each month, the Greater Fort Walton Beach
Chamber of Commerce has a special luncheon
for our newest members. Check out these
businesses – help welcome them to the Chamber.
And remember: Members Helping Members
Makes Sense!
Darlene Hines, Mary Kay Products, 850-8556820. I am happy to offer Chamber members a
20% discount on any product order they place for
Mary Kay products. I want to be your ﬁrst choice
for your corporate and/or customer gifts. I am
also available to partner with you to provide skin
care classes for your events or your employee
appreciation activities. Most importantly, I am
happy to work with you on any of your fundraising
events with a donation of product. I look forward
to working with you.
Rachel Kimbrell, Emerald Coast Insurance
Agency, 103 NW Hollywood Blvd., FWB, FL
32547, 850-243-7196. Emerald Coast Insurance
is a locally owned, independent agency offering
267-994-8696. The American Heart Association
works to build healthier lives free of
cardiovascular diseases and stroke. We fund
research and education initiatives to ﬁght the
number one and four killers of Americans – heart
diseases and stroke. Annually, in Okaloosa
and Walton counties, the American Heart
Association holds two events, the Heart Ball in
February and the Heart Walk in September. For
more information about Heart Walk, visit www.
OWHeartWalk.org.
Kell Elliott, Okaloosa Outpatient Center, 2004
Lewis Turner Blvd, Suite B, Fort Walton Beach,
FL, 32547, 850-226-7893. We provide intensive
outpatient services to active duty military,
veterans, and civilians, using evidence-based
programs to address mental health (PTSD,
trauma, anxiety, depression, etc.) and substance
abuse issues.
Kevin Fayard, Team Adaptive Mobility, 1503
Foster Ave., Panama City, FL, 32405, 850-5220059. Team Adaptive is the premier dealer of
“Live” Views of
c
o
m
2108004
Go To
Crab Island
East Pass
Destin Bridge
Destin Harbor
Destin Sunsets
Destin Fireworks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
19th Anniversary Celebration
June 27 & 28
Come Celebrate With Us!
19% Discount • Door Prizes • Refreshments
29 N.E. Walter Martin Rd. • 243-9577
2108130
16
The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce | www.fwbchamber.com | July 2014
wheelchair-accessible vans, vehicle lifts, auto
adaptive and home modiﬁcations for customers in
Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. Our wheelchairaccessible and adapted vans allow people who
use wheelchairs and their families to enjoy greater
freedom and a better quality of life through safer,
more convenience and comfortable transportation
options.
Bob Berkstresser, Okaloosa County Transit,
600 Transit Way, Fort Walton Beach, FL, 32548.
We offer public transportation and transportation
for Medicare/Medicaid clients as well as to the
transportation disadvantaged. We look forward
to building bus routes and bus stops that meet
your company needs. We also welcome your
advertising on our buses.
Mark L. Olshefski, New York Life, 7282
Plantation Rd., Suite 400, Pensacola, FL 32504,
850-496-0753. I have a ﬁnancial services practice
partnering with the New York Life ofﬁce in
Pensacola, FL. My practice focuses on working
with individuals and businesses on becoming
ﬁnancially secure by helping them with their
savings, protection, and estate planning needs.
Jason Monroe, WelcomeMat Services, 426
Verb St., Fort Walton Beach, FL, 32547, 850710-0967. WelcomeMatServices works with
locally owned businesses to welcome families
moving in the Fort Walton Beach area. We
send a wonderful welcome package to new
residents and promote these local businesses
to this captive audience. If your business
would like to reach new residents every
month, WelcomeMat Services can help!
Caitlin Incledon, Dell
Military, 801-647-4677. We offer
specific discount offers on
our local website at www.
dell.com/eglin. Our focus is
the military community, but
we have specific discount
codes for people who do
not have a military email.
That code gives them an
additional 10% off the already
discounted price and 15% on
military affiliated holidays.
17
We encourage
customers to
sign up with
Dell Advantage
(www.dell.com/
eglin/advantage.
Free service, 2nd
day shipping,
5% back on all
purchases.
18
July 2014 | www.fwbchamber.com | The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
Membership Renewals
A2Z Specialty Advertising, Inc.
Air Force Enlisted Village
Bath Fitter
Beach Liquors
Beacon Resort Management Inc.
Bianco’s Quality Foods
Black Flag Cab & Airport Shuttle
Breakers Condominiums of Fort Walton Beach
Brock Lawn & Pest Control
Buffalo Rock/Pepsi Cola Company
Carter & Company, CPA. LLC
Champee Kemp
Charles Shoff
Copy Products Company
CRC Data Technologies
Dale E. Peterson Vacations
Destin Commons
Diamond Dan DJ Services
Eglin Federal Credit Union
Emerald Coast Chorus
Emerald Coast Dale Carnegie Training
Emerald Coast Pathology Associates
Emerald Coast Permanent Makeup
Emerald CPA, PA
Fisher-Brown Insurance
Fort Walton Family YMCA
Gary Smith Ford-Honda
Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach
Hometown Contractors, Inc.
Impact Training
Inn on Destin Harbor
Jack of all Trades Productions
Kasba Dancers
Kids Discovery #1
Sponsored by
McMahon Hadder Insurance Inc.
Momentum Payment Systems
Nabors Family & Cosmetic Dentistry
Nicholson Reeder & Reynolds PA
Northwest Florida Auction Group Inc.
Northwest Florida OB/GYN
Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care
Olive Garden
Orkin Inc.
Orthopaedic Associates
Patricia Payne
Perfect Imprints
Pranzo Italian Ristorante
Rick’s Crab Trap
Romjue Advertising & Company
Safe Data Systems
Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q
Sound Data Solutions
Stiles Outdoor Power Equipment, Inc.
Surfside Orthodontics, PA
Telly’s Auto Repair Towing & Service
The Meridian at Westwood
The Petermann Agency
The Recovery Room Immediate Care
The Rock Shop
Tommy Mattonie’s Coastal Café
Trustmark Bank
Vacuum Center
Visiting Angels
Watson & Mann, CPA’s LLC
WEAR ABC 3 Television Station
Wendy’s
WSRE-TV, a service of Pensacola Junior College
JUNE
2014
Ken & Marisa Walters
Dippin’Dots
9526 Navarre Pkwy
Navarre, FL 32566
850-936-1210
Brigitte Borja
BJ Events, LLC
954-614-6522
Valerie Wenzel & Tara Wesley
Downtown FWB Org., Inc.
Russ & Karen Bartlett
Kona Ice of Gulf Breeze
850-902-2440
Glenda Rosario
TownePlace Suites by
Marriott-Ft. Walton Beach
843 Eglin Pkwy
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
850-315-6000
Kell Elliott
Okaloosa Outpatient Center
2004 Lewis Turner Blvd, Suite B
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
850-226-7893
Inger Alderfer
American Heart Association
800-247-6941
Jeffrey McDonald
Health Qpon
154 Brooks St.
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
850-499-4701
Norbey Davila
Taylor Enterprises of the Emerald Coast, Inc.
850-699-1605
Daniel C. Walker
Dub B Promotions
850-376-8859
Darlene Hines
Mary Kay Products
850-855-6820
Christine Rojas
Optimized by Design, LLC
850-543-6155
The Ofﬁcial Publication of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce | www.fwbchamber.com | July 2014
19
2014
CALENDAR EVENTS
July 1, 2014
Environment Committee
July 4, 2014
4th of July - Chamber Closed
July 8, 2014
Healthcare Committee
8:00 AM
July 10, 2014
Nothing But Networking
11:30 AM
July 11, 2014
First Friday Coffee - *** SPECIAL DATE *** 7:00 AM
July 11, 2014
New Member Lunch
11:45 AM
July 15, 2014
RPM Meeting
Tourism Committee
8:00 AM
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
July 16, 2014
Ambassadors Meeting
7:45 AM
July 17, 2014
Business After Hours
THE GREATER FORT WALTON BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
FOR UP-TO-DATE CHAMBER EVENTS SEE:
FORT WALTON BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WEBSITE: WWW.FWBCHAMBER.COM
July 21, 2014
MAC Meeting
*ALL MEETINGS AT CHAMBER CONFERENCE ROOM UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
11:30 AM
July 22, 2014
Multi-Cultural Committee
FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS SEE:
OKALOOSA COUNTY TDC WEBSITE: WWW.EMERALDCOASTFL.COM
5:30 - 7:30 pm
5:30 PM
July 24, 2014
Board of Directors
11:30 AM
PRSRT STD
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PERMIT 56
NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS
P.O. BOX 2949
FORT WALTON BEACH, FL 32549
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