Issuu

W OK FO A A C LT L U O OO S N S O CO A N U AN N D TI ES

SHALLOW WATER HORIZON BP MONEY IS FLOWING INTO NORTHWEST FLORIDA TO BOOST THE LOCAL ECONOMY WHILE EXPERTS CONTINUE TO DISAGREE OVER THE LONG-TERM EFFECT OF THE OIL SPILL DISASTER

‘BUSTER’ BUSUTTIL: FROM BATTLE MANAGER TO BAR OWNER

5 COACHING STEPS FOR MANAGEMENT SUCCESS

CHANGES ARE COMING IN FEDERAL OVERTIME RULES

TEAM MINDSET

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850 Magazine June – July 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

BLACK ON WHITE The sugar sand at Pensacola Beach was despoiled by oil from the Deepwater Horizon rig.

850 FEATURES

CHERYL CASEY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Triumphing After a Tragedy $1.5 billion.

It’s the silver lining of an environmental disaster expected to have lasting repercussions in Northwest Florida. BP has agreed to pay the eight Panhandle counties disproportionally affected by the spill a total of $1.5 billion in damages over the next 30 years to help the region diversify and strengthen its economy. The five-member board of Triumph Gulf Coast will decide how and where the money will be spent. By Linda Kleindienst

ix Years Later: Impact of Deepwater S Horizon The BP oil spill in 2010 wrought

havoc in the Gulf Coast states, endangering wildlife, destroying environmentally sensitive lands and devastating Northwest Florida’s tourism industry. The region’s fishing industry was among the hardest hit. Are the Gulf waters back to normal today? Opinions differ. Scientists caution that the spill’s full environmental and ecological effects are still playing out. By Lazaro Aleman

On the Cover: Apalachicola Bay Oysters Photo by Scott Holstein

850 Business Magazine

JUNE – JULY 2016

850 Magazine June – July 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

78 LEADING HEALTHY 14 From basketball courts to gyms to happy hours, some employers are working to get their employees more engaged in the company by helping them have fun while on the job.

14 In This Issue

10 12 60 82

From the Publisher Business Arena Sound Bytes The Last Word from the Editor

BAY 68 From battle manager to bar owner, how one returning veteran left the military and has built himself a successful business for himself on Panama City Beach.

I-10

18 A little-noticed rule change by the U.S Department of Labor will bump up the threshold that determines which salaried workers must be paid overtime.

73 What’s in the cards for Taylor County’s development? A 560,000acre tract of land owned by the Foley Timber and Land Company was recently sold and has the potential to more than double the county’s population.

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

EMERALD COAST

HUMAN ELEMENT

22 A management coach offers a five-step program on how to integrate coaching into your company’s management strategies.

76 Some of the BP oil spill money is going to build an $18 million fish hatchery in downtown Pensacola that will be a tourist attraction but also be used for research designed to help Florida’s fishing industry.

Special Section

Corridors

DEAL ESTATE

CAPITAL

FORGOTTEN COAST

64 Tallahassee Community College celebrates 50 years of success. Today it boasts 14,000 students, six campuses and a 75 percent success rate for AA degree students moving on to universities.

78 Leslie Hope has built Hydra Engineering in Crawfordville into a multi-million-dollar business. Much of the company’s environmental work has been praised, especially for projects taken on in Florida.

59 What’s trending, what’s selling and what’s hot to buy in the 850? Find out here.

Special Report KALOOSA BUSINESS JOURNAL A focus on Okaloosa and Walton counties: How Okaloosa tech companies are banding 43 O together to foster economic development. The economic power of the Bob Sikes Airport. Walton County’s tourism market continues to soar, thanks in part to the Beaches of South Walton.

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JUNE â€“ JULY 2016

THE KIDS ARE still talking about THEIR first trip to the beach. If left to THEM, we’d vacation here every year.

850 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA

June – July 2016

Vol. 8, No. 5

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Steve Bornhoft EDITOR Linda Kleindienst SENIOR STAFF WRITER Jason Dehart EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Rebecca Padgett CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lazaro Aleman, Chay D. Baxley, Steve Bornhoft, Shelby Bouck, Rosanne Dunkelberger, Sandi Poreda, Reneé Robertson, T.S. Strickland EDITORIAL INTERN Joseph Zeballos, Reeves Trivette PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan COPY EDITOR Barry Ray CREATIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lawrence Davidson PRODUCTION MANAGER/NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR Daniel Vitter SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Saige Roberts ART DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Charles Bakofsky, Shruti Shah DIGITAL SERVICES PRODUCER Chelsea Moore CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Booini, Matt Burke, Cheryl Casey, Mari Darr~Welch, Lawrence Davidson, Holly Gardner, Scott Holstien, Samuel King, Jr. Kansas Pitts Photography, Stephen Ramsey, Michael Spooneybarger SALES, MARKETING & EVENTS VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh Lohbeck DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS Daniel Parisi AD SERVICES COORDINATORS Tracy Mulligan, Lisa Sostre ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Bess Grasswick, Darla Harrison, Lori Magee, Rhonda Murray, Dan Parker, Will Patrick, Linda Powell, Paula Sconiers, Brianna Webb INTEGRATED MARKETING SPECIALIST Jennifer Ireland EVENTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR Leigha Inman MARKETING AND EVENTS ASSISTANT Mackenzie Ligas OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION & HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Carlin Trammel CORPORATE CLIENT LIAISON Sara Goldfarb ACCOUNTING Jackie Burns ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Lisa Snell RECEPTIONIST Katherine Marshall

DIGITAL SERVICES 850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE 850businessmagazine.com, facebook.com/850bizmag, twitter.com/850bizmag, linkedin.com/company/850-business-magazine ROWLAND PUBLISHING rowlandpublishing.com

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SUBSCRIPTIONS A one-year (6 issues) subscription is $30. To purchase, call (850) 878-0554 or go online to 850businessmagazine.com. Single copies are $4.95 and may be purchased at Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million in Tallahassee, Fort Walton Beach, Destin and Panama City and at our Tallahassee office. 850 Magazine is published bi-monthly by Rowland Publishing, Inc. 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. 850/878-0554. 850 Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned. 850 Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Copyright June 2016 850 Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Member of three Chambers of Commerce throughout the region.

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ONLINE EXCLUSIVES » Flip Books: View this issue and past issues in a digital book format. » Archived Stories: Peruse our vast archive of articles. » Deal Estate: View the latest real estate deals and listings. » Blog: Read about local business events, happenings and gatherings through our up-to-date blog section.

Eight counties in Northwest Florida that were disproportionately affected by the Deep Water Horizon oil spill are set to get $1.5 billion in economic reparations from BP that will be used over the next 30 years to diversify the area’s economy. What do you think the money should be used for? A. Use incentives to bring more manufacturing to the region. B. Focus on attracting aviation and aerospace companies. C. Amenities that would enhance the region’s attractiveness for major conventions/conferences. D. Establish a bio-tech center in one of the counties.

E. Focus on attracting Silicon Valley-type tech companies.

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From the Publisher

Oil Spill’s Chief Lesson: Diversify

JUNE – JULY 2016

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disasters both natural and manmade, as past hurricanes and the spill demonstrated. That vulnerability can be compounded by the media, both news and social, which have a tendency to make headlines that create impressions and perceptions that are slow to go away. Gaetz stresses, wisely so, that the stimulus provided by the $1.5 billion should be used to diversify the local economy by creating new employment and career opportunities that will make the region less fragile economically. As things now stand, the economy can be disrupted almost instantly by winds and waves — and the whims of Congress, given the critical importance of military spending to our area. The coastal economy is one that stands on two wobbly legs. We could use, as Gaetz proposes, a third and a fourth. Thankfully, for now, the tourism industry has rebounded and fisheries have demonstrated their amazing resiliency. Some may suggest that damage to the Florida Seafood brand has not been repaired fully, but the damage does not seem to be irreparable. For sure, we are on the mend and have been. I guess the scariest thing for me may be what we don’t know about the 4.9 million gallons of crude oil that gushed into the Gulf. A tiny percentage of that oil was removed from the environment with the remainder sent to the Gulf bottom through the use of dispersants. What is the condition of that sleeping giant? Might a hurricane-driven storm surge deliver that oil to the ribbon of sand that remains our coastal region’s lifeline? We might shudder to find out. And we will have been sadly mistaken if we don’t use the BP windfall to shore up our defenses along the lines that Gaetz and others have suggested. Be well,

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Like countless people fortunate to live on or near the Gulf Coast and the millions of people who visit our shores each year, I have a tremendous fondness for the endlessly fascinating intersection of sea and sand. For me, nothing promotes clear-headed, undistracted thinking more than a walk on the beach. Many times, too, I’ll toss a few baited hooks into the surf, plant rods in holders and wait for something to happen. It might seem like a leap of faith, throwing a spit of shrimp (or the artificial equivalent) into the vast Gulf of Mexico and expecting results, and there are those times when all remains quiet along the Gulf front. But, often enough, comes a day when the action is fast: whiting, pompano, hardhead catfish, maybe a big black drum, rays and sharks small and not so small. The Gulf’s abundance is impressive. If we had more space, I’d tell you about the six-foot shark that I reeled in this spring before a knot of onlookers. Suffice to say, for a day and a half thereafter, my arms felt like I had returned to the gym following a prolonged absence and tried to get it all done in a day. This edition of 850 Magazine is focused largely on the Gulf of Mexico, which has served much of Northwest Florida as its chief economic driver for generations. We explore the condition of fisheries now six years after the greatest unnatural disaster in the Gulf’s history, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Editor Linda Kleindienst writes about how a five-person committee will make determinations on how $1.5 billion in damages from BP will be distributed among counties that were directly affected by the spill. And we take a look at a fish hatchery that will supplement the work of Mother Nature — or King Neptune, if you will. Nothing ever has made more clear the 850 region’s dependence on the Gulf than the fouling of our beaches by the spill. And what we’re talking about really is a co-dependency. The Gulf depends for its health on careful, responsible stewardship by the people who tap into its resources even as thousands of people rely on the Gulf for their economic well-being. Sen. Don Gaetz, with comments he made to editor Kleindienst, suggests that the region’s dependency on the Gulf may be too extreme. That is, the regional economy is highly vulnerable to

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Executive Mindset

Business Arena NEWS AND NUMBERS

Youth Employment Summer is here, school is out and thousands of high school students are looking for jobs. If you are hiring some of them to work at your business, make sure you bone up on what the state and federal labor laws say you can – and can’t – do when it comes to a minor’s work regimen and environment. And remember, minors under 14 years of age may not work — although there is an exception for newspaper delivery, where work can start at age 10. Here are some of the restrictions to keep in mind:

MINORS 14 AND 15

May work up to 8 hours per day and up to 40 hours a week. May not work before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. May work up to 15 hours a week per week, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. — but no more than three hours on a school day. May work up to 8 hours on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and on non-school days when school days do not follow.

MINORS 16 AND 17

No restriction on hours when school is not in session. During the school year, may work up to 30 hours a week, but only between 6:30 a.m. and 11 p.m., and for no more than 8 hours a day when school is scheduled the following day.

ALL MINORS:

No more than 6 consecutive days in a week. No more than 4 consecutive hours without a 30-minute uninterrupted break. There are some exceptions and there are occupations where minors are not allowed to work, including anything that involves operating motor vehicles. For further information, check with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — Child Labor Program at myfloridalicense.com or (850) 488-3131, and the U.S. Department of Labor — Wage and Hour Division, 1 (866) 487-9243 (toll-free) or dol.gov/elaws/flsa.htm.

DID YOU KNOW? Florida is home to more than 25,000 IT companies that employ nearly 250,000 professionals, according to Enterprise Florida. More than 2,600 corporations have headquarters operations in Florida. And the state is the location of 300 regional and hemispheric headquarters.

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On average, Florida women employed full time, year round are paid just 85 cents for every dollar paid to men — a yearly pay gap of $6,203. That means, in total, women in Florida lose nearly $17 billion every year, which is money that could strengthen the state economy and the financial security of Florida’s women and families, including the nearly 960,000 Florida households headed by women. These are some of the findings of a new analysis conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families and released for Equal Pay Day in April.

According to recently released research from the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC), womenowned business in Florida are thriving. Over the past decade, the number of women-owned firms has increased nearly 40 percent in the state, which is among the highest in the nation. According to the latest data, there are over 800,000 women-owned businesses in the state that generate nearly $85.5 billion in revenue.

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Executive Mindset

Leading Healthy EMBEDDING FUN IN THE WORKPLACE

THE FUN FACTOR Improving your company culture might be the best thing for your bottom line BY CHAY D. BAXLEY

romoting a positive company culture can be an elusive concept to master. For business owners with their minds on the bottom line, consciously nourishing a sense of fun and camaraderie in the workplace might not always seem worthy of a spot at the top of their to-do list. In the 850 region, however, several companies have taken a different view on office fun. According to Karen Moore, founder and CEO of Moore Communications Group in Tallahassee, the realities of being a successful place of business and a fun place to work don’t have to be mutually exclusive. “You can be successful and fast growing and at the same time have a great corporate culture that’s valued by all members of the team,” said Moore, whose nationally recognized company also has offices in Denver, New Orleans and West Palm. Around Tallahassee, Moore’s company is known as one such place. With staffers staying upwards of 20-plus years, the retention rate is at an all-time high.

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“We don’t focus specifically on having fun as an event,” explained Moore. “We have it embedded in our culture. Our culture is about teamwork. We ask ourselves how can we provide the best customer service with excellent quality of work and have an atmosphere where every single person feels deeply valued and appreciated.” When it comes to day-to-day operations, that mission can translate into after-hours margaritas on the company’s back porch or surprise field trips to the movies and Tallahassee Museum. In addition, each of the four offices closes for a week during the holidays — a move that employees love. “It just gives you a chance at the end of the year to take a step back for a job well done, spend time with your family and come back ready to go,” said Emily Read, a senior director at Moore and a six-year veteran of the company. “It’s special. This is the first company that I’ve worked for that has a benefit like that.” Oh, and everyone can bring their dog to work with them, too.

Photography by LAWRENCE DAVIDSON

At Naumann Group Real Estate Inc., office-sanctioned fun is seen similarly. And often. “I joke that if we ever have an agent disagreement, we settle it on the Pac-Man machine,” said Jason Naumann, the company’s founder and owner. With offices in Leon, Walton and Franklin counties, the Naumann Group serves almost the entirety of Northwest Florida. “Obviously I have a Type A personality as do many people who are in our sales division,” said Naumann, with a laugh. “So we literally have a half basketball court. And that’s just for people to go into, have a little fun, blow off steam and break away from the office a little bit.” In addition to the basketball court and arcade (which is equipped with 25 variations of retro video games), the company’s headquarters also features walking workstations and frequent chili cook-offs. For industry experts including Florida State University Management professor, Wayne Hochwarter, actions like Moore’s and Naumann’s have been proven to have a profound impact on a company’s overall profitability. “I think there’s pretty good evidence that companies who provide people with a respite away from work — whether that’s rest or leisure — their health care benefits end up being a little cheaper, their turnover is better and people don’t see work as exhausting and a grind, or something they just have to get through,” said Hochwarter, who holds a doctorate in organizaIMPROVING PERFORMANCE tional business, Having some fun at work by shooting “At some point what we’re basketballs, playing a video game or practicing putting helps improve employees’ really getting at is the bottom attitude and performance. line, which is job performance. It’s been shown time and time again that (office culture) has a pretty significant impact on that as well.” Happy workers may be nicer to have around, but they’re also less prone to stress-induced health issues, like heart disease, stomach ulcers and depression. According to Hochwarter, who teaches a class at FSU specifically on “office fun,” happier workers can certainly equal healthier ones. “There’s a lot of other benefits, too,” said Hochwarter. “It’s good for the brain. It’s good for serotonin. It’s good for endorphins. It’s good for creativity. It’s good for a lot of things. And, it makes people feel like they’re not just worker bees.” Added Naumann, “Sitting at a desk all day gets very monotonous. I’ve found that when they’re moving around, and they’ve got a change of pace

TOP 10 OFFICE DISTRACTIONS It isn’t easy keeping 200-plus employees happy. But rumor has it AppRiver — a Gulf Breeze-based technology company — manages to do exactly that. The trick? Communication. “Most of the ideas for AppRiver events or sponsored teams come directly from Appers — AppRiver’s employees — themselves,” said Kristy McDaniel, the company’s public relations specialist, “so feedback has been extremely positive. They seem to like two things most: food and fun.” 1. Walking Desks: Experts agree that staying active throughout the day plays a huge role in staying alert. In an office setting, a few walking or peddling desks can make all the difference. 2. Lunch & Learns: Whether it’s bringing in an expert or relying on the experts in your office, learning (and lunching) together can boost morale. 3. Field Trips: A change of pace is good for everyone. Close early on Wednesday and go to the movies, the museum or even the mall. 4. Incentives: Friendly competition never hurts. For sales departments in particular, the chance to earn an end of the year, all-expense paid weekend to Vegas just might give them the extra push they need. 5. Holiday Leave: Nothing shows you care like respecting the importance of family time. 6. On-site Nursery: And speaking of family time, don’t forget about the youngest members. 7. Pet Policy: Having a designated pet day or an open door policy for four-legged friends tells staff members you know their life is about being more than just an employee. 8. Games: From in-office video arcades to basketball courts and fantasy football leagues, it’s good to play. 9. Potlucks: Group gatherings like potlucks don’t have to be reserved for the holidays. This year, start summer right with a chili cook-off to see which staffer has the best recipe. 10. Happy Hours: Toast the team’s success after hours.

850 Business Magazine

JUNE – JULY 2016

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LEADING HEALTHY

WE SUPPLY THE VALUE. YOU TAKE ALL THE CREDIT.

PHOTO BY LAWRENCE DAVIDSON

THE HUMAN CONNECTION At BowStern in Tallahassee, there’s a nursery where parents can take their children and spend some time with them during the workday, including having lunch together.

to keep the blood circulating, everyone seems to be in a better mood and more productive.” For Amanda Handley, a Tallahassee-based communications strategist at BowStern Marketing and Communications, making a human connection with an employer is an important factor in her job satisfaction. So when the founders of BowStern — Tom Derzypolski and Kelly Robertson — opened the doors to their new campus last March to reveal they’d added an onsite nursery, she knew she’d been working at the right place. “We get to go into the nursery and eat lunch with our kids every day,” said Handley. “That’s huge. But there’s also a group of five or six other people who come in and sit and eat lunch with the babies, too. They laugh, they enjoy the kids, they teach them how to take selfies.” The new BowStern headquarters, located just east of Interstate 10 on Mahan Drive, saw a few other impressive upgrades as well — a putting green and a conference room decked out in just the right amount of nautical décor. Monthly “Lunch & Learns” were also added to the company’s schedule, as well as a quarterly field trip or two. “They work hard to help us play hard,” said Handley. “At the end of the month we’ll be doing a tour of Grasslands Brewery on Friday afternoon. It’s nice to get out of the office sometimes.” Experts caution that not all activities are created equally, and that when trying to improve a company’s overall culture, it’s better to take small steps every day than to pass down a ruling of mandatory fun. “The last thing you want people to do is think it’s a half-hearted attempt,” cautioned Hochwarter. “It should be a seamless part of organizational life. It’s not ‘OK, the third Thursday of every month with an ‘R’ we’re going to have a water balloon contest.’ It’s got to be a part of things more than just something that sticks out.”

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Executive Mindset

Human Element THE COMPENSATION RULEBOOK

Paying Workers For Their Time New Overtime Rule Underwhelms and May Undermine Florida Businesses BY SANDI POREDA

JUNE â€“ JULY 2016

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or more than a decade, there’s been little change in how the Department of Labor has determined which employees nationwide get overtime pay. Since 2004, salaried workers who made less than $23,660 each year and had certain specific job duties were entitled to time and a half if they worked more than 40 hours a week. All of that is changing, and fast. In May, the Department rolled out a new rule that nearly doubled the salary threshold for exemption, raising it to $47,476 per year. The rule change will “help build real, lasting economic security for more hardworking Americans,” according to a Department of Labor FAQs posting. But the business community has a different perspective. Businesses will be forced to take a close look at how their employees are classified and how they are tracking their time. And there may be unintended consequences. “Businesses will have to find some way to make payroll work. We may see reclassification of employees or even a reduction in benefits,” said Tallahassee attorney Dena Sokolow of Baker Donelson. This issue has been on her radar since she heard the Department of Labor’s Solicitor General Patricia Smith speak about it last year. “When I heard Solicitor General Smith talk about the rule, all I could think about was the impact this would have on businesses, and how this would likely not solve the problems they (the Department of Labor) were hoping to address,” she said. Sokolow began following the issue closely. Her firm hosted webinars for its clients, and she spoke in March at a business luncheon for the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. “I think this is coming faster than many businesses realize,” said Sokolow. “Everybody needs to be aware of how this could impact them and start making plans for how they will address it.” Businesses across the state voiced concern. Last August, the Florida Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter, co-signed by

15 other chambers of commerce, to the Department of Labor asking it not to implement the rule. “In Florida, this rule change will impact approximately 370,000 employees,” wrote Mark Wilson, the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s president. “Businesses will be forced to make tough decisions that might have a negative impact on their employees and their customers.” Raising prices to pass on the cost to consumers, reducing base pay to account for overtime pay, and providing less flexibility in hours worked were among examples Wilson cited as business decisions businesses may have to make. The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce and the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce were among those that signed the letter. “The Greater Pensacola Chamber has been engaged on this issue for almost a year and will continue to support any effort to stop its implementation,” said Todd Thomson, the Pensacola Chamber’s vice president of public affairs. The Department of Labor received nearly 300,000 comments about the proposed rule change. Thousands of the commenters supported the change, calling it long overdue. However, thousands more talked about the unintended consequences for businesses both large and small. Now that the final rule has been implemented, Sokolow offered three tips for businesses to prepare for the change. First, businesses need to review all of their employees and figure out exactly who might be affected by this change. Second, employers should carefully evaluate the classifications of their entire workforce. Sokolow mentioned a $50 million line item in the federal budget for new investigators, likely to investigate noncompliance with the rule once it goes into effect. Third, once businesses have an idea of which employees may be affected and how their employees are classified, it will be important to evaluate exactly how employees are tracking time. This may lead to

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HUMAN ELEMENT

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limiting flexible work schedules, affecting employees who work from home or offsite. “Every time you answer the phone, every time you send an email from your home in the evening, that’s more time that has to be accounted for,” said Sokolow. “I think businesses will struggle figuring out what to do, because they don’t want to take benefits away from their employees, they don’t want to limit flexible work options. But at a certain point, the revenue has to come from somewhere.” Beck Partners is a real estate and insurance services firm headquartered in Pensacola. The company has 14 employees in two locations and estimates the new rule would conservatively cost the business $100,000 immediately unless employees are reclassified or changed from salaried to hourly. Kristine Rushing, the company’s chief operating officer and risk consultant, voiced her frustration about the changes, including concerns for employee morale and the negative impact on company growth. “It’s important for us to provide benefits to our employees to help them and their families,” she said. “We also want to provide internal growth opportunities, and laws such as this that will prevent that from happening. I’m not sure how any of this promotes economic development and business growth.” In addition to the increase in the salary exemption threshold, the new rule institutes an automatic increase in the threshold every three years, beginning in 2020. But some members of Congress have said, “Enough.” Legislation filed in March would stop the proposed rule in its tracks and would require the Department of Labor to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the possible impact on small businesses, nonprofits and public entities. The legislation, titled the Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act, would also prohibit the automatic increases in the salary threshold. Supporters of the bill say it provides a clear vehicle to push back. But in the meantime, what else can businesses do? Sokolow said employers have until Dec. 1, 2016 to comply with the new payroll demands, which means they should start evaluating their situations now. “As soon as I heard Solicitor General Smith speak about the proposed rule change, I knew this was something big,” she said. “This could be the biggest change to employment and labor laws we’ve seen in at least two decades, possibly in a generation.”

“THIS COULD BE THE BIGGEST CHANGE TO EMPLOYMENT AND LABOR LAWS WE’VE SEEN IN AT LEAST TWO DECADES, POSSIBLY IN A GENERATION.” TALLAHASSEE ATTORNEY DENA SOKOLOW OF BAKER DONELSON

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Executive Mindset

Management Strategies GOOD COUNSEL ON CONVERSATION

COACHING FOR SUCCESS Five steps to improving your talent management strategy BY RENÉE ROBERTSON

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oaching means many things to many people. But many times a certain technique that is referred to as “coaching,” isn’t really coaching at all; it’s actually counseling or feedback. For example, you may have heard or had this happen to you — a manager will say, “Let me give you some coaching around ABC,” and they proceed to explain to an employee why the employee failed to accomplish a task. The manager then explains the way ABC needs to be done. More times than not, the recipient of this so-called “coaching” walks away disillusioned by what they think was a coaching experience and, perhaps, deflated and unmotivated. As a result, coaching can get a bad rap and employees may begin to disengage. So what does a real coaching conversation look like? Well, something like this: “So, how do you think your presentation on ABC went?” The employee is given time to reflect, respond and be an active participant in the conversation. The manager continues to ask thoughtful questions. “What would you have done differently?” “What actions will you take?” “How can I support you?” Do you notice the difference? This is a coaching conversation — the employee is empowered to act while being supported by their manager. The employee gains confidence knowing that they own the outcome while feeling acknowledged and supported. Now, more than ever, there is a great opportunity to bring coaching

1. EDUCATE YOUR LEADERS Start at the top and educate your executives on the differences and benefits of coaching versus counseling. Interview them on their perspectives on coaching and assess their willingness to participate and support a coaching initiative. Explain the benefits of coaching and ask them where they see applications for coaching inside their organizations.

your talent management and organizational development areas or could exist inside the business itself. Consider having talent management or human resources executives trained and credentialed by the International Coach Federation as professional coaches. As a result, they will be in an excellent position to coach executives in the company. Alternatively, you may choose to utilize external coaches. If so, you can submit a request via the International Coach Federation Coach Referral Service website or ask colleagues for recommendations. Simultaneously, you will want to identify candidates to participate in the coaching program. Review your succession planning and consider top talent managers, directors and executives. Participants should be excited to be part of the program and willing to make a commitment. Just as important as identifying the coaches and participants is to make certain that you have executive sponsorship. Determine which executives would like to sponsor the program and be a participant. Request that they support you in your coach and participant identification and marketing efforts during participant enrollment and throughout the program’s life cycle.

2. IDENTIFY COACHES, PARTICIPANTS AND EXECUTIVE SPONSORS Look for individuals and managers that can become trained to be coaches inside your company. These individuals may be inside

3. MANAGE EXPECTATIONS Be sure to clearly set expectations with your internal coaches, individuals being coached, the executive sponsors and, of course, your managers and colleagues. It is best to run the initial program as a pilot and

into organizations. According to Gallup’s study on the global workplace, only 13 percent of employees worldwide are engaged at work or are psychologically committed to their jobs and likely to be making positive contributions to their organizations. Then why not integrate coaching into your talent management strategy, not only to increase employee engagement but to achieve other talent development goals, such as developing certain competencies like problemsolving, strategic thinking or filling your talent pipeline with readynow talent for upward or lateral assignments? In order to integrate coaching into your talent management strategy, the following five steps should be taken:

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MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

build upon its success. Make certain everyone is clear on the goals of the program, time commitment and their roles and responsibilities. 4. TRAIN Enroll your internal coach candidates in a coach-training program that is designed to train individuals that work inside companies as a coach. If you choose to enroll internal employees to become coaches, ensure they’re being coached by someone who has experience coaching internal coaches. In addition, be sure to train the individuals who are to be coached on the role and responsibilities of the participant. While training your coaches, be sure to establish a clear and consistent process for enrolling clients, coaching time and exiting clients. The key here is to ensure that everyone participating has a similar experience. 5. MEASURE SUCCESS Prior to starting the program, determine how you will measure its success. It may be done simply by using a Net–Promoter score or setting up a simple impact study. It doesn’t have to be a rigorous measurement such as ROI. If your program is embraced and utilized (coaching clients show up and participate in the coaching), then that’s a great sign. Interviewing them or surveying them on the benefits they received is also an excellent idea. In addition, be sure to ask the managers of the program’s participants about the changes they may have noticed in their employee’s behaviors after being coached.

• • • • •

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Renée Robertson is a two-time International Coach Federation Prism Award Winner for Internal Coaching and the CEO of Trilogy Development. She shares her insights and first-hand experience in her book, “The Coaching Solution: How to Drive Talent Development, Organizational Change and Business Results.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRILOGYDEVELOPMENT.COM

In a time where we’re surrounded by change and have so many demands on our personal and professional lives, the need for coaching is at an all time high. Coaching is a model for engagement, empowerment and accountability. It teaches those being coached to be responsible and to “own” their results. By engaging in coaching, you’re making a decision to replace mediocrity with high-performance. So let’s ask ourselves, who and what company doesn’t want full engagement and high-performance?

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Internet are mission critical to us and our patients. We have been very pleased with not only the performance of Electronet services but the attentiveness and professionalism of their staff. It’s also great to deal with local people instead of 800 numbers and auto attendants. If your business is looking to improve their communications platform, while saving money, Electronet is the answer.

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TRIUMPH GULF COAST

shton Hayward was campaigning for mayor of Pensacola in 2010 when the Gulf of Mexico fell victim to an environmental disaster that would have a major and long-lasting impact on Florida, its environment and economy. “I was on the beach, sitting out in front of Margaritaville, giving a radio interview and watching tar balls coming up on the beach,” remembers the Pensacola native of the days following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. “I was thinking, ‘This is not happening.’ ”

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CHERYL CASEY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Northwest Florida finds a silver lining in the tragedy that was the Deepwater Horizon oil spill BY LINDA KLEINDIENST

BLACK TIDE Escambia is among eight Florida counties judged to have been “directly impacted” by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Economic damages totalling $2 billion have been awarded to Florida. Much of Pensacola Beach’s white sand (photo) was covered in oil in June 2010.

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“We’ll have a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to get it right.”

Meet the Board

Members combine business, governmental, strategic and economic development experience

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“The timing couldn’t have been worse,” laments Allan Bense, a former state House Speaker from Panama City. “Every time you turned on the TV you’d see oil coming out of that pipe. It delayed our recovery from the recession a couple of years.” In 2012, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi joined with attorney generals from the four other affected Gulf Coast states to sue British Petrolem. In 2015, the lawsuit was settled, resulting in BP agreeing to pay $18.5 billion to the affected states, including $2 billion to spark Florida’s economy. In April, a federal judge took the last step that will now get the economic damages flowing. By state law, 75 percent of that total, or $1.5 billion, over the next 30 years will be directed to programs in the eight counties hardest hit by the oil spill — Wakulla, Franklin, Gulf, Bay, Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Escambia — all in Northwest Florida. The money, above and separate from the Restore Act funds appropriated by Congress to local governments and apart from individual and business claims against BP, will be used to promote economic recovery and diversity in the region. The first installment — $300 million — will sit in a reserve fund until the Legislature convenes in 2017 and can formally designate where it goes. That’s when the five-person board that is Triumph Gulf Coast will officially spring to life, using the BP dollars to begin a revitalization of and the much needed diversification of the Emerald Coast’s economy.

← ALLAN BENSE Bay County businessman and a former House speaker BIO: Bense is president and CEO of Bense Enterprises Inc., and is a partner in companies involved in road building, mechanical contracting, insurance, general contracting, golf courses and farming. He represented Bay County in the Florida House of Representatives beginning in 1998 and served as Speaker of the House from 2004 to 2006. He is a past president of the Florida State University Board of Trustees.

← STAN CONNALLY President and CEO of Gulf Power BIO: Connally is chairman, president and CEO of Gulf Power Co., a subsidiary of the Southern Company. He serves on the board of directors of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Florida, Gulf Coast Kid’s House and James Madison Institute. He serves on the Aerospace Alliance board, which works to bring aviation-related jobs to the Gulf Coast. He is a member of the Florida Council of 100.

PHOTOS BY MARI DARR~WELCH (DRONE) AND HOLLY GARDNER (ALLAN BENSE) AND COURTESY OF INDVIDUALS AND WUWF.ORG/ MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER/CREO (BONEZZI)

The 4.9 million gallons of crude oil that gushed from a broken pipe became the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history, sending tar balls onto Gulf beaches and into bayous. The oil gushed unfettered for more than three months. Ultimately, the spill had a multi-billion-dollar adverse impact on Northwest Florida’s economy. The 2010 tourism season ground to a halt before it even had a chance to start, and the region’s tourist tax collections alone that year dropped by nearly 50 percent. “I realized that economically this would be a big deal, how it could basically cripple Pensacola immediately,” says Hayward, who won that election, is still mayor and cannot shake the images of that day from his mind. “Our natural — ASHTON HAYWARD, MAYOR OF PENSACOLA resources are a jewel, and when you see oil washing up on the shore, you know that’s not good.” Lawsuits flew fast and furious. States wanted BP, which had been leasing the rig, to pay for cleaning up the environment. Businesses that faced a full tourist season of lost revenues wanted reimbursement. And the state of Florida wanted an infusion of dollars to bolster an economy that had taken a shellacking.

Permissible Projects for Funding by Triumph Gulf Coast

“This is a huge win that came out of a horrific accident,” says Hayward. “We’ll have a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to get it right.” TWO-TRICK PONY The oil and its immediate after effects were a wake-up call for many in the region. To state Sen. Don Gaetz, whose legislative district includes Bay, Okaloosa and Walton counties, it clearly demonstrated how easily the the area could be brought to its economic knees.

← PAM DANA Senior Strategic Advisor to the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition BIO: At the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, Dana is engaged in expansion and recognition of the Institute. From 1999–2007, she was executive director of the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development (OTTED), overseeing programs and policies leading to economic growth. At OTTED, Dana oversaw over 80 programs and partnerships including Enterprise Florida Inc. and the Florida Commission on Tourism.

PROMOTING DIVERSITY Monica Mammah, Tyler Reichard and Tristen Bowman at Embry Riddle University campus in Okaloosa County prep a drone for testing. Permissible uses of funds to be administered by Triumph Gulf Coast include programs designed to prepare students for diverse careers in areas less sensitive to environmental factors than the tourism industry.

← STEVEN RIGGS IV A partner at Carr, Riggs & Ingram BIO: Riggs is a CPA with more than nine years of accounting and auditing experience. He delivers accounting services to governmental entities (both municipalities and counties), hospitality companies and common interest realty associations in Florida. Additionally, he offers specialty services in areas including condominium association audits. He is a member of the state and local governmental section of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

An ad valorem tax reduction. Payment of impact fees. Administrative funding for economic development organizations. Local match requirements for projects. Economic development projects. Infrastructure projects that are shown to enhance economic development. Grants to local governments to establish and maintain equipment and trained personnel for local action plans to respond to disasters. Grants to support programs of excellence that prepare students for future careers at K-20 institutions with home campuses in the eight-county area. Grants to the Florida Tourism Marketing Corporation for the purpose of advertising and promoting tourism, Fresh From Florida or related content on behalf of one or all of the disproportionally affected counties.

← BOB BONEZZI Destin-based developer, Bonezzi Development Company BIO: Bonezzi is a longtime major developer on the Emerald Coast who has never held public office and tends to shun publicity. Bonezzi Development Company, based in Destin, specializes in commercial, residential and restaurant projects. Among his major successes is construction of The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island. Other projects include office parks with Class A office space and local restaurants such as the Crab Trap, Nick’s Boathouse and Black Pearl. He was appointed by former House Speaker Will Weatherford.

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“When the oil spill occurred, I didn’t know what to make of it,” admits Gaetz, who lives in Niceville. “I didn’t understand the immense impact it would have. What struck me was how the oil spill demonstrated how fragile the Northwest Florida economy is. “Northwest Florida is basically a two-trick pony when it comes to economic strength and sustainability. We have the military, and all the industries associated with the military presence, and tourism and hospitality. But we all know that when the Pentagon gets the sniffles, Northwest Florida can get pneumonia. And when something happens in the Gulf, our tourism and hospitality industry is brought to its knees.” And, he suggests, the full extent of the oil spill’s damage remains unknown. If the coast were to be hit by a strong hurricane that stirs up the bottom of the Gulf, Gaetz said it is anyone’s guess what the resulting fallout could be — and what could wind up on the shores and in the bayous of Northwest Florida. Knowing that the state would at some point try to recover economic damages from the spill, Gaetz decided in 2011 to make sure that any of those monies recovered from BP should be funneled to the hardest hit counties and help diversify the region’s economy so “we would not be totally dependent on the whims of the Pentagon or the vagaries of the weather or manmade disasters in the Gulf. In my view, this is the most significant opportunity to build Northwest Florida’s economic — DON GAETZ, WHOSE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT INCLUDES BAY, OKALOOSA AND WALTON COUNTIES future.” While the need to grow Northwest Florida’s economy in a new direction has been on the minds and in the plans of business and government leaders for some time, the difference now is that hundreds of millions of dollars will be available to fuel major projects in the eight targeted counties that could literally transform the region. “I look at it as a chance for us to rebrand ourselves,” says Bay County Commissioner Guy Tunnell. “We’ve ridden the back of tourism so long. We hope to build our economy in a new direction, maybe look at some industrial development. And I’m hopeful we (the eight counties) can work together for good regional impact. Whatever we do with this

“No group has ever had the power to do so much for Northwest Florida.”

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money, we hope it will not only affect the here and now, but also future generations.” Stan Connally, president and CEO of Gulf Power and a member of the Triumph Gulf Coast Board, says the group needs to “think transformationally.” “We don’t need to think that incentives alone are what attracts business,” Connally says. “I would like for us to continue to explore investments around our ports, seaports and airports. We have great assets in the region that we can expand on.” TRIUMPH GULF COAST Sure that the state would file a lawsuit against BP to recover economic damages, Gaetz in 2011

“We don’t need to think that incentives alone are what attracts business. I would like for us to continue to explore investments around our ports, seaports and airports. We have great assets in the region that we can expand on.”

PHOTO BY LAWRENCE DAVIDSON

— STAN CONNALLY, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF GULF POWER AND A MEMBER OF THE TRIUMPH GULF COAST BOARD

championed the Oil Spill Economic Recovery Act in the Legislature. His main focus was to ensure the eight Northwest Florida counties disproportionately affected by the spill would get 75 percent of whatever the state would eventually collect. When Gaetz became president of the state Senate a few years later, the law was amended to establish Triumph Gulf Coast, a five-member board that would be appointed to distribute the money. Although the board has met several times, it doesn’t become officially operational until the Legislature hands over the money, which should come during the 2017 legislative session. The board members are: Allan Bense, a former

House speaker and Bay County businessman who has become the group’s “unofficial chairman”; Stan Connally, president and CEO of Gulf Power; Pam Dana, senior strategic advisor to the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition; Steven Riggs IV, a partner at Carr, Riggs & Ingram; and Destin-based developer Bob Bonezzi. No public officials are allowed to serve as board members in an effort to keep politics out of the mix. Members serve one term and are not eligible for reappointment. While the board’s actions will be overseen by an independent certified public accountant, the board will function autonomously, not as an arm of state or local government. It will,

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RESTORE Act - Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund 30%

35%

Equal State Allocation

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Allocation

Executive Director Justin Ehrenwerth

of total to Florida

NonDisproportionately Affected Counties 25% of Florida’s Shares

8 Disproportionately Affected Counties 75% of Florida’s Shares

Weighted formula to determine how much money each nondisproportionately impacted county receives

Disproportionately Impacted Counties 25.334% - Escambia 10.497% - Santa Rosa 15.226% - Okaloosa 13.712% - Walton 15.101% - Bay 6.743% - Gulf 8.441% - Franklin 4.943% - Wakulla

33% distance to Deepwater Horizon 33% average tax collectors per capita

34% average population

Determined distribution formula*

Council Members Cha:ir Department of Commerce Penny Pritzker/Teresa Christopher Department of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack/Robert Bonnie Department of Interior Sally Jewell/Elizabeth Washburn Department of the Army John McHugh/Jo Ellen Darcy Department of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson/VADM Peter Neffenger Environmental Protection Agency Gina McCarthy/Ken Kopocis Govenors’ Representatives AL - Gunter Guy FL - Mimi Drew LA - Chip Kline MS - Gary Rickard TX - Toby Baker

Subcommittee: Committee of 8 Disproportionally Affected Counties Chair: Commissioner Yeager (Gulf) Vice Chair: Commissioner Robinson (Escambia)

30%

Oil Spill Restoration Impact Allocation

State plans must be approved by council

2.5%

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring & Technology Program

NOAA Weighted formula to determine how much money each state receives Shall Consult. 20% avg. population of coastal counties

40% miles of oiled shoreline

40% distance from the Deepwater Horizon

Florida Consortium Doug Darling Florida Association of Counties facilitated a group of 23 counties to develop an interlocal agreement to oversee this fund.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Gulf State Marine Commission Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

All 5 states represented in each of these groups

KEY

2.5%

Centers of Excellence

The funds will be split up evenly among the 5 Gulf States to establish a center in each.

Florida Institute of Oceanography

*The Florida Legislature has designated that Triumph Gulf Coast review applications for this money and then decide what projects should be funded

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Funds Actions/Decisions Fl. Only Influence Gulf States/ Federal Influence

however, be required to follow the state’s public records and meetings laws. “We have solid business minds on that board,” Gaetz says. “They don’t have to cater to any special interest. This is not a group of people who will hand out checks to people with interesting ideas. This is a 30-year living endowment. No group has ever had the power to do so much for Northwest Florida.” NO BOAT RAMPS “We decided if economic damages were ever awarded, the money should be used to deepen and broaden the economy of Northwest Florida so we would never again not be the masters of our own fate economically,” explains Gaetz. “This money deals with economic damages. It’s not about boat ramps and ball fields … it’s about the economy. I don’t care if its plastics or gunpowder, medical devices or high tech. I care about it being well thought out, solid economic diversification.” Perhaps most importantly, the legislation establishing Triumph Gulf Coast envisioned that any financial windfall from BP would be used as a magnet to draw in private and local government dollars. No project can be 100 percent funded through the BP money and, when it deems appropriate, the board can require a one-to-one dollar match from the private sector. While giving the Triumph Gulf Coast board substantial leeway in where the money goes, the legislation does dictate that funding priority be given to projects that: increase household income; establish or expand high growth industries; leverage or enhance existing assets, such as a port or airport; have investment commitments from private equity or private venture funds; provide seed money for new startups; partner with local governments; benefit the environment as well as the economy; and partner with local K-12 educational institutions, school districts, tourist development councils, convention and visitor bureaus, and chambers of commerce. There is also a provision that if an awardee doesn’t perform, they will be required to pay back the money.

“We’ll spend it prudently,” vows Bense of the grant allocation process. “We’ll have a set of criteria to provide for quality projects. We can’t just take a risk on a flaky company. We will have to make sure it’s solid. And if they claim they’re going to produce 100 jobs and only do 12, they’ll need to give the money back.” Grover Robinson, chairman of the Escambia County Commission, says that while the spill was an immediate disaster that caused upset and anxiety, he kept thinking “there is an opportunity for a silver lining if we can just get through it.” Now, he says, residents of the region are anxious to see what the restoration funds will provide and the resulting economic impact on the community. “I think they are genuinely excited about what’s going to happen,” he says. Over the coming months, the Triumph Gulf Coast board will begin setting up the process for how funding applications will be analyzed. And while the dollars might not be available until the second half of 2017, Connally says it’s gratifying to see local governments and economic development professionals across the region already beginning to collaborate on ideas. “The opportunity to have a regional impact with these settlement dollars is huge,” he says. “They’re getting ready to speak with a much more singular voice.” Everyone agrees that “game changer” isn’t a strong enough phrase for what they hope will result from the infusion of BP dollars into local economic development efforts. “To say that grossly underestimates the impact,” says Gaetz. “This will operate like an investment fund. It’s a matter of creating and looking for big economic opportunities. It’s not just opening the mail and deciding who to send checks to.” If the board does its job right, it can prompt tremendous changes in Northwest Florida, adds Bense. “We need to be prudent, thoughtful and deliberate,” he adds. “The emphasis is on business investment. What this board does is not about the next election but the next generation.”

Deepwater Horizon Settlement Total Damages to Gulf Coast States

$18.7 Billion

Florida’s Share

$3.25 Billion

Florida’s Economic Damages

$2 Billion

Directly Affected Counties

$1.5 Billion (Administered by Triumph Gulf Coast)

(Directly Affected Counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla)

Other Counties

$0.5 Billion (Administered by Legislature)

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR 3RD ANNUAL PINNACLE AWARD LUNCHEON COMING AUGUST 2016

850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE’S 2016

PINNACLEAWARDS AWARDS PINNACLE HONORING OUTSTANDING WOMEN HONORING THETHE OUTSTANDING WOMEN BUSINESS OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA BUSINESSLEADERS LEADERS OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA Thank you for your nominations in our search to recognize women in our region who have demonstrated outstanding leadership skills in their businesses and communities. Ten women will be selected to receive the 2016 Pinnacle Award during an intimate luncheon in August — women of character and integrity, our leaders, mentors and community servants. These honorees will then be profiled in the 2016 October/November issue of 850 Magazine. From Left: Cindy Eade, Alice Collins, Bentina Terry, Kitty Whitney, Betsy Couch, Jennifer Jenkins, Lisa Barnes, Melanie Lee, Valerie Mincey, Angie Hill

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BP OIL SPILL’S

RIPPLE EFFECTS Tourism has bounced back, but the long-term effects on Gulf fisheries and wildlife remain unknown — and thousands of businesses are still battling to get some compensation BY LAZARO ALEMAN

he worst marine petroleum disaster in U.S. history, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill — or BP oil spill, as it’s most commonly called — marred beaches, estuaries and marshes along 1,000-plus miles of coastline, caused immeasurable harm to sea and shore wildlife, and hurt the fishing and tourism industries in coastal communities across Northwest Florida. Some six years later, however, the spill appears to be all but history. →

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RIPPLE EFFECTS Tourism is reported at unprecedented levels, as sun-and-surf lovers again flock to Emerald Coast beaches; fishing, a major component of Florida’s economy, is back on track; Gulf seafood, shunned as risky following the spill, is once more considered safe; and dolphins, pelicans and other seabirds appear plentiful, attesting to their hardiness. BP and the federal government, meanwhile, long ago ceased their concerted cleanup/mitigation operations. BP, the five affected states and Washington last year reached a landmark settlement resolving all government claims and assuring billions of dollars for restoration projects. And the news media and public have mostly moved on, their attention captured by new concerns and disasters. BP, in a 40-page paper in March 2015, touted the Gulf’s resiliency, essentially declaring the disaster over. “Areas that were affected are recovering and data BP has collected and analyzed to date do not indicate a significant long-term impact to the population of any Gulf species,” the report states. The state and federal organizations that manage the nearly 200 Gulf species considered commercially or recreationally valuable seemingly agree. “If there were any impacts on the fishery population, I can’t see them,” says

Luis Barbieri, director of Marine Fisheries Research at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg. “I know some parts of the ecosystem have been more impacted. But in terms of the fisheries, I really haven’t seen anything that dramatic. “So yes, overall and in general, the abundance and sustainability of Gulf stocks are OK,” Barbieri asserts, allowing that some species are overfished, others are undergoing overfishing, yet others are rebuilding and a few are struggling for reasons other than the spill. Not everyone is convinced normalcy has returned, however. Scientists caution that the spill’s full environmental and ecological effects are still playing out. Of note, the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council (composed of state and federal agencies tasked with assessing the spill’s impact and recommending solutions) in 2015 declared that full recovery could vary from decades to hundreds of years. Oil, meanwhile, continues washing up on Escambia County beaches. “It’s much better than 2010, but you can still go on the beach and find marble-sized tar balls,” says Chips Kirschenfeld, interim director of the Escambia County Department of Natural Resource Management. Many businesses that submitted claims to BP, moreover, had yet to be reimbursed in early 2016. “The fact there are still millions of dollars’ worth of private claims pending means there are individuals and businesses that haven’t been reimbursed for their losses,” avers University of West Florida (UWF) economist Rick Harper. Which is to say that six years out, the spill’s economic and environmental ramifications continue reverberating. The seafood industry well illustrates the point.

“Absolutely, the Gulf seems to be thriving. Our seafood market’s as busy as ever. It’s hard to say on a week-toweek basis, but we definitely have 30,000 pound weeks and 20,000 pound days sometimes. Some species have rebounded completely. There are as many red snappers as ever. And tuna fishing seems to be as good as it’s ever been.” — EDDIE MORGAN, GENERAL MANAGER OF HARBOR DOCKS SEAFOOD MARKET IN DESTIN ↙

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lorida is dubbed the “Fishing Capital of the World” for good reason. Economically, the state’s commercial fisheries (ranked among the country’s top-producing) and marine recreational fisheries (ranked the nation’s best) have an annual impact in the billions of dollars and support hundreds of thousands

IMPACT ON COMMERCIAL FISHING

↓

GULF LANDINGS (according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

1,435,665,309 POUNDS IN 2009

KANSAS PITTS PHOTOGRAPHY

1,072,068,111 POUNDS IN 2010

1,792,550,312 POUNDS IN 2011

FISHERMEN'S HAUL A worker hoists a red snapper while inspecting catches delivered to the Harbor Docks Seafood Restaurant in Destin. Dockhands may handle up to 10 tons of red snapper arriving on commercial vessels.

of jobs, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The Gulf of Mexico, moreover, is rated one of the world’s most productive fisheries, second only to Alaska in the United States. It therefore stands to reason that the ruptured well, which spewed oil for 87 days between April 20 and July 15, 2010, would cause “significant socioeconomic injuries to the Gulf of Mexico fishing industry,” as a 2011 congressional paper notes. “Commercial and recreational fisheries are among the main activities supporting the economy and social well-being of many Gulf coastal communities,” the Congressional Research Service report states. The spill’s most immediate impact resulted from the closing of tens of thousands of square miles of federal and state waters to fishing to ensure the seafood’s safety. The data suggest the closing’s impact on commercial fishing. NOAA, for example,

shows that Gulf landings, or catches, dropped from 1,435,665,309 pounds in 2009 to 1,072,068,111 pounds in 2010, then increased to 1,792,550,312 pounds in 2011. Specific to Florida’s Panhandle, FWC data show amberjack landings at Panama City, for example, dropped from 80,554 pounds in 2009 to 39,364 pounds in 2010, and climbed to 66,275 pounds 2011. The decreased landings in 2010 largely hold true across species for Apalachicola, Destin, Panama City and Pensacola. Landings, of course, translate into revenues for harvesters. It’s more difficult to gauge the spill’s economic impact on recreational fishing. That’s because, unlike commercial fishermen who must report all catches, recreational fishermen’s landings are calculated based on surveys, interviews and samplings. Even so, a University of Florida study published in 2014 found that anglers lost $545 million during the Gulf fisheries’ closures. Nor was the impact limited to recreational fishing; it rippled to ancillary

AMBERJACK LANDINGS AT PANAMA CITY (according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

80,554 POUNDS IN 2009

39,364 POUNDS IN 2010

66,275 POUNDS IN 2011

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RIPPLE EFFECTS businesses that supported or depended on the industry, such as bait-and-tackle shops, restaurants and hotels. Today, recreational and commercial landings are back to normal, allowing for yearto-year fluctuations because of availability of species, number of trips, market prices and such. “Absolutely, the Gulf seems to be thriving,” says Eddie Morgan, general manager of Harbor Docks Seafood Market in Destin.

“Our seafood market’s as busy as ever. It’s hard to say on a week-to-week basis, but we definitely have 30,000-pound weeks and 20,000-pound days sometimes. Some species have rebounded completely. There are as many red snappers as ever. And tuna fishing seems to be as good as it’s ever been.” “Business is great,” concurs Frank Patti, of Joe Patti’s Seafood, a Pensacola business dating from 1930. During the Gulf fisheries’ closure, Patti coped by switching to East Coast and Lower Caribbean products. “The customers were leery about the product during those days, but we survived and we’re now doing great,” Patti says.

BUSINESS IS GREAT Frank Patti of Joe Patti’s Seafood in Pensacola, seen here with a red snapper of an ideal eating size, runs the family business started by his father. The high costs of operation led the company to retire its own fleet of fishing vessels and to rely on catches made by others.

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possibly longer-lasting effect of the spill was the public’s perception that Gulf seafood was unsafe. “People were afraid even the year after to eat the fish because they were afraid they were tainted,” says Pam Anderson, operations manager of Captain Anderson’s Marina in Panama City, which runs a seafood market and offers deep-sea fishing trips, charter boats and dinner/sightseeing cruises. Morgan agrees. “Even after they opened the waters back up, there was uncertainty with the public,” he says. “We knew the fish were safe, but a lot of people still didn’t trust it.” Bob Jones, executive director of the Tallahassee-based Southeastern Fisheries Association, which represents commercial fishermen from Texas to Maryland, underscores the point. “One of the biggest things that hurt us is we lost our seafood brand,” Jones says. “Everybody said, ‘Don’t eat Gulf fish or shrimp, they taste like oil.’ ‘You don’t have to put oil in the pan; they’ve got enough oil to cook themselves.’” Where Jones differs from the others is his belief that the negative perception persists. “Absolutely,” he says. “I’m talking about today; it’s still out there.” This is despite assurances from state and federal officials and researchers that Gulf seafood is safe. In Florida, for example, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services ensures

COURTESY STEPHEN RAMSEY

the safety of Gulf seafood. It reports screening thousands of seafood samples since the spill and finding that “all are well below the FDA levels of concern.” Steven Murawski, a marine scientist and professor with the University of South Florida (USF), is one whose research links the spill to tumors, skin lesions and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in some key species. He affirms the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ findings. “I’m not worried about the seafood’s safety,” Murawski says. “I have studied this fairly significantly. And in terms of both the government and independent research, there is no significant public health risk for consuming the seafood.” Jones doesn’t dispute the scientific findings. His argument is that not enough has been done to convey the point to the public. “Probably one of the bitterest pills to swallow for the industry is that we can’t get any BP money for marketing,” Jones says. “And we know how important marketing is, because BP must have spent billions marketing its brand after the spill.” Generally speaking, however, the consensus in the fishing community is that things are back to normal.

Fresh, grilled Gulf fish are the specialities of the house at Panama City Beach’s iconic Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant, above. Nearby on Grand Lagoon, Capt. Anderson’s Marina, which operates a seafood market, a charter fishing fleet and sightseeing vessels, has rebounded from the negative publicity that resulted from the BP oil spill.

OF THE 382,192 CLAIMS FILED, TENS OF THOUSANDS WERE STILL IN RESOLUTION OR APPEALS PROCESSES IN EARLY 2016.

“It’s much better,” says Anderson of Captain Anderson’s Marina. “Some of us are still recovering from the losses we incurred. It takes a while for businesses to totally recover clientele and rebuild. But 2015 has been the best year we’ve had since the spill.” As for dolphin sightings, Anderson says they are common, notwithstanding documented evidence of their increased mortalities because of the spill. “About 80 or 90 percent of the time, guests will see dolphins,” she says. “In our area, fishermen will tell you dolphins are plentiful.” Reimbursements are the notable outlier. “We have multiple businesses between our 12 restaurants and the seafood market,” says Morgan of Harbor Docks. “We’ve been reimbursed for some claims, but we still have others ongoing.” Several reasons account for the non-reimbursement of losses some six years later. One is that not every spill-affected business was able or eligible to file a claim. Of the 382,192 claims filed, moreover, tens of thousands were still in resolution or appeals processes in early 2016. Yet others were denied or reimbursed at lower levels. Then there were the intangible losses — unrecoverable because unquantifiable — such as damage to natural resources, quality of life or brand name.

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RIPPLE EFFECTS UWF economist Harper explains that the court-set damage test required that businesses demonstrate a V-shape (dramatic dip and rebound) revenue loss pattern to qualify for compensation. If failing this test — except in an area where damages were presumed — compensation wasn’t likely, he says. He cites as an example a beer distributor whose warehouse was inland. If that business couldn’t prove the V-shape pattern, it wasn’t eligible for compensation. “In Florida, businesses too far north of the spill or away from the coastline, even though they may have experienced revenue losses, were not compensated,” Harper says. He talks also of damages that can’t be tabulated in dollars and cents, but are real nonetheless. “You don’t pay for seeing Florida’s natural beauty,” Harper says. “But the flip side is that when you lose it, that kind of damage can never be compensated.” Another of the uncompensated losses, he posits, resulted from businesses’ failure to realize reasonably expected higher returns on theirs or a public entity’s substantial investment to upgrade services. “What would your business have been, given that Southwest Airlines started flying passengers into the brand-new Panama City airport in 2010?” Harper asks by way of example. “Well, if you couldn’t demonstrate that V-shape pattern, maybe you weren’t RESEARCHING THE IMPACT Dr. Wade Jeffery, a biology professor and director of the Center for Environmental Diagnotics and Bioremediation at the University of West Florida, supervises the work of students Katelyn Houghton, left, and Adelyn Benz.

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“As to what the average person sees when he goes to the beach, it looks fine. And that’s great, because tourism is up and people are fishing. But as an ecological question, it depends on the specific question asked, where you ask it about and how you ask it. That’s where the long-term things come in. So I can’t agree the Gulf is back to what it was in 2009, because that’s washing over those places where it was really impacted.” — WADE JEFFREY, A BIOLOGY PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE UWF CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DIAGNOSTICS AND BIOREMEDIATION ↙

eligible to be compensated, because your revenues didn’t dip. Or maybe you invested additional dollars in advertising or providing greater amenities. If you’d done that, you would have expected to see your revenue rise in 2010, but the test for damage was that you demonstrated it fell and then rose. “Or a charter fishing business that worked hard to get a client who visited regularly,” he continues. “If they lost that client for a summer because of the spill and that client went off and discovered charter fishing off North Carolina, it may be that business lost that person forever.” The bottom line, Harper says, is that not all spill-related losses are recoverable or even quantifiable. “So to the original question, some losses are difficult to calculate, some are nonmonetary, claims are still pending, and some businesses didn’t meet the V-shape revenue requirements,” he says. “So yes, as the settlement process winds up, I expect many damages will never be compensated.” The Congressional Research Service report to Congress touches on the potential for irreversible losses to the industry. Not only did the spill interrupt the Gulf’s seafood supply, the report notes, it also disrupted demand for Gulf seafood, causing buyers to switch to other regions or imports for substitutes. To the extent that Gulf seafood producers weren’t able to recapture these markets, the losses were permanent, the report suggests.

he spill’s long-term environmental and ecological damages also pose potential consequences for the industry. Wade Jeffrey, a biology professor and director of the UWF Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, conducts research in the Gulf, especially post-Deepwater Horizon. Jeffrey’s expertise is microbial growth and the food web. He points out that although resiliency is evident at the microbial level, some research suggests a significant post-spill shift in the bacterial community. His own research, interestingly, finds that sunlight (think Sunshine State) makes oil more toxic and inhibitory for microbial growth. Given the ecosystem’s interdependency, the

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA (DR. JEFFREY) AND TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (OYSTER FARMING)

findings suggest at minimum a potential impact on the food web and ultimately the larger fish populations. Jeffrey disagrees with BP’s assessment that the Gulf is largely back to normal. For one thing, he says, the extent of the spill’s damage is unknowable, as the Gulf’s preexisting condition was unknown due to a lack of pre-spill data. Secondly, he says, the Gulf’s vastness and complexity make it impossible to assign it a whole value. “To say the Gulf as a whole is OK is pushing it, because there are localized areas where absolutely it hasn’t recovered and it’s not going to recover for a long time,” Jeffrey says. “As to what the average person sees when he goes to the beach, it looks fine. And that’s great, because tourism is up and people are fishing. But as an ecological question, it depends on the specific question asked, where you ask it about and how you ask it. That’s where the long-term things come in. So I can’t agree the Gulf is back to what it was in 2009, because that’s washing over those places where it was really impacted.” He cites as examples the fair amount of oil remaining on the seafloor, severely affected coral communities that haven’t recovered, and oil-linked heart defects in tuna larvae. “But what people want to know is can they catch red snapper, and for that part, yeah,” he says. “But what the jury’s still out on, in terms of the red snapper and other fisheries, is whether 2010 will have an effect on their long-term populations.” Ultimately, Jeffrey posits, the science, environment and economy are interconnected. “If the water’s clean, people go to the beach,” he says. “If the water’s fouled for whatever reason, people won’t go to the beaches. If the fish are there, people fish and spend money on charter boats. If the fish population crashes, the economics of the fishing industry falls apart. It’s all dependent on the Gulf working the way the ecosystem is supposed to work.” Murawski, of USF, likewise finds BP’s declaration premature. “It’s way premature, given the amount of environmental health effects that have been seen in turtle, bird and fish populations and in oysters and other species that have an economic outcome and that are major players in the ecosystem,” he says.

THE RISE OF OYSTER FARMING “Oyster farming in Florida is in its infancy,” says Aaron Keller, spokesman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Aquaculture, noting that although state leases have been granted in several Panhandle counties, few have begun marketing their oysters. The notable exception is Tallahassee Community College’s Wakulla Environmental Institute aquaculture program. Launched in 2014 to foster oyster farming in hopes of reviving the fishing industry in Wakulla and SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT adjacent counties, the proStudents learn to cultivate oysters at the Wakulla Environmental gram’s success has exceeded Institute’s oyster aquaculture expectations. management area. The program “When we started it was occupies a lease capable of holding about a million oysters. as much an experiment as anything,” says Wakulla Environmental Institute executive director Bob Ballard. Today, the institute not only markets its oysters, its first nine graduates are all engaged in commercial oyster farming, and a second class is underway at the 158-acre campus in Wakulla County. Students pay $15,000 for the program and are assured of recovering most if not all their costs from their crop sales. Participants get both classroom and hands-on learning, complete with their own oyster spats to grow and sell. Ballard compares oyster farming to any agricultural enterprise: It’s hard but rewarding work; not every spat develops or goes to market; and the risks of storms, diseases and other unforeseen disasters are ever-present. But if 75 percent of a crop goes to market at 50 cents per oyster, it represents a significant return. He attributes the program’s success to two factors. “One, ours are wonderful tasting oysters,” Ballard says. “Two, we can grow them in six months, whereas places like Canada take four years.” The benefits of farm-raised oysters, moreover, extend beyond the program, as the cultivated oysters release spats into the bay, helping augment the wild oyster population. Ballard sees the enterprise’s prospects as potentially limitless. “Today, 85 percent of the world’s oyster beds are gone,” he says. “So there’s a huge need for oysters that the United States, and in particular Florida, will never be able to fulfill.” Visit the Wakulla Environmental Institute’s website at https://goo.gl/5uPNjj.

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RIPPLE EFFECTS

THE DECLINE OF OYSTER HARVESTING

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Oysters are a special case. Although Florida oyster beds weren’t directly affected by the BP oil spill, the industry is in dire straits from Pensacola to Apalachicola, which once accounted for 90 percent of the state’s harvests. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data attest to the decline. As recently as 2012, Florida produced 3,409,128 pounds of oysters at an estimated value of $10,068,273. In 2014, the last year of fairly reliable figures, Florida produced 812,697 pounds at an estimated value of $4,435,588. The numbers for Apalachicola are equally dismal. In 2012, Apalachicola produced 1,674,784 pounds with an estimated value of $4,965,475. In 2014, it produced 238,201 pounds with an estimated value of $1,281,490. Apalachicola Bay’s problems are numerous, well documented and both man- and nature-caused. They include drought, storms and high salinity because of inadequate freshwater supplies from the Apalachicola River due to upstream draws by Georgia cities and farms. In 2013, after the bay was declared a federal fishery disaster, monies poured in and various efforts were initiated to revive the industry. The prognosis for STRUGGLING INDUSTRY Oyster harvesting recovery, however, methods have remained unchanged on Apalachicola Bay for decades. Here, Chris Rose, remains uncertain. left, and Ricky Banks use traditional tongs to “It’ll never be pluck oysters from the bay bottom. like before even if it recovers,” says Shannon Hartsfield, a former oysterman and president of the Franklin County Seafood Workers Association. Tommy Ward of Buddy and Sons Seafood Inc., shares the sentiment. “I don’t have a great outlook on the oyster industry in Franklin County at this moment,” Ward says. “I’ve been 29 years in the business, and it looks mighty grim right now.” Ward, in fact, has been marketing farm-raised oysters as a possible alternative but says it’s too early to tell their viability. Already, the industry’s decline is evident in Apalachicola. “There are less than 200 oystermen left,” Hartsfield says. “There used to be on average 800 to 900 people oystering. A lot of guys have found something else to do; others can’t find anything else, it’s all they’ve ever done. It’s a struggling community. Used to be seafood was our biggest industry; now it’s tourism. You’ve got more guys doing guide fishing, cleaning houses or working in restaurants. It’s changed things.”

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Although he doesn’t necessarily see fish populations crashing in the future as a consequence of the spill, Murawski does see potential generational effects because of the die-offs in certain species. “Fish like red snapper, for example, are very long-lived in the absence of fishing,” he says. “They can live 30 years or more. If they’re not there to participate, you have to look at a lifetime potential drop in reproduction and new egg production. So yeah, the spill can potentially have ramifications for decades.”

f the spill has a silver lining, one possibility is a greater understanding of the Gulf’s workings. “The Gulf was phenomenally understudied before the spill,” Jeffrey says. “We now know a whole lot more about it and are learning more with every project. So we may not be able to tell for sure what’s a direct result of the spill because we didn’t have the pre-spill data, but we have a lot of data since, should something else happen.” Another possibility is greater public awareness and appreciation of the Gulf’s ecology and vulnerability. “It helped people recognize that the health of our Gulf economy is intrinsically linked to the health of our environment, and that the Gulf, while a vast and bountiful resource, is in fact a dynamic system that may not always be able to provide all of the natural resources we rely on for food, fun and the economy,” says Bethany Kraft of the Ocean Conservancy, a Washington D.C.based nonprofit environmental advocacy group that helps formulate ocean policy at the federal and state levels. “History,” Mark Twain remarked, “does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” Indeed, as recently as 2015, separate incidents on oil-processing platforms belonging to the state-owned Mexican company Pemex killed several workers and spewed oil into the Gulf. Given the continuation of offshore drilling in these waters, it isn’t inconceivable that another major mishap — whether human- or nature-caused — will one day occur. That’s something to ponder as the BP oil spill recedes into memory.

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A Gem Among Airports Bob Sikes Airport is making the panhandle economy take off by JASON DEHART

irports are a vital part of the Florida Panhandle’s economy, and Bob Sikes Airport is no different. Nestled near Crestview inside one of the busiest aviation zones in the state, the airfield sports an 8,000-foot runway, an instrument landing system and hundreds of acres that are ready for development. Eight aerospace companies call Bob Sikes Airport home, and more than 2,700 people work there with a total payroll of $108,208,000. But there’s more to come as Okaloosa County invests millions of dollars in hopes of landing more business opportunities. Mike Stenson, deputy director of Okaloosa County Airports, said recently that the airport has made, and continues to make, significant improvements to maintain a competitive economic edge. He even describes it as a brand-new airport with plenty to offer potential tenants. The runway, taxiways and other connectors were all recently resurfaced, and Emerald Coast Aviation — the airport’s operator — recently completed a new terminal building. “It’s a great location for any company looking to grow,” Stenson said. “We’ve got a world-class airfield in the center of the aerospace corridor for the region. You will be hard-pressed to find something like it 44

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A 747 taxis along a runway at Bob Sikes Airport near Crestview. Recent improvements at the airport have included resurfaced runways and taxiways and a new terminal.

with the size and capability we have with the space available. We’ve worked close with the Florida DOT and FAA to secure millions of dollars in grant funding to build a world-class airport suitable for any aerospace company looking to grow.” Indeed, there is a lot of elbow room at the airport. Only about 500 of the facility’s 1,100 acres have been developed. In addition, some available land is already site-certified and ready to go. At the nearby Okaloosa

ON THE AIRFIELD » L3 CRESTVIEW AEROSPACE Okaloosa County’s largest manufacturer, specializing in aerostructures » LOCKHEED MARTIN C-130 conversions and modifications » EMERALD COAST AVIATION Fixed-base operator providing refueling and other services » SUNSHINE AERO Flight tests of military payloads for calibration » QWEST AIR PARTS “Parts out” and recycles retired aircraft » CAROLINA AERO PREP School providing airframe and power plant certifications » TEPPER AVIATION Flight tests » VERTOL SYSTEMS Helicopter flight training

OKALOOSA INDUSTRIAL AIR PARK » BAY STATE CABLE TIES Manufacturer of cable “zip ties” for a wide range of customers

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» ASURION Consumer warranty call center » CUSTOM PRODUCTION Metal component manufacturer for a range of industries » COPY PRODUCTS COMPANY Business equipment leasing and service

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County Industrial Air Park, for example, 135 acres were recently classified as “shovel-ready” through Gulf Power’s Florida First Sites site certification program, according to Nathan Sparks, executive director of the Okaloosa Economic Development Council. “This prestigious designation was awarded in March 2015 by McCallum Sweeney Consulting, a premier sitelocation advisory firm,” Sparks said. “Achieving the certification required the completion of exhaustive due-diligence studies, including wetlands surveys, soil studies, utility verifications and cultural-resource studies. Now these parcels provide prospective purchasers with the certainty that development can occur quickly and with minimal front-end expense.” Stenson said that, all told, “several hundred acres” at the airport have been site-certified. “It is one of the few airport sites that is essentially shovelready and pre-permitted,” he 46

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said. “The stormwater master plan is already completed, so any company looking to relocate wouldn’t have to go through that process. It’s already been done. If a company comes in to construct hangars, they would literally cut months of time off the schedule.” Meanwhile, one project in particular could provide an even greater incentive for businesses to set up shop. Fairchild Road, currently a clay road leading into the airport, will soon be paved. The new, industrial-grade road will be called Foy Shaw Industrial Boulevard and will provide a muchimproved link to U.S. Highway 90. Stenson said the new road ought to be an attractive feature for businesses looking to locate there, as well as provide a better commute. Officials said in April that the contract for the paving has been awarded and the road should be paved in six months. “It will be a dramatic upgrade for people transitioning to and from the airport,” Stenson said.

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BY THE NUMBERS Direct impacts from airport tenants/ businesses and construction:

$174,324,000 Indirect impacts from visitors who arrive by general aviation aircraft:

$1,853,000 Multiplier impacts:

$117,516,000 Total output:

$293,693,000 Source: Florida Statewide Aviation Economic Impact Study, August 2014

Named in honor of U.S. Rep. Bob Sikes, the airport opened in the early 1960s, and Stenson said it was used as a repair station for battle-damaged aircraft during the Vietnam War. The military connection still figures prominently in the work done there in flight testing and aircraft

conversion and modification. One such company, L-3 Crestview Aerospace, has been very happy there. “When the Crestview Aerospace facility at Bob Sikes Airport was established in 1964 by Fairchild, it was primarily used for Air Force maintenance and modification,” said Woody Tignor, vice president and general manager of the company. “L-3 purchased the facility in 2006, and it has grown and diversified over the decades to include a substantial volume of manufacturing and fabrication work. Today, we create a number of aerostructures, assemblies and parts for aircraft manufacturers, while still performing the aircraft modification that has always been done at the L-3 Crestview Aerospace facility.” Tignor said the company has benefited greatly from the support shown by Okaloosa County. “The workforce in Okaloosa County is very talented, and that’s a result of our proximity to military facilities, as well as a commitment by local leaders to providing training opportunities for potential and current employees,” he said. “There has always been tremendous support in this community for our customers and work — including local, regional and state assistance for growth and workforce development. There is a keen interest in this community to ensure our military and the aerospace community are supported.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF OKALOOSA COUNTY

This aerial view of Bob Sikes Airport is dominated by the facility’s 8,000-foot runway. The airport, which originally served as an Air Force maintenance station, is now home to eight aerospace companies.

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Collaborating to Succeed Technology companies work cooperatively to spur Okaloosa’s economic development by LINDA KLEINDIENST

PHOTO COURTESY OF OKALOOSA EDC

ith more than 156 technologybased businesses per 100,000 population, Okaloosa County can rightly claim the title of “technology hub” of Northwest Florida. Because of its location, nestled in the midst of several major Northwest Florida military installations that include Eglin Air Force Base and its research lab, Okaloosa has become a magnet for companies that are aerospace and defense-related. And to help that sector of the local economy grow, representatives from technology, engineering and manufacturing companies meet regularly to collaborate, share expertise and advice, and act as the premier business advocate for industries that focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The Technology, Coast Manufacturing and Engineering Network, otherwise known as TeCMEN, was established in 1989 and two years later became part of the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County. A top priority is getting local companies to do business with each other. “The idea was to have companies getting to know each other and becoming familiar with each other’s capabilities,” said Jim Breitenfeld, the TeCMEN manager. “They meet once a month and discuss issues that include collaboration on getting contracts. They talk about

their future needs. The research lab talks about its workforce needs and what opportunities are coming up for future (Department of Defense) contracts. And the larger companies are interested in developing their supply chain. “We spend a lot of time giving the companies an opportunity to explain their capabilities because it’s always more efficient and cheaper to do business next door.” There’s a high degree of community cooperation, he added, “because we have to band together to be able to compete in the bigger world.” Today there are 36 corporate members,

including Fortune 500, midsized and small local businesses that include the likes of Lockheed Martin Corporation, Boeing Company and General Dynamics along with local companies like Fort Walton Machining, Bay State Cable Ties and Sunshine Aero Industries. TeCMEN member companies represent every major manufacturing and engineering discipline necessary to support requirements of both the military missions and the civilian community including: aerospace and aviation; micro-electronics; biometric technology; precision machining; metal fabrication; and information technology. Companies that participate must be a member of the EDC. Another 18 organizations such as Eglin Research Lab, Gulf Power, the University of West Florida and Enterprise Florida are listed as partners. “We have members that provide support services,” explains Wayne Bernheisel of Cerified Manufacturing Inc., who is TeCMEN’s chairman. “They want to understand from the small and large businesses what they need, what type of workers do they need and what training

Companies that are the backbone of the manufacturing and engineering sector of Okaloosa’s economy collaborate to boost each other’s business. Shown here is an example of the area’s clean manufacturing, Fort Walton Machining, where a worker is machining a drill head for the oil and gas industry.

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“Any time you can put 30 to 40 smart, successful folks in a room together month after month, greatness can grow.”— Jim Breitenfeld, the TeCMEN manager do they need. And we’re reaching into primary and secondary education to educate students on why manufacturing can be fun, to get them understanding that we need workers in all sorts of technical vocations.” A big emphasis has been placed on helping manufacturing and engineering companies upgrade the skills of their employees with training and certification programs. “For smaller companies, it can be costly to send people for training for certain industry certifications,” Breitenfeld says. “If we were able to provide that training locally, it would be more efficient and effective. And companies have control

over what is provided, instead of going to a cookie-cutter conference.” TeCMEN’s influence in the county has helped lead to free certification and training programs that are specifically tailored to local business needs and offered by UWF on the Fort Walton Beach campus. Up to nine courses — based on the annual needs assessment filled out by companies — are made available each year. “TeCMEN provides a unique opportunity for the business and education communities to come together to identify programs and projects they can collaborate on. That’s a huge piece of what we do,” Breitenfeld says of the unique program that breaks down silos and fosters communication for

the betterment of the community. “It also allows the manufacturing community to sit around a table and explain their future needs. You’ll have the research lab talking about its workforce needs and companies looking for future contract opportunities, especially with the military. “Any time you can put 30 to 40 smart, successful folks in a room together month after month, greatness can grow.” By building personal relationships during the monthly meetings, small local companies in particular have joined forces to bid on and secure larger military and aerospace contracts. Says Breitenfeld, “If you put people in situations where there are opportunities, smart people will find opportunities.”

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SPECIAL REPORT OKALOOSA & WALTON COUNTIES

The beach at Inlet Beach. It is among 16 communities that lie along the 26 miles of Gulf front in South Walton, where tourism is a growth industry. Condos dominate accommodations, outnumbering hotel rooms by more than 11 to 1.

A Healthy New Normal For Walton County’s tourism industry, growth has emerged as a constant by LINDA KLEINDIENST

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT SOUTH WALTON

ourism and hospitality are the driving forces in Walton County’s economy, providing 19,500 jobs for area residents and having a $2.8 billion direct economic impact. And they keep getting stronger every year. “Since Oct. 1, in the first six months of our fiscal year, we were up 14 percent in short term accommodation rentals over the prior year. That’s pretty considerable since we already had been doing very, very well,” says Jon Ervin, director of Marketing and Communications for the Walton Council Tourist Development Council. “And our numbers for March were up 18.92 percent in spending on those rentals.”

Between October 2014 and October 2015, the county welcomed more than 3.2 million visitors. They spent $495 million on accommodations — $202 million of that in June and July alone. Walton County tourism has grown by double digits for each of the past five years, making it the “new norm,” Ervin says. “South Walton is particularly fortunate. We have a product that people value greatly. Once folks come here, they enjoy it and want to return. The loyalty is there and the repeat is there.” Indeed, 96 percent of the visiting tourists indicate their intent to return and surveys show that about 80 percent actually do come back.

South Walton lays claim to 26 miles of the sugar sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, and 16 distinct neighborhoods are located along that beachfront. There are only approximately 1,000 traditional hotel rooms, representing about 10 percent of the 11,000-plus accommodations. The remaining 10,000 are considered nontraditional, such as condo and private home rentals. Close to one-in-four working residents of the county, or 23.4 percent of the workforce, are employed by the tourism and hospitality industry. But beside the 19,500 jobs directly related to tourism — three of the county’s top employers are resorts (Sandestin Golf 850 Business Magazine

JUNE – JULY 2016

and Beach Resort, Hilton Sandestin Golf Resort and Spa, and ResortQuest) — close to another 7,000 “indirect” jobs, such as landscaping, are tied to the industry. And the busy time is no

HERE ARE SOME OF THE MORE RECENT HONORS EARNED BY WALTON COUNTY: ▪ Th e Pearl, Top 20 Hotels in Florida, Readers Choice Award (2015) — Conde Naste ▪ South Walton, 2015 “Hassle Free Beach” — USA Today ▪ Seaside, Best Family Beach 2015 — Travel Channel ▪ Alys Beach, Perfect Beach Town — Southern Living ▪ Seaside, Best Beach on Earth — Travel+Leisure ▪ Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa, Top 100 most popular meeting ▪ Rosemary Beach, 2015 Best Places to Travel — Money.com resorts (2015) — Cvent

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PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT SOUTH WALTON

Resort-rich Sandestin is home to South Walton’s largest employers. Many formerly summer-only jobs are becoming longer in duration given the success of the area’s shoulder seasons.

longer just the summer. Now the spring and shoulder seasons are growing in popularity, in part because of the string of annual festivals that include the arts, food and wine. As an example, the South Walton Wine and Food Festival in May brought in more than 4,000 people — a record crowd. “If you go back 10 or 15 years, you could be a little lonely in South Walton after Labor Day,” Ervin adds. “But that’s not the case any more. Now it’s strong into October and November. Luckily we’ve become known for more that just our sugar-sand beach.” Walton County’s growth in the number of visitors that come each year has not grown dramatically — a 1.5 percent increase from 2014 to 2015. But the amount of money visitors spend has gone up by nearly 12 percent. “It isn’t about head count,” Ervin said. “It’s really about spending.” To achieve that higher level of spending, the county has very targeted marketing aimed at households with incomes of $175,000 or higher. They also seek out “look alike” customers — individuals and families that mirror known visitors who are loyal to the region.

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SPECIAL REPORT OKALOOSA & WALTON COUNTIES

OKALOOSA COUNTY

By the Numbers POPULATION POPULATION (2015) — 200,895 MEDIAN AGE — 35.83

LABOR FORCE COLLEGE DEGREE — 41.12% HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE OR SOME COLLEGE — 43.89% WHITE COLLAR WORKERS — 35% BLUE COLLAR WORKERS — 64%

BUDGETS HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURES (AVERAGE) — $54,637 HOUSEHOLD INCOME (MEDIAN) — $54,027

MILITARY Okaloosa County is home to Eglin Air Force base, the largest installation in the Department of Defense, Hurlburt Field and more than 300 defense related businesses, the highest concentration in the state. Defense-related spending accounts for 73 percent of the county’s economic activity. In March, Okaloosa was one of 10 communities from across the nation to be designated as “Great American Defense Communities” at the National Association of Defense Communities Innovation Forum. The designation recognizes areas for providing unwavering support to service members and military families. Eglin, which is the world’s largest Air Force installation, hosts the headquarters of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), the 96th Test Wing and the 33rd Fighter Wing (F-35 graduate flying and maintenance training wing) among others. With research and testing at the forefront of activities taking place at Eglin, numerous technology and defense contractors have located here – including renowned powerhouses Boeing, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and L3 Communications. Eglin covers 724 square miles and encompasses almost half of Okaloosa County’s land mass.w

10 TOP EMPLOYERS/ NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

10 TOP MANUFACTURERS/ NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

FORT WALTON BEACH MEDICAL CENTER — 1,000+

L-3 CRESTVIEW AEROSPACE — 600+

TROY UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

JACOBS TECHNOLOGY — 1,000+

BAE — 380

EMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH ENGINEERING & EDUCATION FACILITY NORTHWEST FLORIDA STATE COLLEGE FAMU - COLLEGE OF PHARMACY & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION — 800+

BOEING — 450

INDYNE INC. — 800+

DRS TRAINING AND CONTROL SYSTEMS — 325

NORTH OKALOOSA MEDICAL CENTER — 700+

CRANE ELECTRONICS — 200

L-3 CRESTVIEW AEROSPACE — 600+

FORT WALTON MACHINING — 199

NEW (AN ASURION COMPANY) — 500+

MICROSYSTEMS — 135

THE BOEING COMPANY — 450

BAY STATE CABLE TIES — 100

WHITE WILSON MEDICAL CENTER — 400+

G.S. GELATO — 90

BAE — 380

MAGNA MANUFACTURING — 35 Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County

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U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/SAMUEL KING JR.

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

THE FY 2015 THE FY 2015 THE FY 2015 ANNUAL REPORT THE FY 2015 By the Numbers Walton County Tourist Development Council

WALTON COUNTY

Visitors Visitors The Beach VISITORS Walton County is 41st in county population Visitors

Economics ECONOMICS

Eme Eme Eme

Walton County is 41st county Spending population in Florida, yet Top 11 ininVisitor

TDC 70+ beach in Beach Florida,Operations yet Top 11 inmaintains Visitor Spending County is365 41stdays in county population andWalton bay accesses per year.

in Florida, yet Top 11 in Visitor Spending

$2,800,000,000+ Direct Economic Impact Annually to Walton County For every $1 of tourism advertising, Visit Florida calculates that, $390 is generated in tourism spending and $23 in new sales taxes.

12.5%

GROWTH IN RENTAL REVENUE $600M

$440M

$495M

$202M+

Spent on Accomodations in June & July

$400M

South Walton was #1 Coastal Economy in Florida for

VISITOR TOURISM in June & July 2015

$200M

FY2014

FY2015

19,500 JOBS DIRECTLY RELATED TO TOURISM IN WALTON COUNTY

600

TONS OF TRASH

PICKED UP 3,200,000+ 3,200,000+ ANNUAL 3,200,000+ ANNUAL (Approx. 84,800 bags)

VISITORS ANNUAL VISITORS came to South Walton came to South Walton VISITORS came to South Walton AWARDS

Sea Turtle

27 27

NESTS NESTS

Soc Soc Soc

HATCHED

MARKED

SEA TURTLE SEASON IS MAY - OCT

Accolades

MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS MARKETING & PUBLIC INCL UD ING RELATIONS

INDUSTRY AWARDS INDUSTRY AWARDS “America’s THE TDC’S FIRST “HENRY” INDUSTRY AWARDS THE The TDC’S FIRST “HENRY” highest award given at INCL UD ING

favorite The highest award given at towns” WEBVisit Florida’s annual Flagler Awards INCL UD ING

VISITORS TO FLORIDA

$8.3M DESTINATION IMPROVEMENTS (in progress & planned)

FLORIDA JOB ON AVERAGE

137%

SHOULDER SEASON GROWTH

Including parking, bike paths, Outpacing peak season, beach boardwalks, signs, bathrooms, over 10 years beach safety, & more Sources: VisitSouthWalton.com, Walton County Tourist Development Council

www.VisitSouthWalton.com

highest award given Awards at Visit The Florida’s annual Flagler THE TDC’S FIRST “HENRY” Visit Florida’s annual Flagler Awards

SANTA ROSA BEACH

I I I

TRAVEL+LEISURE

26 1,243,745 1,243,745 1,243,745

SOUTH WALTON ACCOLADES BY WEBSITE VISITORS MAJOR TRAVEL MEDIA WEBSITE VISITORS Increase over FY2014 WEBSITE VISITORS Increase over FY2014 Increase over FY2014

+26% +26% +26%

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1 1 1VVV

201 201 FA FA 201

FA inc inc

inc

AT T O R N E YS AT L AW

INSIGHT INTEGRITY INNOVATION

2010 · 2

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· 2015

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REMEMBERING THE PAST, SEEING THE FUTURE

DEAL ESTATE

Church newly listed; offices are fully leased By Shelby Bouck Just Sold

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Just Listed

A church building including a fellowship hall, along with 20 residential units, has been placed on the market with an asking price of $600,000. Located at 3717 Crawfordville Road, the 20-acre property is zoned for light industrial use. Buildings total 14,321 square feet. The main church facility includes four offices and nursery rooms; the fellowship hall features a kitchen and open banquet area. Abundant green space makes this property ideal for redevelopment. Contact: T.J. Lewis, NAI Talcor: (850) 933-9787, tj@talcor.com

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BUSINESS NEWS

SOUNDBYTES

BAY LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» Pensacola-based Innisfree Ho-

tels has announced a $100 million plan to bring two new beachfront developments to Panama City Beach: The Hampton Inn & Suites is set to open in spring 2017, and the Springhill Suites by Marriott is scheduled to open in spring 2018. The projects will provide 300 construction jobs.

» Great American Hotel Group

Inc. has assumed the management of The Shrimp Boat Restaurant operations in Panama City. Richard “Ricky” Irving has been hired to operate the landmark restaurant complex, which features The Shrimp Boat Restaurant, Gracie Rae Bar & Grill, Lowe’s House of Bourbon and The Salty Hawg Oyster Bar Restaurant.

» Northwest Florida Beaches

International Airport has been awarded the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce’s first Business Excellence Award of the year. The award recognizes businesses that greatly impact the Bay County economy.

NEW BEGINNINGS

» Kristopher McLane has been named the new executive director of the Panama City Beach ChamMCLANE ber of Commerce. An employee of the chamber since 2008, McLane established the organization’s first young professional organization, known as HYPE, which stands for Helping Young Professionals Evolve. In addition, he has helped generate local, state and national awards for the chamber’s popular destination website, PCBeach.org. » The Nathan Abbott team

received the award for “2015 Top Producers” within the ResortQuest family, with $41 million in sales and listing production for the year. One of the newest agents with the team, Annie Belter, was honored as the “2015 Rookie of the Year,” closing out 2015 with $1,788,500 in sales.

JUNE – JULY 2016

» Amanda Baker, 35, of Panama City, a technician for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in Panama City, to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council. » Richard Williams, 69, of Panama City, an optician with Sam’s Vision Center, to the Board of Opticianry.

CAPITAL

After voting, Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend was named the winner.

NEW BEGINNINGS

» Florida State University has named Michael D. Hartline dean of the College of Business. The Charles A. Bruning Professor of Business Administration at Florida State, Hartline joined the college’s faculty in 2001 and has served as interim dean since July.

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» Fifteen Tallahassee-area dental professionals recently joined forces and donated their time for the Dentistry From The Heart program. A total of 116 patients were seen during the event at Periodontal Associates of North Florida. » First Florida Credit Union, a statewide financial institution with multiple branches in Tallahassee, has proposed a new partnership with Florida Baptist Credit Union. If approved, the partnership would mark First Florida’s second merger within two years. » Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm, has acquired Preble-Rish, a 120-person, full-service consulting engineering and surveying firm with 15 locations throughout the Florida Panhandle and coastal Alabama. » Elite Office & Business

Solutions, owned by Cathy White and Princess Ousley, has launched an online company that will provide office and business supplies to customers across the nation. While headquartered in Tallahassee, the company has the ability to ship more than 130,000 different products to customers anywhere in the country through its extensive supplier network.

» ClothesLine, a local shop spe-

LOCAL HONORS

APPOINTED BY GOV. SCOTT

cializing in custom screen printing, embroidered apparel and promotional items, celebrated 35 years in Tallahassee by giving back to the community. The company launched the Clothes for a Cause competition, and 50 nonprofit organizations representing a diverse array of interests in the Big Bend were nominated to receive $500 in custom apparel.

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BEATY

» Daniel Beaty, AICP, has joined HNTB Corporation as a chief transportation planner based in the firm’s Tallahassee office.

» Tracy Forester has rejoined Genesis — a planning, engineering and design firm — as vice president. In this statewide role, Forester will provide professional services in the areas of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and fiber optic design, CEI, project management and all aspects of advanced traffic-management systems. » The Florida School Boards Association has hired BillieAnne Gay to be its new member communications manager. Gay previously worked with the Leon County School District. » Tallahassee attorney Nathan Prince recently started his own firm, the Law Office of Nathan Prince. » Daniel Petty, PT, DPT, has joined The Concussion Center at Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic as a physiPETTY cal therapist. He is certified in vestibular therapy and concussion management. » Audubon Florida has promoted Julie Wraithmell to the position of deputy executive director. Over the past 10 years, Wraithmell helped Audubon Florida return to its roots by strengthening its bird conservation leadership. Most notably, she led Florida’s state-based efforts to respond to the Gulf oil spill and built an impressive program of coastal

citizen science, stewardship and advocacy.

» Tallahassee attorney Tim Cerio, who served as general counsel to Gov. Rick Scott, has rejoined his law firm, GrayRobinson.

CERIO

» Melanie Quinton, a 14-year banking veteran, has joined Centennial Bank. She most recently worked in nonprofits, serving as program director of Big Brothers, Big Sisters and, prior to that, as director of the New Horizon Loan Program for the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology Inc., working to improve the financial health of people with disabilities. » Two longtime

employees at Aegis Business Technologies have been promoted to leadership POSKEY positions at the Tallahasseebased company. Louis Poskey, formerly accounting manager, has been named DRAKE chief operations officer and will be responsible for handling all day-to-day operations and contract management. A former senior technical support representative, Kevin Drake, has been promoted to chief technology officer and will coordinate all tech duties and manage service delivery on all levels, including projects, tickets, and remote and on-site support.

» First Franklin Financial Services has promoted Tré Warren to Registered Representative for the firm. » Rosemary Evans was recently named the Jean McCully We Care Network Program Coordinator for the Capital EVANS Medical Society Foundation’s We Care Network, a program made up of more than 315 volunteer physicians, 45 volunteer dentists, Capital Regional Medical Center, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and allied

health professionals in Tallahassee who donate over $5 million annually in medical and dental care to low-income, uninsured adults.

» Hannah Monroe has joined

the Tallahassee office of Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell as an associate focusing on cases involving employment and labor issues, governmental and administrative law, and criminal defense.

» Whitney Equipment Finance

LLC, the recently formed an equipment finance company at Hancock Bank, and Whitney Bank has added Scott Stephens as relationship manager and vice president. He will focus on clients in Florida, from Pensacola to Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.

» Joshua Stratton has joined the Tallahassee office of Broad and Cassel as a member of the firm’s Eminent Domain Practice Group.

LOCAL HONORS

» Two Tallahassee-based communications companies have been designated among the top in Florida and the nation by O’Dwyer’s. Moore Communications Group (MCG) is now ranked as the No. 1 firm in Florida for public affairs and No. 6 nationwide. In addition, the agency is ranked among the top six public relations firms in Florida, with a national ranking of 63, up from 77 last year, and is the No. 1 health care firm in the state. Sachs Media Group ranked among the top five public relations firms in Florida, among the top 10 publicaffairs PR firms nationwide, and as the top financial and investor relations firm in the Southeast. The rankings are based on net fees during 2015.

PHOTOS BY PROVIDED BY PROFILED INDIVIDUALS

» Gov. Rick Scott has recog-

nized B&T Fencing Inc. with the Governor’s Business Ambassador Award. Founded by two Florida State University students so they could pay their school tuition, the family-owned business currently has 35 employees in Tallahassee and specializes in a wide variety of residential, industrial and commercial fencing services.

» Dustin Rivest was recently

honored by Gov. Scott with the Young Entrepreneur Award. He is the founder and CEO of App Innovators, a mobile and web app

» William Gilbert, 66, of Tallahassee, a self-employed barber with Executive Haircare, to the Barbers’ Board.

the Community Outreach Program at Tallahassee Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, to the Board of Athletic Training.

» Wood+Partners Inc. of Tal-

» John Griffin, 64, of Tallahassee, a retired attorney, to the Board of Optometry.

» Tallahassee Community Col-

» Harvey Jones and Kevin Peters to the State Emergence Response Commission. Peters, 38, of Tallahassee, is the emergency management director for the Leon County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management. Jones, 56, of Tallahassee, is an operations review specialist with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

» Tanya Wilkins, 53, of Tallahassee, cofounder of LifeConnectors, who currently serves on the Guardian Ad Litem Qualifications Committee for Florida, to the Children and Youth Cabinet.

development company in Tallahassee, and has created more than 200 apps since 2012. The small business doubled its workforce in February and currently employs 12 Floridians. lahassee was selected as one of the University of Georgia Alumni Association’s Bulldog Top 100 of 2016. The Bulldog 100 recognizes the top 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by a UGA alumnus. UGA alum Mark Baker (B.L.A. ’77) is president of Wood+Partners Inc. lege’s Office of Communications and Marketing recently received several national and regional awards for their marketing efforts. TCC received national recognition with four awards from the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations, which honors two-year college communicators, and three awards at the most recent Council for Advancement and Support of Education District III conference.

» Tallahassee’s Council on Cul-

ture & Arts (COCA) was recently recognized for its outstanding use of social media marketing by receiving the 2016 Social Media Achieving Real Time Enriched Relations — or S.M.A.R.T.E.R. — Award at the Tallahassee Technology (TalTech) Alliance’s annual TechExpo conference.

» Stuart Williams, 45, of Tallahassee, general counsel for the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, to the Second Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission.

» Tamela “Tammy” Perdue, 44,

» Victoria Zepp, 51, of Tallahassee, chief executive officer of Zepp Strategic Partners, to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council.

» Belvin Perry Jr., 68, of Orlan-

EMERALD COAST

of Tallahassee, the general counsel for Associated Industries of Florida, to the Workers’ Compensation Panel.

do, an attorney with Morgan and Morgan PA, to the Florida A&M University Board of Trustees.

» Christie Pontis, 31, of Tallahassee, a regional legislative affairs manager with CenturyLink, to the E911 Board. » Fran Poppell, 76, of Tallahassee, a retired wedding director and bridal consultant, to the Board of Cosmetology. » James Watson, 59, of Tallahassee, director and coordinator for

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» Jason and Rebekah Polancich, along with partner and broker Shaina Hershey-Sly, have founded Miramar Beach-based Maison Bleu Properties, a real estate brokerage with expertise in data-driven, digital marketing. » Pensacola State College has won the bid to host the SkillsUSA Florida State Leadership & Skills Conference and Worlds of Possibilities Career Expo from 2018 through 2020. SkillsUSA, the

» Amelia Bryant, P.E., and Mark

Llewellyn Jr., P.E., LEED AP, of Genesis recently passed the Florida Professional Engineer (P.E.) examination. Attaining the P.E. license is a well-earned honor gained from years of experience and engineering knowledge.

APPOINTED BY GOV. SCOTT

» David Childs, 37, of Tallahas-

see, a shareholder with Hopping Green and Sams PA and legal counsel for the Florida Chamber of Commerce, to the Boating Advisory Council.

» Stephen S. Everett, 35, of

Tallahassee, to the Leon County Court. Everett has served as assistant general counsel for the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity since 2012.

Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville recently announced its recipients of the 2015 Dr. Frist Humanitarian Awards, the highest honor an employee, volunteer and physician can receive at HCA. Honored were Dr. Richard Hughes, Sandie Brosnan (employee) and Yolanda Byrd (volunteer).

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JUNE – JULY 2016

SOUNDBYTES

largest student organization in the country, serves as a partnership between students, teachers and industry to ensure that the United States has a skilled workforce. Military Times lists Pensacola State College in its Best for Vets: Colleges 2016 assessment based on veteran and military student services and academic achievement.

» Pensacola State College has

received $8 million in state funding toward the replacement of the 60-year-old Mary Ellison Baars Building on the Pensacola campus. The new 80,000-square-foot building will house mathematics, computer science, cybersecurity, aviation maintenance, advanced manufacturing programs and other high-tech programs. In 2014, $1 million in state funding was received to begin architectural design of the building. The total project cost is $25 million.

» Grayton Beer Company,

founded in 2011, is increasing its current brewing capacity to meet the demands of its distribution reach. The brewery, located in Santa Rosa Beach, expanded its production capacity with the addition of four 120-barrel fermenters and one 275-barrel brite tank. The new equipment increases the brewery’s capacity by more than 1,000 barrels per month, to roughly 29,000 gallons.

» In April, natural and organic

food retailer Whole Foods Market opened a store in Destin, its first location in Okaloosa County.

» Destin Commons has opened three more stores: The Pepper Palace, Trailside Outfitter and Pink n Blue Avenue.

» Destin’s first Integrated Marketing Communications company, Lee IMC, has been launched by local resident LEE Whitney Lee. The company offers brand development, digital media, logo and website design, public relations, advertising, social media and events. LOCAL HONORS

» Diane Green has been named Newman-Dailey Resort Properties Real Estate Division’s Top

JUNE – JULY 2016

Producer for 2015. Green was both the top listing agent and top sales agent and is the first female in Newman-Dailey’s GREEN Real Estate Sales Division to achieve Top Producer of the Year.

» Pensacola automotive dealer-

ship Allen Turner Hyundai has been named the top Hyundai dealership in the nation in a recently released ranking of customer satisfaction by online review site DealerRater. Allen Turner, which also took home top honors for the state, beat out more than 800 other dealers across the United States to receive the honor.

» The Pensacola Chamber of

Commerce’s PACE Awards are presented to outstanding individuals in the community who have made significant contributions to Greater Pensacola’s overall economic progress. Honored this year were Patrick Elebash, president of Elebash’s Jewelers, Emerging Business Leader of the Year; Sacred Heart Health System’s CEO Susan Davis, Ed.D., RN, Professional Leader of the Year; and Chef Joe Abston, owner of Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, The Tin Cow and Edible Invaders, and overseer of culinary direction at Pot Roast & Pinot, Business Leader of the Year. Molly McGuire Martin, who passed away in 2014, was awarded the Spirit of Pensacola Award for her many accomplishments as a successful businesswoman and entertainer.

» Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund, one of the largest locally owned certified public accounting firms in the Southeast, has been recognized as a regional leader in the Gulf Coast by Accounting Today in the annual rankings of top accounting firms in the United States. It is the only firm headquartered in Northwest Florida to be featured on the list. » The Florida SBDC Network,

the state’s principal provider of business assistance, awarded a graduate student team from the University of West Florida top honors from the Small Business Institute during its 40th Annual Academic Conference. The UWF MBA team, which won first place in the Best SBDC Paper category,

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consisted of graduate students Stelios Peterson, Gerry Goldstein, Michael Newsom and Laura Jansen and faculty adviser Blaine Lawlor, assistant professor for the Department of Management and MIS.

» ResortQuest associate Robyn Patterson was recently recognized with 12 prestigious ADDY Awards for her work on several print and digital campaigns. Patterson received six Gold and four Silver awards, and two Judge’s Choice honors, at the 23rd Annual American Advertising Federation Emerald Coast Chapter ADDY Awards Gala. » Heather Pike,

marketing manager of Destin Commons, was the official winner of this year’s ICSC (International PIKE Council of Shopping Centers) Foundation’s John T. Riordan Professional Education Development Scholarship. Valued at $6,500, the scholarship includes enrollment fees, textbooks, airfare and hotel to attend the John T. Riordan School for Retail Real Estate Professionals’ Marketing II Institute.

» Jeanne Dailey, founder and CEO of Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, was awarded the DAILEY 2016 Ann Gibson Community Service Award by the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce at the chamber’s 2016 Annual Meeting. NEW BEGINNINGS

» Susan Mermer has joined The St. Joe Company as chief accounting officer. » Steve Ruckle has joined First Florida Bank as vice president/director of marketing. He was previously the RUCKLE president and CEO of Vanguard Bank & Trust Co. and most recently served as the president of Ruckel Properties Inc. in Niceville. » Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has named Morgan Eldridge,

a 25-year veteran marketing executive, the new director of marketing and communications.

» ServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares Inc., recently announced two internal promotions at the Pensacola office. Cathy England was promoted to senior vice president, private banking, and Mark Canada was promoted to vice president, commercial banking officer.

ENGLAND

CANADA

» The Fort Walton Beach Venture Hive office has appointed Robert Foster as the new director of the Venture Hive Veteran Program. » Kim Henderson has joined the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center as the direcHENDERSON tor of development. She most recently served as the executive director of Fisher House of the Emerald Coast. » Cumulus Media has promoted radio programming professional Chuck Whitaker to operations manager of its five-station cluster in Pensacola. » Dr. William Gross has joined the WhiteWilson ENT Clinic. He was recently voted Top Physician, Nashville Region, by Castle Connolly.

DR. GROSS

» WCI Communities has named Stephanie Boll as community representative for Lost Key Golf and Beach Club, a luxury, masterplanned community in the coastal village of Perdido Key. APPOINTED BY GOV. SCOTT

» Wayne Adkisson, 48, of Pensacola, a physician with Gastroenterology Associates of Pensacola, to the Florida Humanities Council. » Four to the Northwest Florida State College District Board of Trustees: Craig Barker, 47, of Destin, president of Wellscripts, who

PHOTOS BY PROVIDED BY PROFILED INDIVIDUALS

BUSINESS NEWS

previously served as a councilman and mayor of the City of Destin; retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert Chedister, 66, of Laurel Hill, chief technical officer at the Doolittle Institute; William “Jeff” Floyd, 69, of Freeport, a consulting architect with DAG Architects; and Michael Flynt, 70, of Miramar Beach, a retired independent contractor who previously served as city administrator for the city of Valparaiso.

» Amy P. Broderson and Kerra

A. Smith, both of Pensacola, to the Escambia County Court. Broderson, 40, has served as general counsel for the Pensacola Police Department since 2013. Smith, 34, of Pensacola, has served as an assistant county attorney for Escambia County Board of County Commissioners since 2013.

» Greg Britton, Bob Sires and Jay Patel to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees. Britton, 46, of Mary Esther, is the chief executive officer of Fort Walton Machining. He currently

serves as chairman of both the Northwest Florida Manufacturers Council and the Okaloosa County Economic Development Council. Sires, 54, of Crestview, is the chief executive officer and founder of Bay State Cable Ties. Patel, 52, of Pensacola, is the chief executive officer of LHS Companies.

ing and named 2016 Engineer of the Year by the Florida Engineering Society.

» Farm Credit, which serves 3,500 customers in Florida, was honored by the Florida House and Senate this spring for its 100th year of being in business. The nationwide Farm Credit System was established on July 17, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Farm Loan Act into law.

» Jeffrey E. Lewis, 60, of Pensacola, as Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel for the First Region, a post he was first appointed to in 2007.

APPOINTED BY GOV. SCOTT

» Rear Adm. Philip Dur, 71, of Des-

» Thomas Kinchen, 69, of Graceville, president of the Baptist College of Florida, to the Commission for Independent Education. » Louis Towson, 69, of Marianna, a retired custodial worker, to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council.

FORGOTTEN COAST APPOINTED BY GOV. SCOTT

tin, who retired in 2005 as a vice president of the Northrop Grumman Corporation and president of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, to the Boating Advisory Council.

» Shane Abbott, 40, of DeFuniak Springs, co-owner of The Prescription Place of DeFuniak Springs and Niceville, to the Northwest Florida State College District Board of Trustees.

» William “Brian” Cathey, 38, of Port Saint Joe, a general contractor and president of Cathey Construction and Development, to the Construction Industry Licensing Board.

I-10

» Heston Hicks, 54, of Graceville, president of Advanced Logistics Services and an adjunct professor at Harrison College, to the Campbellton-Graceville Hospital Corporation.

» Michael Hansen, 64, of Crawfordville, CEO and president of the Florida Council on Community Mental Health, to the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.

LOCAL HONORS

» David Melvin was recently recognized for his all-around contribution to professional engineer-

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Gadsden, Jefferson + Leon Counties

Higher A Education for All Tallahassee Community College is Meeting the Academic and Workforce Development Needs of Leon, Wakulla and Gadsden Counties By Rosanne Dunkelberger

JUNE – JULY 2016

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KEEPING PACE s it celebrates its 50th anniverTCC’s Computer sary serving the Leon, WakulTechnology building, whose advent the la and Gadsden tri-county school’s pioneers area, just about the only thing never could have foreseen, attests to that hasn’t changed about Tallahassee the need for schools Community College since its inception is to keep pace with accelerating change its commitment to affordable, accessible if they are to remain higher education for all. Today, TCC boasts viable and relevant. 14,000 students; six campuses; a 75 percent success rate for A.A. degree students moving on to universities; exceptional passing rates for graduates of its professional education programs; a burgeoning commitment to local workforce development; and a plethora of awards and accolades for the college, its students and faculty. “It’s a remarkable story. Everywhere I go in this community, the reputation of the college is strong,” said TCC President Jim Murdaugh. “It’s an exciting time. Is the college where I want it to be? Yes. Would I change things? Of course. Anybody who’s satisfied

PHOTOS COURTESY TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

needs to move out of this office. Your job is to push and to continue to look for ways to improve what we do for students and how we meet the needs of our community. I’m happy where we are (and) excited with the plans that we have to do those things.” Technology and the new breed of millennial NOVEMBER 15, 2010 Dr. student have transformed Jim Murdaugh the college, said Monte S. becomes president of Finkelstein, who has spent Tallahassee his almost 35-year profes- Community College. sional career there as a history professor and dean of the division of history and social sciences. “When I taught, we had a chalkboard and an overhead projector,” he explained. “Now, you’ve got to be ready to put videos up there. (Students) want PowerPoints. We’ve got smart boards; we have smart podiums. “It used to be ‘the sage on the stage,’ ” he said. “You can (still) impart your knowledge, but you have to do it in such a way that you keep your kids’ attention — and that’s, I think, the biggest change in the classroom. “You want to know what has changed? In ’84, things changed so slowly. If we needed to do something on campus, we were all relaxed. Now,” he said, snapping his fingers, “that fast, things change on the campus. We pick up a new initiative now, we run with it, (and) we keep picking up new initiatives. We work at the speed of light around here sometimes.” In November 2012, Florida Gov. Rick Scott challenged the state’s colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees that would cost just $10,000. With tuition less than half the cost-per-credit-hour of Tallahassee’s two state universities, Murdaugh said that goal is doable for TCC. Even within Florida’s state college system, TCC’s $98.83-per-credit-hour tuition is one of the lowest, and it hasn’t increased in five years. “We’re very proud of our affordability,” Murdaugh said. That said, it doesn’t necessarily mean the road to success for all students is paved with academic bachelor’s degrees. With a laser-like focus on workforce education, the

“I BELIEVE COLLEGE ISN’T FOR EVERYONE, BUT EDUCATION IS. PEOPLE COME HERE WHO’VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE ONLY WAY TO A BETTER LIFE IS THROUGH A DEGREE AND, QUITE FRANKLY, I DON’T BELIEVE THAT. I DON’T THINK THAT SERVES OUR STUDENTS WELL, AND I DON’T THINK IT SERVES OUR EMPLOYERS WELL.” TCC PRESIDENT JIM MURDAUGH president suggests that four years of schooling isn’t the ideal path for many students. “I believe college isn’t for everyone, but education is,” Murdaugh said. “People come here who’ve been told that the only way to a better life is through a degree and, quite frankly, I don’t believe that. I don’t think that serves our students well, and I don’t think it serves our employers well.” What Murdaugh considers ideal are “stackable” credentials — everything from “microcredentials” that require only a few hours of study, to a work-related certificate, to a two-year A.A. or A.S. degree. “All of this stuff ought to count toward something. It shouldn’t be a certificate to nowhere,” Murdaugh said. “You can take that certificate and go to work. Later, if you

wanted to come back and work on your degree, you’d get credit for that as part of your degree program.” TCC has an entire department dedicated to job-related education and training. “I’m directly aligned with business,” said Kim Moore, TCC’s vice president for workforce development. “We are not job placement, though we play an important role in getting people into jobs.” Starting in January, for the first time, TCC is offering its own four-year degree program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. In the past, TCC was training nurses who were awarded a two-year A.S. degree. Today, a BSN is becoming the preferred credential for nurses at local hospitals and other facilities.

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underappreciated and underrepresented component of local economic growth, and I believe you cannot have a vibrant economy without them.” TCC is tasked with serving Wakulla and Gadsden counties in addition to Leon and has broken ground on two major brick-andmortar projects in them. TCC currently operates the TCC Wakulla Center, offering basic college classes more conveniently located for local residents in Crawfordville. But an even more ambitious project is also underway — the Wakulla Environmental Institute. While programs have been in operation for the past few years, a Wakulla Environmental Institute facility opened in January. Its focus is offering environmentally focused degrees and certificate programs, including programs in environmental science technology, hospitality and tourism, aquaculture management and agribusiness. One of its high-profile offerings is oyster aquaculture. The first class of nine students is now producing its first harvests of farmed oysters, the second class is about to begin, and the program has a six-year waiting list. “I’ve eaten the oysters, and they’re remarkable,” Murdaugh said. “The oyster aquaculture effort down there is a new industry, and it’s going to change the economy of Wakulla County. That’s our goal — to make Wakulla a world-class destination for ecotourism.” The goal in Gadsden County, the president said, “is to create programs that move people out of poverty.” The new Gadsden Center also opened in January. It houses programs that were already offered in Gadsden, including GED preparation and English instruction for speakers of other languages, a computer lab for the community, and after-school and summer programs for school-age children. “TCC has had a physical presence in Gadsden County for a decade, but this new facility (is) built to fit the types of programs we want to offer, so it will help us better serve the community, especially as far as job training,” said Eugene Lamb, a TCC board member and Gadsden County resident, when ground was broken on the project in November 2014. The first job training to be offered there will relate to HVAC installation and repair, one of the top 10 job needs in the area, said

TWO PLUS TWO The Golden Guarantee program launched in 2014, assuring transfer to Florida State University, Florida A&M University and the University of West Florida for students who complete the program.

Heather Mitchell, TCC’s vice president for resource development. Although its name isn’t on the building, TCC also operates the Florida Public Safety Institute, also located in Gadsden County. On its nearly 1,500-acre campus, you’ll find training for law enforcement, probation corrections officers and firefighters, as well as training for state law enforcement agencies and advanced and other specialized training. While some might fret about the workforce issues taking away from the purpose of a community college, “That’s not the case,” Murdaugh said. “I don’t think you have to diminish one part of the operation to grow another.” “When I describe where we’re going (and) broadening, the one thing I want to make sure I emphasize is that we are not deviating from our core mission of producing associate of arts degrees that send people on to higher education,” he continued. “That’s our core mission, and we will continue to invest heavily in it. We celebrate it. We do it well. This is an expansion and an addition to that effort.”

PHOTOS COURTESY TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

“A number of health care providers indicated to us that their demand for baccalaureate-prepared nurses isn’t being met by FSU or FAMU or other providers,” Murdaugh explained. Even though there are BSN programs at the two universities, “students who come here to FSU and FAMU come from other communities, and many of them go home when they graduate.” TCC anticipates that many of the program’s first enrollees will be working nurses seeking to upgrade their A.S. degrees. Despite the excitement of a newly minted four-year nursing degree, Murdaugh is in no hurry to expand TCC’S bachelor’s degree offerings — unlike most of the other 28 institutions comprising the Florida College System. As far as he’s concerned, Florida State University, Florida A&M University and the college’s four university partners get first dibs. “(There are) no additional four-year degree programs that we are actively talking about, and the only way we will consider them is if the provosts from the three institutions meet and talk about a demonstrated need in our community,” he said. “(If) the other institutions either cannot meet the need or . . . they don’t want to, then we will step in. We want to be not the first choice but the last choice with regard to four-year degrees.” Also in the works is a reimagining of what used to be the Brogan Museum building at downtown Tallahassee’s Kleman Plaza. (As part of a three-way agreement with the city of Tallahassee and Leon County Schools, TCC holds a long-term lease on the property.) Part of the first floor is already occupied by the glass-walled studios of WTXL-TV. Below the street level, the college has rooms for conferences, training and events, and envisions turnkey business cubicles and offices for lease in the future. The building’s top floor is home to the new Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence (INIE). TCC took a lead role in creating INIE and funds its executive director position. The center’s mission is to provide a training center and resources to local charitable organizations, and so far, said Moore, more than 80 of the area’s 600 nonprofits have signed on as members. “I have a passion for nonprofits,” Murdaugh said when the center was launched in June 2014. “They are a vastly

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Panama City, Panama City Beach + Bay County

Busting at the Seams For Paul Busuttil, bar business was just the beginning By Steve Bornhoft

ucked next to the cash register is a dogeared notebook that has been inscribed like a guest book by many hands. It’s a log book that might best be called a

grog book. On its pages, regulars, employing the honor system, keep track of how many beers they have downed at Buster’s Beer and Bait on their way to 69. Customers reaching that milestone are rewarded with a personalized china beer mug bearing a “handle” assigned them by the proprietor. “You don’t have to consume the beers all at one sitting,” clarifies bartender Carmin Baxter. “We don’t want anyone getting into trouble. But the first guy to get to 69 got there in a week.” They don’t call him Dave anymore. Nor was Paul Busuttil always “Buster.” It was the call sign given him in the course of a 28-year

JUNE – JULY 2016

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career in the Air Force in which he specialized first as an aircraft mechanic. He went on to complete Officer Training School and graduated to service as an air battle manager working with the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS, known affectionately as “America’s War Against Common Sense” among people who know it well) and the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS). A South Florida native, Buster completed six tours of duty in the Middle East (Afghanistan and Iraq), earlier spent time in Kosovo and discovered North Florida when stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base. How does a battle manager become a bar owner? Buster long harbored a desire to become a self-employed businessman and entrepreneur. Attending night school, he tacked a master’s in business administration from Emory Riddle onto his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland. And, when he retired from the Air Force, Buster was in an acquisitive mood. With a Veteran’s Administration loan, he purchased a long neglected liquor store at 5900 Thomas Drive in June 2012 and transformed it into a cheers bar where a seemingly endless supply of war, fishing and other conquest stories are swapped. “I got a steal on it,” grins Buster, whose affect is that of a big teddy bear, but whose neck and biceps suggest that he could go grizzly if he had to. About 90 percent of his customers are local and the majority of them have military backgrounds, but everyone is made to feel welcome. Buster’s serves the Regency Towers condominium across the street as a sort of adult-beverages annex. His advanced degree and nearly three decades spent working for what he calls “the world’s largest bureaucracy” notwithstanding, Buster found that nothing prepares you completely for going into business. “You’re on the diving board and, at some point, you just have to go for it,” Buster says. He would find that the deep end is populated by far more taxes and licensing requirements than he anticipated, but a growing number of customers kept Buster encouraged, serving him as an extended family. Indeed, whenever Buster needs something, a

Photos by MICHAEL BOOINI

850 Business Magazine

JUNE – JULY 2016

BUSTIN’ A GROOVE The Aloha Village, an eclectic, rotating mix of businesses, is home to a cafe, a bait-and-tackle shop, a board shop and a health food store.

JUNE – JULY 2016

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FREE POUR Carmin Baxter mixes a concoction behind the bar at Buster’s Beer and Bait where, routinely, patrons flow out into the “front yard,” there to enjoy live music and engage in cornhole contests. “We had a nothing spring break,” owner Paul “Buster” Busuttil says, “but things have picked up.”

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BOOINI

family member emerges to help him out. For example, when Buster’s son, Christian, a member of the Homecoming Court at Arnold High School, had to have a convertible for the homecoming parade last fall, a BB&B regular was there to provide one. (Buster is rightly proud of his son’s appointment to the United States Air Force Academy.) For Buster, one business activity led to another and resulted in a somewhat improbable collection of enterprises known collectively as the Aloha Village. As an extension of his fondness for fishing, he added a bait shop behind the bar, thus bringing about Buster’s stance line, one that borrows from a lurid motto made famous by Vegas — “Buster’s: Liquor in the Front, Bait in the Back.” You won’t find another beach business where you can buy a Budweiser and a dozen bull minnows at 2 in the morning. Buster offers this wrinkle, too. His businesses are located not far from the public boat landing on South Lagoon Drive, where

parking is at a premium. Buster permits anglers to park their trucks and trailers in a fenced-in yard next to the bait shop and ferries anglers and supplies to and from the landing with a golf cart. Building on the success of the bar business, Buster acquired the building immediately to the west at 5908 Thomas Drive. And, at this writing, it is home to a restaurant, Shore Dogs Grill; a board shop — surf, stand-up and skate; and a cross-fit gym. Buster is making use, too, of the space

between his buildings, which he calls Buster’s Back Yard. There, you’ll find a cornhole court, a ping pong table and “Panama City Beach’s only outdoor pool table.” On the latter, green felt has been replaced by blue vinyl. And, Buster has dipped into real estate. He owns a rental property dubbed Buster’s Beach House. Buster is an active networker with a strong sense of community. He has a seat on the board of directors at the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Grand Lagoon Coalition, an organization that serves to promote the interests of businesses at the east end of Panama City Beach. “We’re not corporate America,” Buster says, putting on his Coalition hat. “And we are the gateway to the Gulf.” Today, out front of the bar, a young woman in a yellow bikini washes motorcycles. “She’s pretty, but you should have been here yesterday,” Buster says, then scrolls through pictures on a cell phone to prove his point. “How ’bout a beer?” Buster suggests. We duck inside and check the FOX News crawl on the TV above the bar. I have 19 craft beers to consider. Carmin draws a mug of my grog of choice. “Sixty-eight more to go,” I say a few glugs later. Buster busts a broad grin.

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JUNE – JULY 2016

Full Service Community Banking Since 1904, Being United Has Its Advantages

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Milton Branch 850-981-3352 krystal.anaston@unitedbank.com

With three branches in Northwest Florida, we are dedicated to serving the communities surrounding our branches in Jay, Milton and Pace. At United Bank, we provide the latest conveniences alongside hometown customer service that generations before would be proud of. • Traditional Checking and Savings Options • Small Business Solutions • Residential and Construction Lending1 • Commercial & Small Business Lending1 • Financial Services • Retirement Planning • Trust Services2

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An Original Production of WSRE

Over 20,000 boys and girls lost their fathers during the Vietnam War. WSRE is proud to present They Were Our Fathers, a documentary filmed in Washington D.C. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as hundreds of these children, now men and women, honored their dads on Father’s Day with a special ceremony and remembrances left at The Wall. Each of these sons and daughters has a unique story to tell. They are bonded together in tragedy but also joined together in patriotism, honor and respect for the fathers they loved and lost. Their stories serve as powerful testimonies about the true cost of war.

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Northern Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa + Walton Counties and Holmes, Washington, Calhoun, Jackson + Liberty Counties and Madison + Taylor Counties

I-10 CORRIDOR

A Glass Half Full Taylor County faces the future head-on By Jason Dehart

PHOTO COURTESY OF NYTIMES.COM

hey used to be called “Rural Areas of Critical Economic Concern.” But somewhere along the line, a somewhat more optimistic designation was arrived at. Hence, “Rural Areas of Opportunity.” That’s where Taylor County stands today. The rural county could use all the opportunities that come its way. According to Taylor County Vision 2060, the county is “at a crossroad” for several reasons. The per capita income is characterized as being well below state average, about 20 percent of children live in poverty, approximately 28 percent of the population has no health care, the infant mortality rate is almost twice that of the state and unemployment is high. Globalization of the timber industry and its effect on the local economy, and the threat of piecemeal development, are also concerns. However, the overarching problem is the massive amount of growth expected to hit the Big Bend region and the rest of Florida in the coming decades. Florida’s population tripled from 5 million to 18 million between 1960 and 2000 and is expected to double to 36 million by 2060. The 14-county Big Bend region alone could wind up with close to a million new faces, all of whom are going to need jobs, places to live, places to shop, doctors and a host of other services. That’s why Taylor County officials are planning ahead. The county amended its comprehensive plan and development

UNSURE FUTURE According to The New York Times, the land was once owned by Procter & Gamble, which harvested the trees and processed them at a nearby mill to make pulp for Pampers diapers.

regulations in 2011 to specify exactly what kind of development they’d like to see and at what densities. What they don’t want is to simply react to staggering growth the way other similar rural counties have been forced to do in the past. Not that it’s actually going to happen, but 200,000 new households would be a great concern if all were sited at once, said Taylor County Administrator Dustin Hinkel. “Our board has worked very hard to keep an eye on that growth, and as growth occurs, we have the land development code to guide us and help us build the infrastructure and other services,” said Hinkel, who is looking for the county to have a bright future. Taylor County Vision 2060 has been around since 2008, but the recent impetus for getting ahead of the 8 ball was a 2011 application for Master Development Approval by Foley Land and Timber Company. This was a rather significant event; at the time, Foley owned 380,000 acres of Taylor County land, and its total holdings — 560,000 acres — made it the largest contiguous private property owner

in Florida. According to the Taylor County Development Authority, Foley worked with the county to set up one of the largest master plan uses in the state. “Foley was a tremendous partner in that entire process to give them a road map for their lands as one of the largest landowners certainly in this county, and Florida in general,” Hinkel said. “It certainly brings a nice road map for the county to anticipate growth and what to focus on.” However, all of that land went up for sale last spring. This was a staggering development; it was likened to putting the state of Rhode Island on the market. The land has since been sold to a new company called Four Rivers Land & Timber Company LLC, and Hinkel said he’s not sure what its future intentions are. When contacted, Four Rivers declined to comment about what the future holds. “So far, the contact I’ve had is they are going to try not to make too many changes, and I really haven’t seen substantial change, which is a big help,” Hinkel said. “They are still harvesting timber. We haven’t had any developer interest come to the attention of the county. A lot of people were nervous

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RURAL VILLAGE 221

RURAL SETTLEMENT AREA

27 URBAN DISTRICT

REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT CENTER SUBURBAN VILLAGES

98 ECO-VILLAGE

COMPACT MIXED-USE VILLAGES

URBAN VILLAGE (PERRY)

ST. MARKS

ECO-VILLAGE

REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT CENTER

ECONFINA ROCK ISLAND 98

ECO-VILLAGE

27A

PRIMARY CONSERVATION NETWORK SPRING WARRIOR

COASTAL DISTRICT COASTAL SETTLEMENT

CR-361 BYPASS/LOOP COASTAL VILLAGE CENTER

TAYLOR COUNTY VISION 2060 URBAN DISTRICT

RURAL SETTLEMENT AREA

COASTAL VILLAGES

RURAL SETTLEMENT AREA

SPONGE POINT

URBAN VILLAGE COMPACT MIXED-USE VILLAGES SUBURBAN VILLAGES REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT CENTER

COAST DISTRICT COASTAL VILLAGE CENTER

ECO-VILLAGE DALLUS CREEK COASTAL VILLAGES STEINHATCHEE

COASTAL VILLAGES

COASTAL SETTLEMENT

PRIMARY CONSERVATION NETWORK CAMP SITES ECO-VILLAGE RURAL SETTLEMENT AREA RURAL VILLAGE

JUNE â€“ JULY 2016

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GULF OF MEXICO

about it going on the market, but the entire intention of the plan was to put this master plan in place that could be used by developers — and whether Four Rivers has that same mentality is something they will have to answer to. But we assume they will follow the development pathway that’s been laid out.” The development plan calls for a mix of residential, commercial, agricultural and some industrial use. Not all of the former Foley land in Taylor County will be developed. The master plan encompasses more than 128,000 acres and calls for more than 45,000 mixed-use development acres and more than 82,000 acres of agricultural preservation lands. The plan also calls for more than 25,600 residential units and more than 10 million square feet of industrial and nonresidential land use. The plan was specifically designed to follow the development guidelines of the county’s longterm strategic vision. “We want to develop in a fashion that the community has collaborated on and decided that would benefit their community and their values,” Hinkel said. “Taylor County residents take a lot of pride in their rural nature, and should we be blessed with that kind of development, it should be done in a way that safeguards the quality of life that our residents appreciate.” That said, the county still needs jobs, and Hinkel said it would like to lure some medium-to-large industrial operations to the county. The largest employer in the county, GP Cellulose, employs some 600 people. Hinkel thinks it would be great to have more employers like that in Taylor County. “We certainly need development and industrial interests to come here and see what Taylor County can provide,” he said. “We are currently talking with a company that is in the biochar (a charcoal used as a soil additive) business. It’s a company called Applied Gaia, and they are talking about locating across from the Georgia-Pacific plant, which is one of our sites for economic centers and industrial development.” Ultimately, the development guidelines will allow the county to be proactive instead of reactive. “The vision is that we understand for most of Florida growth is inevitable, and our wish list is, if we are fortunate enough to grow, it gives us the opportunity to anticipate what services are needed and when,” Hinkel said.

MAP RECREATED BY JENNIFER EKRUT

“WE WANT TO DEVELOP IN A FASHION THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS COLLABORATED ON AND DECIDED THAT WOULD BENEFIT THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEIR VALUES.” TAYLOR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR DUSTIN HINKEL

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JUNE – JULY 2016

EMERALD COAST CORRIDOR

Fishing for the future Pensacola fish hatchery could have big impact on saltwater fishing industry, development, way of life By T.S. Strickland

arin Sheradon hoists her rod and reel over the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge, pulls back the bail and watches as the fluorescent green line unspools into the turbid water below. It’s nearly dusk, and in the shadow of the bridge, the bay’s surface looks like wrinkled obsidian. To her left, Darwin Baxter unhooks a perfect, sandwich-sized trout, the second of the evening. He guts it with a penknife and chucks it into a small, gray cooler. Soon, the pair will pull the trout from the ice and cook it on their portable grill, washing down their dinner with gulps of Jim Beam and Coke. Sheradon and Baxter have been fishing from this bridge since they were kids. It’s a tradition shared by many of their neighbors, who rely on this half-mile stretch of cement for sustenance, a sense of community, and peace of mind. Each night, they park their cars by the roadside; haul out fishing rods, lanterns and lawn chairs; drink and smoke and fish til the wee hours. “It’s just a tradition — coming out to the fishing bridge, hanging out, putting your line in the water,” Sheradon said. There were a lot fewer lines in the water

JUNE – JULY 2016

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Coastal Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa + Walton Counties

COURTESY OF VISIT PENSACOLA, INC. (FISHING) AND CITYOFPENSACOLA.COM (RENDERINGS)

after the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill. Many local residents — Sheradon and Baxter included — were so afraid of what contaminants might be lurking in the water that they stopped fishing for years. Now, state officials are hoping a new fish hatchery being built on the Pensacola waterfront could compensate residents for some of that lost use while also kickstarting marine research, providing a valuable public amenity and developing novel aquaculture technology that could help build an entirely new industry in the state. The Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Enhancement Center, as the project is called, will be constructed on Bruce Beach, a piece of city-owned property just west of the Community Maritime Park, with $18.7 million in early restoration funding from the 2010 spill. The facility, to be operated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, will be the first state-run, production-oriented marine fish hatchery in Florida. Gil McRae — director of the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and the state’s lead contact on the project — said he anticipated breaking ground as early as next spring. Once complete, the hatchery will churn out as many as 5 million juvenile sport fish annually to waters across the northern Gulf of Mexico. UWF economist Rick Harper said

the project could provide an important “public good” by replenishing depleted natural fish populations, like that of the red drum. Just last month, state regulators reduced the bag limit for the popular sport fish from two to one per day in Northwest Florida. The change was meant to address concerns over declining wild stock. By helping to shore up these numbers, the Pensacola hatchery could do more than put more fish in the cooler for Sheradon, Baxter and their peers. It could put money in the bank for the state’s multibillion-dollar recreational fishing industry. This is no trifling matter. In the western part of the state alone, saltwater angling created 66,000 jobs in 2011, generated $1.2 billion in state and federal tax revenue, and added $4.6 billion to the state’s gross domestic product, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The project could also have an important impact on the economy of Pensacola. The hatchery is expected to generate up to 70 short-term jobs — mostly in construction and maintenance — and employ 15 full-time workers once operational. The facility will have an annual operating budget of about $1.5 million. Perhaps more significant than these figures, though, is the wider impact the project could have on downtown Pensacola. The city has undergone significant

REPLENISHING A RESOURCE Anglers, left, try their luck at the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier; in the six years since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, confidence about the safety of fish harvested from the northern Gulf of Mexico has rebounded. Sketches, above, depict the proposed Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Hatchery and Enhancement Center, commonly called the “hatchery,” planned for Pensacola’s Bruce Beach. The stateof-the-art facility is projected to produce about 5 million juvenile sport fish annually.

revitalization during the last five years. Development, long clustered along Palafox Street, is now creeping westward, out from the city center. Bruce Beach, located on downtown’s western fringe, lies directly in its path. Because of this, Harper said the design of the facility could have a critical effect on the city’s future. “I think it’s important that the fish hatchery be family friendly and educational,” Harper said. “If it is simply a closed-up facility that doesn’t allow for public access, where trucks come in the middle of the night and load up barrels full of water and fish and take them away, its value to the community would be diminished.” The state’s plan does include public access components, like bike paths and educational exhibits. “We want this to be a place where people come and visit and learn about what we do,” McRae said. The hatchery could also have an important impact on research — both into the ecology of the Gulf Coast and into new technology that could make land-based, commercial aquaculture a viable industry in the state. The facility will be built using state-ofthe-art recirculating technology, which requires much less water and land than traditional aquaculture systems. The FWC has been developing this technology for years at a research facility in Manatee County. The Pensacola hatchery, in conjunction with its sister facility to the south, will help refine it. McRae said the commercial implications of this work were an important, if secondary, benefit. Harper, who oversees UWF’s research efforts, was excited by these possibilities. “If the hatchery could become a magnet for federal grant activity in the aquaculture area,” he said, “it could become an ongoing research driver, and if it could employ scientists using federal dollars to do that research, then that’s kind of the best of both worlds.”

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JUNE – JULY 2016

FORGOTTEN COAST CORRIDOR

JUNE â€“ JULY 2016

Gulf, Franklin + Wakulla Counties

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Finding Success in a Niche Water and federal contracts help Hydra Engineering & Construction grow By Rosanne Dunkelberger

BUSINESS IS SOARING Leslie Hope began her business at the height of the Great Recession, but her business has flourished by specializing in water projects and seeking federal contracts — and being away from Tallahassee.

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

tarting up an engineering consulting firm during the deepest trough of the Great Recession may not sound like a recipe for success, but with a lot of one-on-one marketing and help from the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program, Leslie Hope’s Hydra Engineering & Construction has soared. The Wakulla County-based company has gone from $100,000 worth of contracts in its first year to $12 million in 2015, with $18 million on the books for this year. “I opened Hydra in 2008 (in) the worst possible economy, and it worked out great for me. I had a niche,” Hope said. “Companies that did land development and private work, they died.” But Hope focused her budding business on federal government projects, which were on the upswing because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka the stimulus), passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in February 2009. Of the $787 billion dedicated to the program, $105.3 billion was earmarked for infrastructure projects. “We were recipients of a few contracts for that. That helped,” she said. Hope, who is the sole owner of her firm, grew up in Tampa and got her engineering degree from the University of South Florida. Her professional career included 14 years working for an engineering company in Colorado, where she rose to the level of senior vice president. Hope and her husband (they have since divorced) had spent a year working in Tallahassee right after college and, when they were ready to move back to Florida to be closer to their families, started looking in the area. Crawfordville, located just south of Tallahassee, had several attractions for Hope as a place to start her business. “There were a ton of engineering firms in Tallahassee; there were none in Crawfordville,” she said. Wakulla County’s proximity to the water was another draw for the avid boater, as well as the quality of its schools for her daughter.

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JUNE – JULY 2016

“My specialty is anything to do with water. Through college and all of my engineering career, it was stormwater, flood control projects, canals, bridges, roads, anything to do with water in general,” Hope said. “That’s how Hydra got its name.” Today, Hydra has 46 employees in its home office as well as branches in Albany, Georgia; El Paso, Texas; and Merritt Island. Within her first year in business, Hope was accepted into the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program, created to help business owners who are socially and economically disadvantaged. The program is a nine-year commitment from the SBA to provide development assistance to these businesses and help them gain a foothold into government contracting. “Our very first job with the federal government was a $2,500 design of a septic system at one of the springs in the Ocala area,” she recalled. “They paid by a credit card, it was so small.” It’s the government, so there was lots of paperwork, Hope said. Hydra’s initial application to the SBA weighed in at 12 pounds. “So many businesses say, ‘I don’t want to deal with the paperwork,’ so they don’t even mess with federal projects,” Hope said. “The 8(a) process has taught us you’ve got to know how to do your paperwork. The ladies in the office, they’re on top of the certified payrolls every week (and) all the documents you have to do to do a federal project.” The 8(a) program is broken into two phases, according to SBA Small Business

JUNE – JULY 2016

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Specialist Jay Choi, based in the agency’s Jacksonville office. In the first four years, called the “developmental” phase, participating businesses are invited to seek solesource contracts from federal agencies. In the second term, called the “transition” phase, “we want them to wean off” and find a percentage of their work outside of the 8(a) program, he said. “By their ninth year, they’ll have a good, competitive mix and won’t be dependent on 8(a).” Choi supervises nearly 200 businesses in his district, which encompasses 43 counties from Pensacola to Orlando, and Hope is one of his stars. “She’s been very successful in the program, so we’re very proud of her,” he said. Hope is proud, too, of her success and what it took to get her there. Early on, she returned to school to get a building contractor’s license, which allowed Hydra to contract for more lucrative design/build projects. The SBA “hold(s) your hand, especially in the first couple years, but it’s also what you make of it,” she said. “I was on the road every week visiting headquarters of U.S. Fish and Wildlife in Atlanta or the U.S. Forest Service in Tallahassee or Gainesville . . . I was constantly marketing myself. If (your business is) your passion and that’s where you want to be, then yes, the 8(a) program will skyrocket you. But if you just got it thinking, ‘Oh, that’s another certificate on the wall,’ that’s not going to do anything. (Federal agencies) don’t call you up because you’re in existence, they call you up because you say, ‘Hey, I’m going to be in your

INTERESTED IN THE SBA’S 8(A)? If you would like to learn more about or apply for the business development program, contact SBA Small Business Specialist Jay Choi at (904) 443-1968 or jay.choi@ sba.gov.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HYDRA ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION

WATER RISING No matter what the cause, Leslie Hope knows that waters are rising. Hydra’s plans for boat ramps need to accommodate water levels over the next 50 years.

office every other week until you give me some work.’ ” One of her latest achievements was being awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to provide design/build construction services throughout the agency’s Southeast region for five years. It was significant, Hope said, because it was a competitive, open solicitation — no favoritism from the 8(a) program. “All the big boys were there. We went through a two-part interview process, and we were one of six that won it,” she said. Close to home, she won the bid to oversee a $600,000 grant project to landscape and revitalize downtown St. Marks, including period street lighting, paving and sidewalks. “She’s a great gal,” said City Manager Zoe Mansfield. “She did a wonderful job for St. Marks.” Hope also helped do stormwater modeling for Tallahassee’s Cascades Park. City fathers like to call it “a stormwater management system disguised as a world-class park” that opened in 2014 and has quickly become a popular recreation destination in the city. Her portfolio also includes military projects at the Aviation Survival Training Facility and Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Whiting Field in Milton and Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County. In a notable achievement, Hydra was named to the University of South Florida’s Fast 56 Class of 2016, which celebrates the fastestgrowing “Bull-led” businesses in the world. And by the way, climate change is happening, said the hydrologist. “I know the facts. The water level is absolutely rising in the Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean,” she said. “The polar ice caps are definitely melting. I don’t know that it’s our fault so much as it may be just natural progression of the Earth,” but it’s something she has to consider when designing boat ramps, which are supposed to last for 50 years.

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JUNE – JULY 2016

The Last Word

It was one of the most bizarre State of the State speeches I had ever witnessed. Here was newly inaugurated Gov. Lawton Chiles talking about the symbolic importance of the three legs of a stool. To emphasize his point, he reached under the House Speaker’s podium and produced an antique wooden milking stool for members of the state House and Senate to see. money at various projects around the eight counties, but by ensuring there is a strong local commitment and funding for whatever projects are finally selected by the Triumph Gulf Coast board of directors. As Gaetz continually points out, the $1.5 billion earmarked to help boost, diversify and insulate the region’s economy will not be used to build boat ramps and baseball diamonds. The focus will be on broadening the region’s economy to provide more and better jobs. Better yet, those who sit on the Triumph Gulf Coast board cannot be elected officials — eliminating the fear of a politician pushing to fund a project that will sweeten his/her re-election — and there will be strict accountability for how the money is being spent. When Chiles gave his speech in 1991, Florida was facing a recession and a $1.4 billion-plus budget shortfall. And he was right. The state needed everyone working together. “Look at this stool,’’ he told lawmakers. ‘’It’s got three legs. If you pull one out, it won’t stand; it needs all three. We need each other.’’ Northwest Florida also needs that third leg to help keep the region’s economy growing.

LINDA KLEINDIENST, EDITOR lkleindienst@rowlandpublishing.com

SETTING IT STRAIGHT The photograph that appeared on Page 60 of the 2016 edition of Northwest Florida Weddings Magazine should have been credited to Tim Wheeler of TREWMedia.

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PHOTO COURTESY STATE ARCHIVES OF FLORIDA/FOLEY

While legislators who were gathered in the state House chambers snickered at the sight, Chiles continued on undaunted. His thesis was simple. The three legs represented the House, Senate and executive branch — and for government to remain stable and succeed it needs all three legs firmly in place. That memory from the beginning of the 1991 legislative session came to mind as I was working on the Triumph Gulf Coast feature for this issue. The economies of the eight coastal counties that will benefit from $1.5 billion out of the state’s settlement with BP are built on two legs, military and tourism. They need a third leg to ensure they are stable enough to survive military spending cuts and/or another man-made or natural disaster. Northwest Florida has survived a series of base realignments dictated by Congress and the Pentagon, and the region’s military remains a strong driver of the region’s economy. Tourism, following a two-year dip after the 2010 oil spill, is stronger than ever. But it’s hard to keep a stool balanced with only two legs. For years I’ve heard talk of the need for economic diversification in the region, something to help keep the economy in balance if there should be drastic cuts in military spending or tourism takes another hit from either a hurricane or another oil leak in the Gulf. As state Sen. Don Gaetz aptly points out: “If, God forbid, there were a Category 4 hurricane that stirred up the bottom of the Gulf, nobody knows what would wind up on the shores or in the bayous. We live with an unknown potential liability that makes it all the more important that we diversify the economy of Northwest Florida.” Triumph Gulf Coast, set up through legislation championed by Gaetz, provides the opportunity to help build that third leg. Most importantly, it will be done not by just throwing grant

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Tallahassee Memorial is one of a few hospitals in the country — and the only hospital between New Orleans and Jacksonville — with board-certified neurosurgeons who perform endovascular neurosurgery, removing blood clots and repairing aneurysms without opening the skull.

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428 Red Cedar Way

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Caribe - Miramar Beach This four bedroom, three and one half bathroom Mediterranean style home is located within the gated gulf-front community of Caribe. In addition to 2,700 square feet of living space, this home features a wrap around porch, outdoor living area, this unique home is a favorite among many architectural admirers.

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1,250,000

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