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July-September 2015 Bay Biz

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Page 1: July-September 2015 Bay Biz
Page 2: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

We Mean Business.

CareerSource Gulf Coast is a powerful network of workforce professionals helping employers of all

sizes recruit, hire, train, and keep the best and brightest employees. We can help you identify top

talent in your industry, access local and state labor market data, screen candidates, host recruiting

events, and train your workforce. And, our services are free of charge!

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Connect today with ourworkforce professionals

careersourcegc.com850.872.4340

CareerSource Gulf Coast is an equal opportunity employer/program operated in partnership with Gulf Coast State College and the CareerSource Gulf Coast Board. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers on this document may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay

Service at 711.

Page 3: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 3

1614

24 WORKFORCE CONNECTION26 BIZ LIST30 BYP MEMBERS TO KNOW34 CHAMBER EVENTS CALENDAR36 NEW MEMBERS37 MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES38 OUT & ABOUT

20Tyndall Air Force Base P4 InitiativesTaking Flight

DEFENSE INTEL

2010

8The Big 8 : City and County Manager Update

10Driver’s Education Back in Bay County

POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE

FEATURE

18EDA InsightsECONOMIC PROFILE

14A Look Back At All of Our Great TourismAppreciation Month Events

TOURISM APPRECIATION MONTH

16 BED RACESInaugural Bed Race Recap

13This Year’s Leadership Bay ProjectONEBAY CAMPAIGN

Page 4: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

PUBLISHERCarol Roberts

EXECUTIVE EDITORBrittany Cole

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSBrittany ColeBecca Hardin

Elizabeth SmithTheresa MoranGlen McDonald

Kim Bodine

LAYOUT & DESIGNSean Brosnan

(GORGEOUS - Strategic Branding & Design)

COVERBringing Driver’s Education Back to Bay

District Schools (THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN ON ACLOSED COURSE. PLEASE DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE.)

Special thanks to: Bill Cramer Chevrolet Cadillac BuickGMC and Desiree Gardner Photography

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSDesiree Gardner Photography, Brittany Cole,

Tom Neubauer, and Theresa Moran

BAY BIZ MAGAZINEc/o Bay County Chamber of Commerce

235 W. 5th StreetPanama City, FL 32401

[email protected]

Online: www.panamacity.orgfacebook.com/baychamberfl

twitter.com/baychamberfl

The Bay Biz is published quarterly by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, 235 W. 5th Street,

Panama City, FL 32401 | 850.785.5206

POSTMASTER send address changes to: Bay County Chamber, 235 W. 5th Street, Panama City, FL

32401 or email [email protected].

The Bay Biz welcomes story ideas from itsreaders. Email to [email protected]. Torequest additional copies, contact 850-785-5206.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

BUSINESS TRIP

TRAVIS ALLEN

PANAMA CITY

TAMPA

3.15.2016

B 12

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You Only Have One Heart

615 N. Bonita AvenuePanama City, FL 32401(850) 769-1511www.baymedical .org

Only One Hospital Has the Area’s Best Survival Rates

Bay Medical Sacred Heart is recognized as one of the top-rated heart programs in the nation. Why? Because our mortality rates are among the lowest in the country and we have healed more hearts than any other program in the region.

One Life. One Heart. One Hospital.

Page 5: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 5

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

BUSINESS TRIP

TRAVIS ALLEN

PANAMA CITY

TAMPA

3.15.2016

B 12

BAY TO BAY IN A DAY

Global access with daily flights on Delta, Southwest, United and Silver

IFlyBeaches.com

WITH NONSTOP SERVICE TO:

ATLANTA | BALTIMOREDALLAS | HOUSTONNASHVILLE | ORLANDOST. LOUIS | TAMPA

and connections to the rest of the world.

Page 6: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

It’s summer time and I’m loving it! As you can see, the job that you afford me the opportunity to do has endless pos-sibilities. This collection of photos from the past quarter illustrates just that.

On the cover, our Junior Leadership Bay class had a big win with the approval by our Bay County Commission to fund Driver’s Education in our Bay District Schools. Kudos to Commissioners Mike Thomas, Mike Nelson, Guy Tunnell, Bill Dozier and George Gainer. In addition, thank you to Superintendent Bill Husfelt for his unwavering support. I also commend our class for seeing my personal passion to make this happen and that of Greg Wilson who led the class through the gov-ernmental processes. You can see the full story on page 10.

Also, in the Governmental Affairs (GA) arena, our GA Committee and Board of Directors fully sup-ported a local preference ordinance. Thank you to our friends at the City of Panama City for support-ing the concept; plans are underway to encourage other government entities to do the same. The City of Lynn Haven and the Bay County Commission already have ordinances in place and we thank them for supporting our local contractors.

As you know, community development is a large part of what your Bay County Chamber does. But we can’t do it without our business community. When we are successful on projects just like the above, everyone wins. When we have business friendly-government, everyone wins because new companies will come to our area and create jobs for our citizens. We encourage you to get involved and yes, if you are not a member, please consider it. We currently have 918 members, our goal for year end is to have 950. If you are interested in joining our team, please give me or any of our staff a call at 850-785-5206 and let’s grow Bay County together.

Carol RobertsPresident/CEO

Page 7: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 7

Tanner H., StudentSport and Fitness Management. Division I Athlete.

© 2015 Troy UniversityFrom The Princeton Review, August 1, 2014 © 2014 TPR Education, LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited.

Feel it at troy.edu/spirit or call 1-800-586-9771.

TROY is more than a great education. It’s also screaming fans and the thrill of Division I athletics. We pride ourselves in providing everything

you’re looking for in a college but delivering it on a personal level. Get a big college experience without feeling like a number. That’s

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Page 8: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

8 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

by: Theresa Moran, Vice President of Governmental AffairsBay County Chamber of CommerceBay County has seven municipalities, each with their own May-or/Commissioner form of government – Panama City, Panama City Beach, Lynn Haven, Springfield, Mexico Beach, Callaway and Parker. The Bay County Commission governs the unincor-porated areas of the county. Each of these governments relies on their managers/clerks to be the “keeper of the keys”. Since our last update in 2012, all eight positions have changed personnel. Each of these professionals gave us a quick update on some ac-complishments and goals for their municipality.

Robert “Bob” Majka Jr.Bay County Manager since March 16, 2015Population: 168,831Website: www.bay.fl.us

“The first and foremost responsibility of Bay Coun-ty Commission employees is to ensure that our cit-izens experience the very best customer service of any entity in Bay County, public or private” he said. “Our duty is to provide assistance that exceeds cus-tomers’ expectations and to find creative and effec-tive solutions to the problems we face.”

Upcoming challenges and goals include an ongoing effort to re-pair brand damage caused by widely publicized negative news stories surrounding Spring Break. The Bay County Commission will also continue working through aging infrastructure issues while striving to keep the county’s millage rate among the very lowest in the state.

Joel B. SchubertLynn Haven City Manager since April 14, 2014Population: 18,500Website: www.cityoflynnhaven.com“During my relatively short tenure we have established a clear strategic plan with six initiatives that accomplish our vision of efficiently providing outstanding mu-nicipal services. In particular, substantial efficiencies have already been realized in the budget with more to come.” Schubert states. Other accomplishments include:

a budget that adds $650,000 to reserves, received $216,000 in funding for water meters and police and fire department equip-ment, a “one-stop shop” in City Hall which is convenient for citizens, renovated City Hall Annex into multi-purpose Com-mission/meeting room/rental for a fraction of the cost and enhanced communication with citizens via social media and a revamped website.

Jeffrey BrownPanama City Manager since August 2014Population: 36,590Website: www.pcgov.org

Brown states “The City has held its first goals setting session with Commission-ers and Department Heads with 1, 3, and 5 year goals identified. They’ve contin-ued its wellness program, hired an Assis-tant City Manager and updated the City website. Even as we progressed, we still have several goals to obtain for the city”, Brown states. “Securing a developer for

the Marina project late this summer, establishing a comprehen-sive strategic plan for the community, and finally hosting its Inaugural Class of the Panama City Academy, where citizens will be given the chance to get a behind the scenes look at city operations.”

Nancy Avery RowellCity of Parker City Clerk since August 2012Population: 4,573Website: www.cityofparker.com

“We’ve built a more professional team of employees, created a professional process for code enforcement, sought and imple-mented grant funding to improve water, storm water, sewer and recreation infra-structure, and rebuilt our police and utili-ty fleet to save energy.” “We’ve got several goals to accomplish in the next five years”, she states. “They are to create an attractive,

The Big 8:City and County Manager Update

Page 9: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

side-walked and landscaped main street corridor, implement the renovation plan to the waterfront park by the DuPont Bridge (including construction of the 500’ fishing pier), implement a new financial management system, develop a new website, and create a new human resources/legal policy manual.”

Mario GisbertPanama City Beach Manager since July 2012Population: 12,094Website: www.pcbgov.com

“We need to get across the point that Panama City Beach is a family beach. Only five of the 52 weeks are we a spring break destination location.” He points out that unlike Destin, Panama City Beach has a Back Beach and Middle Beach Road that accommodates the locals and Front Beach Road is our tourist corridor. Gisbert feels that Panama City Beach has an incredible future. “If you think of the available land, the opportunities we have

with the airport, our unbelievable amenities like the beach, the bay, our creeks, our 3,000 acre conservation park, Frank Brown Park, our community…it’s a beautiful place to live.”

Mell SmigielskiMexico Beach City Manager since October 2014Population: 1,100Website: www.mexicobeachgov.comSmigielski’s goal is to provide stable and ethical leadership that will serve the com-munity well. Some recent accomplish-ments are they recently streamlined the Public Works Department from 8 depart-ments to 2, Storm Water Master Plan was complete and work on $467,000 improve-ments has started. “Codification of our ordinances should be complete in July and after the 2016 budget is established, records management will be a major focus” he states. “Lastly, strategic planning is underway in advance of the budget process to establish goals so the upcoming budget will be based on meeting the goals.”

J. Michael FullerCity of Callaway City Manager since June 2014Population: 14,500Website: www.cityofcallaway.com

Fuller’s primary goals include building relation-ships with other organizations throughout the county and focus on economic development. Cal-laway established a CRA district in 2007 to en-courage the redevelopment and economic growth in the city’s commercial corridors. Several new businesses have opened up in Callaway, includ-ing Sonny’s Bar-B-Q, Grocery Outlet and recently, Northstar Church broke ground. The proximity of Eastern Shipbuilding’s Allanton shipyard makes

it an important partner to the community. Callaway extended water and sewer lines down Highway 2297 to Allanton Point so that city utilities could accommodate future growth, including the growth of Eastern’s shipbuilding operations. Fuller states “I want to see the city play a larger role in fostering economic development and creating the best opportunities for businesses to grow.”

Lee PentonCity of Callaway City Clerk since July 2013Population: 9,600Website: www.springfield.fl.gov“We’ve created a new website and billing software to give our utility customers the choice to pay online and have their state-ment emailed to them.” According to Penton, “the city was awarded a grant from Water management to improve water and sewer mains along with service lines/meters for an entire neighborhood. This also will include paving in this area. We plan on doing another neighborhood this year and they are many projects in the planning stages that will give the citizens of Springfield pride in their city.” Penton looks forward to con-tinually improving the services that the City of Springfield pro-vides to all residents.

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10 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

Since Driver’s Education was pulled from Bay Dis-trict Schools in 2008 due to budget constraints, Bay County has lost seven teenagers to traffic acci-dents. That’s according to the Florida Department

of Health. Thanks to Junior Leadership Bay, a program of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, the Bay County Commission, Bay District Schools, and numerous other volunteers and advocates, Driver’s Education will be back in schools in the 2016-2017 school year.

Where the Idea Came FromThe idea for the project was started by Bay County Cham-ber of Commerce President and CEO, Carol Roberts. “My 15 year old granddaughter was struggling to pass her test to receive her permit. I asked her if she just wasn’t pay-ing attention in class and I received one of her infamous looks like I had lost my mind. She responded, what class? From a personal standpoint, I understand how vital this program is to our community. We need to prepare our young drivers for the dangers of the roadway.” Roberts then approached Junior Leadership Bay (JLB) about the idea. “Each year, the students are tasked with creating a project to help better our community. They were really excited and dove right in. They took the idea and ran with it.”

Julia Kady, a JLB student who helped spearhead the proj-ect, talks about the importance of Driver’s Education and why the students felt so passionate about the idea. “This was particularly important to me because I’ve seen count-less young teenagers die in car accidents in our county. From a close friend of my sister to a promising swimmer who went to elementary school with my best friend, the

effects of their deaths really hit home. I knew there must be a way to change the teen driving statistics in our com-munity.”

Research and FundingJLB students quickly realized they would need to find fund-ing to help bring the program back. One option they had was to lobby and ask the Bay County Commission to enact the Dori Slosberg Act. Bay District Schools asked several times to pass the Act and each time the request was denied. However, on April 21st, JLB students, parents, community leaders, and various others spoke in front of the Commis-sion. With a 5-0 vote, the Dori Slosberg Act passed in Bay County.

Starting July 1st, if you receive a moving traffic violation in Bay County, you will notice a new $5 fee. This fee will go to fund Driver’s Education. According to Clerk of Court, Bill Kinsaul, “FL Statute 318.1215 allows each county to pass an ordinance which would add an additional $5 per traf-fic citation, on the condition the funds will be used for an approved Driver Improvement Program. Bay County has approximately 32,000 traffic citations a year. The $5 assess-ment would generate approximately $160,000 per year.”

The money generated can only go to fund the program, not instructors or benefits for those instructors. That is where Bay District School Superintendent Bill Husfelt steps in. “The instructors will come from our teaching staff, which is funded by our regular teacher allocations. That funding is based on the number of students who attend a particular school.”, says Husfelt.

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BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 11

What Happens NowAt the start of the 2016-2017 school year, students in high school will be able to select Driver’s Education for their course schedule. Husfelt says they are putting together a task force to formulate an implementation plan, decide on curriculum, and get the necessary equipment. He also adds that the program will probably be a combination of physi-cally driving cars and simulators. The task force will assess the needs and make a recommendation before a final deci-sion is made. Technology will most certainly be a part of the program.

The purpose of this initiative is to save lives and reduce traf-fic crashes among teen drivers. Kady gives advice to other drivers her age, “I just want to say how important proper instruction is. This program will go a long way in their lives, whether the effects are immediate or observed later on in life. I truly believe this project will save lives. Even if it pro-tects just one teen, I believe it is a success. Not only will it accomplish things on a grand scale, but it will cut down on the little things like fender benders.”

Special ThanksThe Bay County Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the Bay County Commission for passing the Dori Slosberg Act, Bay District School Superintendent Bill Husfelt, JLB

Chairman Greg Wilson and the entire JLB Steering Commit-tee, and the volunteers who spoke at the Bay County Com-mission meeting.

About the Dori Slosberg ActIn February of 1996, a group of teenagers were driving on a highway in South Florida reaching speeds of 90 mph. When the driver lost control and crashed into an oncoming car, five teenagers were killed, including 14-year-old Dori Slos-

berg. Her twin sister, Emily Slosberg, survived the crash. Emily and her father, Representative Irv Slosberg, decided to do something about the tragedy. “The risk of motor vehi-cle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group. Regardless of this fact, many school districts throughout the state, either did not have Driver’s Education or had significantly cut their programs. State Rep. Irv Slosberg, recognized the need to fund Driver’s ed-ucation, and he passed the Dori Slosberg Act, which gives each of the 67 counties the option to adopt it as a County Ordinance. “ says Emily.

She explains how she coped with the loss of her sister, “It is what you do after a tragedy that determines whether it remains just a tragedy. After a year of crying every day, my dad and I, decided to do what we could to prevent other families from going through this.”

The Slosbergs have also set up a foundation to help spread the message of safe teen driving. To view more about their story, visit DoriSavesLives.org.

Rep. Irv Slosberg presents plaque to JLB

Dori Slosberg, daughter of Rep. Irv Slosberg

BY BRITTANY COLE, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS, BAY COUNTY CHAMBER

Page 12: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

12 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

Tips for Teen Drivers from the Department of Motor Vehicles • Always Wear Your Seatbelt or Helmet

• Keep Your Cell Phone OffMultiple studies indicate using a cell phone while driving is the equivalent of driving drunk, that’s even when using a hands-free phone.

• Don’t TextResearch shows texting on average causes a loss of focus on the road for 4.6 seconds. You can drive the length of a full football field in that time. A lot can go wrong while you drive the length of a football field without your eyes on the road. Don’t try the “texting-while-stopped” ap-proach. When you have your head down, you won’t notice key developments that may occur. Remember, you still need to pay attention to the road when you’re stopped.

• Turn on Your HeadlightsUsing your headlights increases your visibility and help other drivers see you, even when you feel like it’s light out. In the early morning and early evening (dusk), you need to use your lights or other drivers might not see you, which can be disastrous.

• Obey the Speed LimitSpeeding is a major contributor to fatal teen accidents. That’s especially true when driving on roads with lots of traffic or with which you’re not familiar. Don’t feel pres-sured to keep up with traffic if it seems like everyone else is flying by you. Driving a safe speed helps ensure your well-being, and keeps you away from costly traffic tickets that can cause a sharp hike in your auto insurance pre-miums.

• Minimize DistractionsIt may be tempting to eat, drink, flip around the radio dial, or play music loudly while you’re cruising around town; however, all can cause your mind or vision to wan-der, even for a few seconds.

As an inexperienced driver, you are more apt to lose con-trol of your car. Distractions can significantly increase the chances that you 1) not notice impending danger or notice it too late and 2) lose the ability to control the ve-hicle.

• Practice Defensive DrivingAlways be aware of the traffic ahead, behind, and next to you, and have possible escape routes in mind. Stay at least one car length behind the car in front of you in slow-er speeds, and maintain a larger buffer zone with faster speeds. Some car insurance companies will even give you a discount if you take an approved defensive driving course to improve your driving skills.

• Choose a Safe CarIf possible, drive a safe car with the latest safety equip-ment (such as anti-lock brakes, electronic stability con-trol, and air bags), and one with an excellent crash safety record.

Claim-Free Renewal Discount

When your policy comes up for renewal, you can save up to 20% if your previous policy period was accident - free.

Young drivers can save money by completing an approved driver’s education course, normally offered by theirschool. Older driversare offered a discount for defensive driving for defensive driving training.

Receive a discount if you have more than one car on your policy. You can also save bybundling your boat, PWC, motorcycle, or other toys you may have.

Available to unmarried students who are 16-24 years old who meet certain scholastic requirements, such as maintaining an overall grade point average of a “B” or higher.

Multi -Vehicle or Multi- Policy

Good Student Discount

Drivers Education Discount

Page 13: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 13

Commercial and Residential PropertyValuations

D O N A L D G I L E SM A I , S R A

Cert. Gen. RZ356

122 E 4th St Panama City, Fl, 32401

Phone: 850-769-6593 Fax: 850-872-9160

[email protected]

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City, ST ZIP Code Phone: 555.555.0125

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Leadership Bay is an adult leadership program of the Bay County Chamber. Each year, program participants are

challenged with the task to develop a project to benefit the Chamber and/or business community.

The 2014-15 class decided to take an item, identified by the Chamber’s Board of Directors at its fall planning session,

to develop a community pride campaign. Board members saw the need to promote the positive aspects of our community.In addition, a campaign to encourage pride and unity among

our citizens was identified as a critical need.

Bay County has seven diverse cities, unincorporated Bay Coun-ty, two different Chambers of Commerce, three separate touristdevelopment agencies and one economic development agency. With all of these different entities, the Leadership Bay Class of2014-15 set out to unify Bay County with their project, OneBay.

OneBay is a community campaign to promote pride and unity throughout Bay County with a vision to become a local, as wellas national, brand that recognizes all of Bay County as a prime

hub for tourism, cultural events and commerce.

Over the next few months, the BayCounty Chamber of Commerce, Bay Economic Development Al-liance, Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Bay

County Tourist Development Council will be rolling out the launch of OneBay. We ask you, our community, to support ourefforts in unifying Bay County by putting the OneBay logo on your website, Facebook page, Linkedin and other social media

outlets. T-shirts and stickers will also be available for purchase.

For more information on how you can supportOneBay, contact Elizabeth Smith at 850-215-3761 or email her at

[email protected]

Thank you to our sponsors:

Page 14: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

14 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

Congratulations to our 8th Annual Jungleball Volleyball Tournament.Royal American Beach Getaways took home 1st place, 2nd place was awarded to the City of Panama City Beach; and Exelis won 3rd place.

8th Annual Jungleball Tournament

19th Annual Spring Classic Golf Tournament

Spring Classic Winning Teams (pictured left to right):

1st Place: Scott Jenkins, Shane George, Andrew Rowell, and Trey Wilson2nd Place: Jeremy Bennett, Matt Duncan, Dustin Stokesbury, andScott Campbell3rd Place: Richard Holt, Wes Burnham, Sid Taylor, and Ric Holt

The Great Golf Ball DropKen McVay wins $500 in the GreatGolfball Drop.

1st place 2nd place 3rd place

1st place 2nd place 3rd place

Page 15: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

Why the Bay County Chamber of Commerce Celebrates Tourism Appreciation Month

May First FridayLEFT: Tourism Development Council CEO, Dan Rowe, speaks on the importance of tourism to Bay County’s economy at the May First Friday. RIGHT: Gulf World helps celebrate Tourism Appreciation Month at First Friday.

The Bay County Chamber presents “Tourism Appreciation Month” each year during the month of May. The State of Florida recognizes a week in May for Tourism Appreciation to highlight the importance of tourism in the state, but the Bay County Cham-ber takes it a step further to recognize our number one industry.

What does tourism mean to Bay County? According to the Pan-ama City Beach Tourist Development Council, in 2014 visitors spent over 1.23 billion dollars in Bay County. That means those who came to our area are spending an average of over 3.4 million dollars a day in our restaurants, stores and local attractions.

To celebrate the industry and those who work so hard to keep visitors happy while they stay here, the Bay County Chamber of Commerce hosts several events. The month kicks off with a tour-ism themed First Friday event, and continues with a Jungleball Volleyball Tournament and Spring Classic Golf Tournament.

Thank you to everyone who sponsored events for Tourism Appreciation Month:

Panama City Beach Convention andVisitors Bureau, Boardwalk BeachResort, Gulf World Marine Park, Capt.Anderson’s Marina, Comcast Business, TECO, Raymond James Advisory Group, Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort, Children’s Home Society, Cooper’s Drugs, Roberts & Roberts, Engineering & Equipment, Florida Architects, Peoples First Insurance, South-ern Earth Sciences, Harrison Sale McCloyAttorneys at Law, and Legendary Marine.

by: Elizabeth SmithVice President, Events & Foundation, Bay County Chamber

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16 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

The first ever Bay County Chamber of Commerce Bed Races was held in March at the Annual Board of Directors Block Party. Member businesses raced down 5th Street on a bed they constructed for a chance to win first, second, or third place prizes. Other prizes were awarded for “Best Bed Design”, “Craziest Bed Design” and “Best Team Spirit”.

1st Place “Aids2Navigation” by the U.S. Coast Guard2nd Place “Team Overdraft” by Centennial bank3rd Place “The Heart Throbs” by Bay Medical Sacred HeartEXELIS won Best Bed Design. Best Team Spirit was awarded to, Heart Throbs and Smooth Operators by Bay Medical Sacred Heart. Craziest De-sign went to the American Cancer Society. All received special Bay County Chamber Bed Race pillows.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered, donated their time and sponsored this event:

Centennial Bank, Ink Trax, Bay County Chamber ofCommerce Board of Directors The Celebration Place, Goldring Gulf Dis-tributing Company, Coca Cola, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Dave & Busters, WMBB News 13, Bayside Church, American Cancer Society, Bay Medical Sacred Heart, Exelis, United States Coast Guard, Labor Ready, Downtown Improvement Board, Bay County Chamber of Commerce Public Relations Committee & Ambassadors, Waste Pro, Waffle House, Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center, Junior Service League of Panama City, Disability Resource Center, and Ed Phelan.

1st PLACE

2ND PLACE

3RD PLACE

BEST BED DESIGN

BEST TEAMSPIRIT

CRAZIESTDESIGN

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BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 17

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18 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

LABOR FORCE EMPLOYED UNEMPLOYED UNEMPLOYED RATE

FEB 15

MAR 15

APR 15

84,747

86,633

86,134

85,251

88,255

91,855

79,559

81,790

81,697

79,293

82,704

87,139

5,188

4,843

4,437

5,958

5,551

4,716

6.1%

5.6%

5.2%

7.0%

6.3%

5.1%

REALTOR SALES MEDIAN PRICE REALTOR SALES MEDIAN PRICE

FEB 15

MAR 15

APR 15

FEB 14

MAR 14

APR 14

179

258

255

160

219

200

$170,000

$190,000

$160,000

$163,500

$149,000

$157,047

18,701

24,811

25,206

15,712

19,911

21,385

$179,995

$190,000

$175,000

$165,000

$174,000

$175,000

FEB 15

MAR 15

APR 15

FEB 14

MAR 14

APR 14

97

145

135

116

131

129

$191,500

$220,000

$185,000

$169,950

$179,900

$183,000

8,260

11,083

11,643

7,692

9,750

10,766

$143,000

$152,000

$155,000

$132,000

$139,900

$140,500

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

FEB 15

MAR 15

APR 15

FEB 14

MAR 14

APR 14

30

23

32

18

38

42

2

3

8

1

3

2

GROSS SALES TAXABLE SALES TAX COLLECTIONS

FEB 15

MAR 15

APR 15

FEB 14

MAR 14

APR 14

$416,447,386

$459,942,908

$657,709,450

$402,869,701

$483,197,453

$655,457,789

$219,062,670

$249,544,622

$355,002,096

$209,704,172

$233,598,091

$339,395,689

$13,767,103

$15,961,727

$21,693,874

$13,207,409

$15,222,075

$20,536,700

current labor statistics for Bay County

real estate salesEXISTING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

CONDO - TOWNHOME SALES

Bay County building permits

Bay County sales tax collections

INSIGHTS:Bay EDA Updateby: Becca Hardin, President

Have you ever had a chance to see Bay County from a “bird’s eye view?” I recently had this opportunity as we hosted our newly appointed Florida Secretary of Commerce and CEO of Enterprise Florida, Bill Johnson. Following a state economic development presentation to the Bay EDA Investors, we took the Secretary to the Port Panama City. After a quick windshield tour of the Port facilities, we met with management from Oceaneering and Berg Steel Pipe.

These are two very successful interna-tional manufacturing operations that have a large presence on our Port. Oceaneer-ing, a global oilfield provider of engineering services and products, employs more than 200 people in Panama City. On March 23rd, it was announced that they secured the contract for the Offshore Cape Three Points Development off the coast of West Africa. This contract adds over $100 million to the products backlog. ALL of this product manufacturing is planned to be performed at their Port facility.

Berg Steel Pipe, which has operations in Germany, France, and Mobile, Alabama, has also experienced significant growth during this past year. In August, 2014, the company announced landing the largest order in their history to produce 600 miles of large diameter steel pipe for the oil and gas industry. Two more large orders soon followed. These combined contracts were enough to create 140 new jobs and move operations to two shifts. Berg currently has more than 300 employees at their Port facility.

While these statistics are impressive, it is hard to get a feel for the magnitude of the work performed by these companies and our Port while viewing them on the ground. We were able to take Secretary Johnson on an aerial tour of the Port operations, the certified sites at the Port’s Intermodal Distribution Center and VentureCrossings®, and the airport sites adjacent to the 10,000-foot runway. This was the best way to see and appreciate all of the assets we have to offer in Bay Coun-ty. Secretary Johnson and I were blown away by what we saw during our bird’s eye tour. As we landed at our beautiful North-west Beaches International Airport, the Secretary had a big grin on his face with two thumbs up! My prediction is that he will be visiting Bay County again very soon!

FEB 14

MAR 14

APR 14

Page 19: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 19

INSIGHTS:Bay EDA Update

Demographic Snapshot

Bay County Population: 178,324Median Age: 40Labor Force: 90,424Average Wage: $33,251

Households: 67,561Household Income: $47,461Per Capita Income: $24,498

PANAMA CITY BEACH MEXICO BEACH

FEB 15

FEB 14

% CHANGE

MAR 15

MAR 14

% CHANGE

$683,922

$580,142

17.89%

$2,012,955

$1,913,353

5.21%

$27,435

$19,836

38.31%

$27,435

$19,836

38.31%

Bay County bed tax collections

April - June 2015

TOTAL PASSENGERS COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS

FEB 15

MAR 15

APR 15

FEB 14

MAR 14

APR 14

42,653

81,552

82,101

42,653

81,552

82,101

746

1,333

1,343

768

1,436

1,425

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport passenger traffic

APR 15

APR 14

% CHANGE

-

-

-

-

-

-

National, state & local unemployment rate (Jan 1990 to July 2013)

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

Apr‐0

5

Jul‐0

5

Oct‐0

5

Jan‐06

Apr‐0

6

Jul‐0

6

Oct‐0

6

Jan‐07

Apr‐0

7

Jul‐0

7

Oct‐0

7

Jan‐08

Apr‐0

8

Jul‐0

8

Oct‐0

8

Jan‐09

Apr‐0

9

Jul‐0

9

Oct‐0

9

Jan‐10

Apr‐1

0

Jul‐1

0

Oct‐1

0

Jan‐11

Apr‐1

1

Jul‐1

1

Oct‐1

1

Jan‐12

Apr‐1

2

Jul‐1

2

Oct‐1

2

Jan‐13

Apr‐1

3

Jul‐1

3

Oct‐1

3

Jan‐14

Apr‐1

4

Jul‐1

4

Oct‐1

4

Jan‐15

Apr‐1

5

Florida

US

Bay County

Page 20: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

20 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

The Bay County/Tyndall AFB P4 (Public/Public, Public/Private) Community Service Committee has been very busy over the last few months.

P4 Community Service Committee - The BasicsThe overall goal of the Bay County/Tyndall AFB Community Service Committee is to create projects that mutually benefit both the military and the community. It is a part of a larger initiative within the Air Force. To accomplish this goal, we are bringing Air Force leadership and resource support to help Tyndall AFB and community leaders develop, prioritize, and implement community partnership initiatives. Locally, the effort is overseen by a steering committee comprised of Chair-man Guy Tunnell from the Bay County Commission, Colonel Derek France, Commander 325th Fighter Wing, Tom Neubauer, President of the Bay Defense Alliance, and Larry Carroll, Chair-man of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee. This group will establish priorities, commit resourc-

es, provide strategic vision, and champion the overall efforts of TAFB P4. We thank each of these members for their time and commitment. Under the leadership of the Steering Committee, 11 separate initiatives remain active and are being worked by AF and community personnel.

Recent ActivitiesThe Florida Defense Support Task Force awarded two grants for the execution of two local initiatives: (1) Military/Spouse Employment was allocated $150K; and (2) $200K was allocated for improved traffic flow on US 98 through Tyndall AFB. Thank you to Governor Scott and the Florida Defense Task Force for the awards of these grants.

Military/Spousal Employment InitiativeCreating jobs for transitioning military members and their spouses and improving the match to local employment and training opportunities is the focus of this project. To date, the project has successfully implemented an online survey during

Tyndall Air Force Base P4Initiatives Taking Flightby: Glen McDonald, Bay Defense Alliance (BDA) & P4 CommunityService Co-Chair

Page 21: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 21

the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) workshop. This survey identifies the skill sets of transitioning military mem-bers and then directly connects them with relevant job op-portunities and services. In addition to the survey, members of the workgroup including, Glen McDonald, Kim Bodine, Jodie Schwartz, and Maria Goodwin, met with multiple federal agencies to gain access to aggregate workforce data on separating military service members. The data is needed to assist economic development organizations document the skill sets of transitioning service members for business recruitment or expansion projects and to help regional workforce boards and educational institutions effectively align their training/employment programs to meet and retain veterans in the local community. As a result of the meetings/discussions, the Air Force and the Office of Secretary of Defense are reviewing the list of specific data points needed for the project. In addition, the workgroup held multiple meetings with the Florida De-partment of Economic Opportunity to garner their assistance in the data transfer and storage.

Medical InitiativeThe military and civilian medical communities are working on initiatives to better serve the military patient population and medical staff currency. There are two major initiatives being worked. First, developing a time-share satellite clinic within the Medical Office Building attached to Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center. The clinic will enable Tyndall Air Force Base beneficiaries the opportunity to receive care without traveling to the base. Secondly, the clinic will establish provider training opportunities for both Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center and Tyndall Air Force Base staff that will build skillsets while pro-viding an additional staffing source. The time-share satellite clinic lease is in review and we expect signatures soon. The provider training is a more complex process. The two entities have an agreement in place and have been sharing training op-portunities for the last several months. Additionally, in order to allow military providers to practice within the community, the Steering Committee (and key leaders in the medical com-munity) has been working with the Florida Defense Support Task Force in an effort to enact legislation that would recognize reciprocity of medical licensure. The Task Force has expressed interest in military provider licensure initiative and work is continuing.

Many people have worked very hard to develop and bring this committee and associated activities into place. If you happen to see one of them, ask them about it and thank them for all their hard work!

Page 22: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

BoardwalkBeachResort.com | 850.230.4630 | [email protected]

Sunset Pavilion 9,000 sq ft Open-Air Pavilion

The White House & Cabana by the Bay

Private Indoor and Outdoor Meeting Space on St. Andrews Bay

Holiday packages

to cHoose from

including our popular

griswold package

flexible meeting spaceon tHe beacH and on tHe bay

Convention CenterOver 26,000 sq ft of Flexible Meeting Space, Including 9 Individual

Break-Out Rooms and a 15,000 sq ft Grand Ballroom

Book your company’s Holiday Party while the best venues are still available! Choose from our unbeatable packaged prices, top-notch catering options and lots of flexible indoor/outdoor meeting space. Let our experienced staff help you get the best value and location for your company’s next meeting or office party.

Boardwalk Beach Resort : 9600 South Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach, FLThe White House & Cabana by the Bay : 4601 West Highway 98, Panama City, FL

Are Booked Early & Now it is Time to Stay Planning!

The best Holiday Parties

Page 23: July-September 2015 Bay Biz
Page 24: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

24 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

Across Bay, Gulf and Franklin Counties, we come to work with a single goal in mind – to make our communities stronger every day. We focus on strengthening our workforce, and providing world-class ser-vices to both employers and job seekers. While that may be the core of our work, we take a much broader perspective of workforce development.

From managing a Summer Leadership Camp in Gulf County to supporting new programs for Franklin County families reliant on the once thriving oyster fishery, CareerSource Gulf Coast is dedicated to the residents of our region and the com-

munities we serve. Among our unique efforts is the annual Homeless Veterans Stand Down, held in Panama City for the past seven years.

It’s not easy to put the words “homeless” and “vet-erans” in the same sentence, yet many of those who have served our country are now without the basic necessities essential for daily life. On Thurs-day, Sept. 24, CareerSource Gulf Coast, in partner-ship with many local veterans, active duty person-nel, and service agencies, will host the 8th Annual Homeless Veterans Stand Down. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center, downtown Panama City.

This is a significant team effort. Our goal is clear - to connect our veterans in need with the people who can help them. Career-Source, for example, can provide employment services. Others will be on site to provide support and connections. Thanks to students at Haney Technical Center, there will be free haircuts. There’s also a partnership between the Veterans Task Force of Northwest Florida and area restaurants to provide a much-ap-preciated hot lunch. So many step forward to instill some hope when hope may be most needed.

In addition to haircuts and a hot lunch, services that will be available include information about employment and educa-tion, medical screenings, social service assistance, and informa-tion about VA benefits. The Bay Town Trolley will be providing all veterans free transportation on the day of the event.

The planning work has begun in earnest, as our coalition of volunteers is actively building a strong base of local sponsors. There are opportunities for your business or organization to be involved. Our sponsorships are both cash and in-kind, follow-ing this breakdown:

• Platinum Sponsor ($1,000+) - Prime name identification on event promotional materials and benefits listed below.• Gold Sponsor ($500) - Logo on event promotional materials and benefits listed below.• Silver Sponsor ($250) - Name on event promotional material and benefits listed below.• Bronze Sponsor (up to $249) - Name on event promotional material opportunity to display banner at the event, and recog-nition at event.

We are grateful for the many partners in this community who have stepped forward to help us deliver goods and services to these folks. They have served. Now it’s our turn. We hope that you will consider joining us.

For more information on sponsorships or the event in gener-al, contact Jennifer Bannister at 850-872-4340 ext. 129 or email [email protected]. You can keep up with the de-velopments regarding this year’s Stand Down on our website at careersourcegc.com or follow us on Facebook by searching CareerSourceGulfCoast.

A Community Joins to Support Those Who Have Servedby: Kim Bodine, Executive DirectorCareerSource Gulf Coast

Page 25: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

SOLVE THE CASEW I T H A B . S . D E G R E E I N

CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATIONF R O M F S U P A N A M A C I T Y

NEW PROGRAM BEGINNING FALL 2015

EARN YOU DEGREE ONLINE** labs completed on-campus during an accelerated summer program

APPLICATION DEADLINE JULY 29

P C . F S U . E D U / P S S

Page 26: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

26 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

Leadership Bay graduates 32nd classOn May 19th, a reception was held honoring the 32nd Class of Leadership Bay at the Edge-water Beach & Golf Resort. The event was attended by the class participants, their employers and family members, the Leader-ship Bay Steering Committee and the Chamber Board of Directors.

The group began their nine-month curriculum with a weekend re-

treat at Tyndall Air Force Base in October. Every other Wednes-day the class explored the various segments of Bay County’s econo-my, i.e., Tourism, Industry, Mili-tary, Law Enforcement, Local and State Government, Community Volunteerism, Communications/Media, Healthcare and Ecology.

Each class is responsible for de-veloping a project of benefit to the Chamber and/or the community. This year’s project was a communi-ty pride campaign titled “One Bay”.

Of course, we can’t have Leader-ship Bay without the support and hard work from the 2014-2015 Lead-ership Bay Steering Committee:

Chairman Petie Bailey, Gulf Pow-er Company; Nick Beninate, Har-rison Sale McCloy; DeAnne Carl-son, Summit Bank; Joe Chavarria, CareerSource Gulf Coast; Jacob Fish, St. Andrew Bay Land Co.; Jen-ny Howell, Naval Surface Warfare Center PC; Brian Leebrick, Barron & Redding, P.A.; Frances Martin, Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center; Megan Meints, Booz Allen Hamil-ton Engineering; Tricia Pearce, Life Management Center of NW FL; Nick Pohl, Trane; Shannon Sheibe, FSU Panama City; Tammala Spencer; Trevor Walls, Gulf Coast State Col-lege; Jennifer Wolgamott, ZHA Inc.

The Bay County Chamber of Com-merce would like to welcome our newest members to our Board of Directors. Both Doug Moore and Andrew Rowell will serve a one year appointment on our Board.

Doug MooreSenior Vice President for Ameris Bank

If you are a member of the Bay County Chamber and would like to submit your business news to be published, email a press release, logo or photo to [email protected]

Beverly Nield

Elizabeth HooksDee Hayhurst

Brandon Burg Keith Carroll

Aaron McPhailKatherine Kamback

Kevin FrancisChris Castellini

Raslean Allen Ron Boyce

Mike Huelsbeck

Bay County Chamber of Commerce

Leadership Bay photos by Desiree Gardner Photography

Chris VickBen SchmidtLydia RosaKarin Robinson

Page 27: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 27

Andrew RowellHead of Business Development for GAC

Contractors, Inc.DeTectDeTect, Inc. received the Inaugural Gulf Coast Trade Alliance Export Achievement Award for the State of Florida at a ceremony at the 15th Annual World Trade Conference in Mobile, Alabama. DeTect’s Presi-dent and CEO, Gary W. Andrews,

accepted the award on behalf of the company. Since its founding in Pan-ama City, Florida in 2003, DeTect has delivered over 260 of its radar systems worldwide with over 55% of its Florida and Colorado manu-factured products being exported.

Kerigan Marketing AssociatesKerigan Marketing Associates of Mexico Beach is pleased to an-nounce the appointment of Sara Backus, Creative Director and Dan-iel Spanier, Senior Graphic Design-er.

Sara Backus has been promoted to Creative Director for Kerigan Mar-keting Associates. In her new role Sara oversees art and design direc-tion for all Kerigan websites and projects. Sara holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Harding University. She joined the team as Senior Graphic Designer, in 2013, with 10 years agency ex-

perience. She previously worked at Counterpart Communication De-sign in Memphis, TN and received regional, national and international awards for excellence in design for

clients including FedEx and Inter-national Paper. Since joining, the Kerigan team has been awarded 11 Gold and 15 Silver Addys by the American Advertising Federation’s local Panama City chapter.

Daniel Spanier has joined the cre-ative team at Kerigan Marketing Associates as Senior Graphic De-signer. Daniel brings over 12 years

of graphic design experience from the Birmingham area where he held positions at Lamar Outdoor and Mspark working on the Little Cae-sars account and other retail spe-cialties. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from The Univer-sity of Montevallo with a concentra-tion in Graphic Design. Daniel has relocated to the Mexico Beach area and will lead digital design for the agency’s growing internet market-ing services.

MidSouth BankW. Davis Malone, Chairman & CEO of MidSouth Bancorporation, re-cently announced that Inga Brown has joined MidSouth Bank as a Mortgage Banker in Bay County. Brown will serve clients at Mid-South’s Bay County main office lo-

cated in Panama City at 1418 West 23rd Street. As an experience mort-gage lender, Brown brings over ten years of financial expertise in sales, customer service, and lending to her new position.

Hancock BankGreg Seymour is the new vice president of commercial lending for Hancock Bank. With 17 years in North Florida’s financial indus-try, Seymour offers clients an array of strategic banking and financing solutions complemented by a prov-

en passion for helping the region’s businesses and non-profits suc-ceed. As a commercial lender, he will guide businesses in develop-ing credit and deposit management strategies that incorporate innova-tive resources such as the bank’s online treasury management tools.

Have a submissionfor the Biz List?

Please contact Brittany Coleat 850-215-3755.

Page 28: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

Top-Rated Cardiac Care Now Available at the BeachThe physicians who provide Northwest Florida’s top-rated heart care at Bay Medical Sacred Heart are now seeing patients on Panama City Beach. The Cardiovascular Institute of Northwest Florida has opened a second office in the Bay Medical at the Beach facility, located near the intersection of Panama City Beach Parkway and Richard Jackson Boulevard to better serve residents of Panama City Beach and Walton County. Our Beach clinics are currently being held on Tuesdays.

Our medical staff at the Cardiovascular Institute includes the area’s only cardiologists offering specialized interventional procedures for high-risk patients as well as advanced therapies for heart rhythm disorders, carotid disease and other peripheral vascular issues. We also offer many in-office diagnostic procedures and same-day appointments with a referral. Please call (850)769-0329 to schedule .

Now Seeing Patients at the Beach

Amir R. Haghighat, M.D., F.A.C.C.University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Endovascular Medicine and Nuclear Cardiology

Michael F. Morrow, M.D., F.A.C.C.Medical College of Georgia

Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease. Special interest in Cardiac Valvular Disorders.

Thompson C. Maner, M.D., F.A.C.C.Medical College of Georgia

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology

Samir N. Patel, M.D., F.A.C.C.Medical College of Rush University

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Endovascular Medicine and Nuclear Cardiology. Registered physician in Vascular Interpretation.

Accepting New PatientsMost Major Insurances Accepted

(850)769-0329

801 E. 6th St., Floors 4 & 5Panama City, Florida 32401

11111 Panama City Bch Pkwy, Ste. 134Panama City Beach, FL 32407

www.cardiovascularinstitute.com

BAY MEDICAL at the BEACH• Only 8 minutes from Pier Park• 20 minutes from Rosemary Beach

Page 29: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

1138879★Alcohol Offenses

★D.U.I. Offenses★Drug Offenses★Assault and Battery★ Traffic Offenses

REJUVENATE your Body

As one of Florida’s most premier health and fitness facilities, we offer everything you need to strengthen, rejuvenate and pamper yourself; including a 24 hour fitness center for women and men along with an exclusive women’s only fitness area. At Panama City Health Club, we offer the latest state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength training equipment, innovative group fitness classes, personal training, comfortable and relaxing steam room and sauna, child care and a nutrition bar. Here, you’ll find that fitness never felt so good.

PAMPER your Soul

914-BFIT(2348) e PanamaCityHealthClub.com e see us on

Page 30: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

30 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

Many young professionals are enthusiastic about area business and community opportunities and are ready to get involved as new leaders. Bay Young Professionals (BYP) was formed by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce to specifically address the needs of this age group to enrich our community by uniting, developing and retaining our future leaders.

If you are interested in becoming part of the Bay Young Professionals (BYP) group, contact Elizabeth Smith at850-215-3761 or [email protected].

A fourth generation Panama City native, Nick Jay, is proud to live, work, and serve in the community he calls home. Jay works as the Learning and Development Specialist at Tyndall Federal Credit Union. He uses his finance and professional experience, as well as his refreshing sense of hu-mor, to make a significant difference in the lives of Tyndall employees. In both his personal and work life, he strives to live by John Max-well’s motto: “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” This is not only evident in his classroom pre-sentation style, but also in his volunteer efforts. Jay participates in multiple community groups and activities: teaching youth financial literacy, directing charity events like “The Ride for Hope,” and encour-aging people to find a positive work, life balance. He holds a Finance and Real Estate degree from FSU and is currently attending Troy Uni-versity completing a Master’s degree in Human Resource Manage-ment. He spends his free time with family and friends and can often be found bike riding or splitting an ice cream with his dog, Calvin.

Nick Jay

Erica Howard is a Panama City native. She studied journalism at UCF where she wrote for The Student. She interned with the edito-rial department at Relevant Media Group. In 2006, she began work-ing as a copy editor and page designer for The News Herald. How-ard managed the design and editing hub responsible for TNH’s 10 daily and weekly regional sister newspapers. She also trained staff and maintained consistent design/content standards.

In 2013, Howard became the marketing and special events coordi-nator at FSU-PC. She writes monthly student and donor profiles, updates the campus’ social media accounts, and designs collateral and marketing materials for university-hosted events. She serves on FSU-PC’s Student Activities, Enrollment Growth, and Hospital-ity committees.

Howard is a member of Bay Young Professionals, PCB’s HYPE and the Bay County Chamber’s PR Committee. She is an active North-star Church member and has traveled twice to Honduras to host VBS. Howard spends free time planning her November wedding.

Erica Howard

Photos by: Desiree Gardner Photography

Page 31: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 31

Page 32: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

• KBB’s2015“Best Buy Award”• MotorTrend’s“Talk of The Town Award”• U.S.News&WorldReport2014“Best Cars For The Money”

Five Decades.....Three Generations.....One Tradition!2251 W. 23rd Street - Panama City, FL 32405

850-250-4737 - BillCramerGM.com

Page 33: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

It’s beautiful outside. Perfect for a bayfront morning run, or a poolside brunch and mimosas with friends. Maybe some sweet tea on the porch with

neighbors at sunset—sounds like the perfect way to end the day. Welcome to the SweetBay life.

SweetBay is a new master-planned community at the water’s edge in Panama City, Florida. A place to get in touch with nature and

neighbors. There are pathways, waterways, parks and pools to connect the community as well as an award-winning free public

charter school, University Academy. Down the line, a future shopping district is planned to serve as the heart of the community.

The best part? Everything is just a short walk from your front door.

Our bayfront village is intelligently designed to foster a mindful, healthy, and relaxed lifestyle full of natural beauty and wellness.

Won’t you join us?Register online to get all the news and information about new homes in SweetBay. www.sweetbayfl.com

A new-home communityin Panama City, Florida

OPE

NING THIS SUMMER

SBAY 28P-15 Sweet Bay • BayBiz.indd 1 5/7/15 3:35 PM

Page 34: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

July10th First Friday with the Beach*FSU Panama City HolleyAcademic Center(4750 Collegiate Drive)Networking:7:15 a.m. / Program 8:00 a.m.Sponsored by:RideOn and Sanders Security

14th & 21stQuickBooks 2015 Basic ClassFSU Panama City HolleyAcademic Center Room B101Time:9:00 a.m.Contact Elizabeth at 850.215.3761 to register.

August7thFirst Friday*FSU Panama City HolleyAcademic Center(4750 Collegiate Drive)Networking:7:15 a.m. / Program 8:00 a.m.Sponsored by:Bill Cramer Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC

Leadership BayApplications DueBay County Chamber ofCommerce OfficeDeadline:4 p.m.Visit PanamaCity.org for anapplication, or contactElizabeth at 850.215.3757

September4th First Friday*FSU Panama City HolleyAcademic Center(4750 Collegiate Drive)Networking:7:15 a.m. / Program 8:00 a.m.Sponsored by:Gulf Coast State CollegeCorporate College

18th Industry AppreciationCelebration Skeet ShootLocation TBDSponsored by:Gulf Power Company

24th Industry AppreciationCelebration AwardsBreakfastFSU - Panama City

Time:8:00 a.m.Sponsored by:Gulf Power CompanyFor more information,contact Elizabeth Smith at 850.215.3761

For a complete and up to date list of all Chamber activities, includingcommittee meetings,visit our website at www.PanamaCity.org

NOTE: Dates, times and locations subject to change. For sponsorship information, please contact:[email protected] or call850-215-3761

Who deserves recognition?

Nominate them for your Better Business Bureau®

Foundation’s:

•Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics•Customer Service Excellence Award

•Student Ethics Scholarship

bbb.org/nwfl/TorchAward

Deadline: March 27, 2015

®

Page 35: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 35

Gregory Morrow, MD Deborah Edgeworth, MD Yolanda Jones, MD Shawn Brooking, DNP, CNM Noreen Burke, ARNP

Coastal OB/GYN offers a full complement of women’s services for teens and young women, mothers to be, women in mid-life, menopause and beyond. Services include:

~ da Vinci® Robotic procedures ~ Prenatal care and delivery

including high risk ~ Advanced 3D/4D

ultrasonography ~ Gynecological ultrasonography ~ Urinary incontinence ~ Uterine prolapse ~ Endometrial ablation

~ Family Planning ~ Infertility ~ Laparoscopic surgery ~ Midwife obstetrics ~ Treatment of abnormal paps ~ Treatment of menopause ~ Adult immunizations ~ Well woman exams

Call 785-0515 to Schedule Your Appointment25 Doctors Drive, Panama City | w w w.coastalobgynpc.com

Page 36: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

36 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

Balfour Beatty-Navy Southeast Region2007 N. Harbour Dr.Lynn Haven, FL 32444(850) 630-8494

Beahan’s Heat and Air, Inc8017 Willow Rd.Youngstown, FL 32466(850) 866-2273

Christina Shults Photography512-B Dement CirclePanama City Beach, FL 32407(850) 691-8109

CIWEB1307 Cinncinnati Ave.Panama City, FL 32401(770) 296-7250

Davita Lynn Haven Dialysis404 E. 24th St.Lynn Haven, FL 32444(850) 271-2937

Davita - Panama City Dialysis Center615 Hwy. 231Panama City, FL 32405(850) 785-1233

Dex Media(850) 849-2025

Disaster Response Team2145 Mound Ave.Panama City, FL 32405(850) 763-4378

Division of VocationalRehabilitation2505 W. 15th St., Ste BPanama City, FL 32401(850) 872-4380

Duke Energy106 E. College Ave., Ste 800Tallahassee, FL 32301(800) 700-8744

Edge Aerodynamix, Inc.8317 Front Beach Rd #21Panama City Beach, FL 32407(850) 238-8610

Enterprise Rent A Car1104 W. 15th St.Panama City, FL 32401(850) 872-9206

Enterprise Rent A Car557 Richard Jackson Blvd. Ste BPanama City Beach, FL 32407(850) 234-5796

First American Title Insurance PCB600 Grand Blvd. Ste., 101BPanama City Beach, FL 32408(850) 235-2685

Fitness Pro653 W. 23rd St. PMB #289Panama City, FL 32405(850) 528-1358

Historical Society of Bay CountyPO Box 1476Panama City, FL 32402

Holiday Cruises & Tours2522 Capital Circle NE, Ste 14Tallahassee, FL 32308(850) 386-7327

Home Depot  #844611500 PCB ParkwayPanama City Beach, FL 32407(850) 234-2018(850) 636-3114

Hyperbaric Center of Excellence11501 Hutchinson Blvd., Ste. 109Panama City Beach, FL 32407(850) 502-2015

Innovations in Finance, Inc.PO Box 611123Rosemary Beach, FL 32461(516) 383-3700

Jellyfish Health209 Harrison Ave.Panama City, FL 32401(800) 933-1620

Jim’s Vacuum and Sewing715 Ohio Ave.Lynn Haven, FL 32444(850) 265-6584

K2 Technical2415 Dragonfly LanePanama City, FL 32405(850) 896-4989

Keller Williams Success Realty309 Richard Jackson Blvd., Ste. 200Panama City Beach, FL 32407(850) 249-0313

Marcia Pell, Certified Diabetes EducatorPO Box 693Lynn Haven, FL 32444(850) 867-0336

Millville IGA2401 E. 5th St.Panama City, FL 32401(850) 481-8761

MonitorClosely.com1516 Tennessee Ave.Lynn Haven, FL 32444(850) 896-5256

National Commerce GroupPO Box 33840Detroit, MI 48232-0840(313) 596-0414

Panama City Open MRI106 Medical Center Dr.Panama City, FL 32405(850) 873-6900

Panhandle Engineering, Inc.3005 S. Lynn Haven PkwyLynn Haven, FL 32444(850) 763-5200

Pons Construction948 Jenks Ave.Panama City, FL 32401(850) 215-4146

Royal Used Tire Center1209 W. 15th St.Panama City, FL 32401(850) 257-5772

SEATOW of Panama City5325 N. Lagoon CirclePanama City Beach, FL 32408(850) 234-2323

Skaters Choice5413 Hickory St.Panama City, FL 32404(850) 763-85513

SmartbankPO Box 129Destin, FL 32459(850) 269-5220

Sonic Drive In #65052021 Thomas Dr.Panama CityBeach, FL 32408

Target Marketing7766 Ewing Blvd., Ste 200Florence, KY 41042(800) 933-3909

The Gayle & Brian Foundation201 Harrison Ave.Panama City, FL 32401(850) 747-3611

Vacasa5325 N. Lagoon CirclePanama City Beach, FL 32408(850) 234-2323

Winn-Dixie132 S. Tyndall ParkwayPanama City, FL 32404(850) 913-0086

Page 37: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

5 YearsAcentria IncBay County Awards & EngravingEarly Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Inc.FL Neuro Pain & Spine CenterGangwisch, Grandy and Melzer Family DentistryGuardian Ad LitemGulf Coast State College FoundationHome DepotPersonnel Resources, Inc.Topix SalonWilliam B. Price, P.A.Wonderworks PCB

10 YearsAllstate/ Pam Johnson Agency, P.A.Daystar Cleaning IncPreston Executive Partners

15 YearsAngelo’s Steak PitBaysolutionsEmerald Coast HospiceRay Morse, DMD, PASchoonersTGI Friday’s

20 YearsCity of SpringfieldDavid Pete Windham,DMD.Jerry Pybus Electric Inc.

25 YearsGrease Pro, Inc.

30 YearsGulf World Marine ParkLamar Advertising Co.Merrill LynchSowell Tractor CompanyWMBB-TV

55 YearsCulligan Water Services

MARKETING CONSULTING • WEBSITE DESIGN

850-648-4560 | kerigan.com | Mexico Beach, FL

Your brand is what other people say about

you when you’re not in the room.”

— Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com

Let’s talk about what you’re up against.

Don’tFORGET!

We CareAbout OurStudents

Page 38: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

38 BAY BIZ | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

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1. Capt. United makes a special appearance at the April First Friday 2. Military Affairs Committee members welcomeWarrior Beach Retreat to Bay County3. Congratulations to the 2014-2015 JuniorLeadership Bay Class4. Newest Leadership Bay graduates. Congratulations, Class of 2014-2015 5. Military Affairs Committee celebrates the “Year of the Military Diver” at NSA PC6. Members enjoy Business After Hours atLegendary Marine

Page 39: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

ƒ¬Ωœ∑ø∂˚ß

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or in all GEICO companies. See geico.com for more details. GEICO and Affiliates. Washington DC 20076. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2015. © 2015 GEICO.

ƒ¬Ωœ∑ø∂̊

ßJennifer Koppel

850-785-05381314 N. Tyndall Pkwy | Panama City

(Between Transmitter Rd. and Super Wal-Mart)

Just ask us.

Page 40: July-September 2015 Bay Biz

235 W. 5th StreetPanama City, FL 32401

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