january-march 2015 bay biz

JOBS

Whether you’re a job seeker looking for a great opportunity, or an employer in search of the best candidates for

your position, we have you covered in Bay, Gulf and Franklin Counties. CareerSource Gulf Coast is a powerful

network of workforce professionals helping employers and job seekers. From classes and training, to hosting

employer recruiting events: We offer these quality services and more - all at no cost! Don’t waste another moment.

Connect with CareerSource Gulf Coast, where jobs are our business!

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.

That’s Our BUSINESS

BAY BIZ | JANUARY - MARCH 2015 3

8

20Hitting The Ground Running: Dr. JohnHoldnak Returns to Gulf Coast State College

EDUCATION

10

20

22

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

8Election 2014: Meet Your Elected Leaders

10Edge Aerodynamix: Bringing New Jobs and Technology to Bay County

POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE

FEATURE

16 FIRST RESPONDERSAPPRECIATION

18EDA InsightsECONOMIC PROFILE

22Helping Families of Deployed Airmen During the Holidays

DEFENSE INTEL

14Expand Your Reach on Social MediaTRENDS

4 BAY BIZ | JANUARY - MARCH 2015

PUBLISHERCarol Roberts

EXECUTIVE EDITORBrittany Cole

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSScarlett Phaneuf

Sean BrosnanTheresa Moran

Brittany ColeNancy Schlagheck

Airman 1st Class Alex Echols

LAYOUT & DESIGNSean Brosnan

(GORGEOUS - Strategic Branding & Design)

COVEREdge Aerodynamix

Courtesy of: Desiree Gardner Photography

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSBrittany Cole, Desiree Gardner Photography, and

CareerSource Gulf Coast

BAY BIZ MAGAZINEc/o Bay County Chamber of Commerce

235 W. 5th Street – P.O. Box 1850Panama City, FL 32402

[email protected]

Online: www.panamacity.orgfacebook.com/baychamberfl

twitter.com/baychamberfl

The Bay Biz is published quarterly by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1850, Panama City, FL

32402 | 850.785.5206

POSTMASTER send address changes to: Bay County Chamber, P.O. Box 1850, Panama City, FL

32402 or email [email protected].

The Bay Biz welcomes story ideas from itsreaders. Email to [email protected].

Each Chamber Member receives one copy. Torequest additional copies, contact 850-785-5206.

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NONSTOP SERVICE TO:

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ATLANTA | BALTIMORE | DALLASHOUSTON | NASHVILLE | ST. LOUIS

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

NONSTOP SERVICE TO:

and connections to the rest of the world.


Thank goodness the holi-days are behind us! I don’t know about you, but they are simply exhausting to me. Now it is time to kick off a new year and start the process all over again. It’s 2015. Aren’t we supposed to be flying around in our own little space ships like we used to see in the Jetsons?Before I talk about 2015, I have to first reflect on some of our highlights in 2014 under the lead-ership of Larry Carroll, Chairman of the Board (and owner of Coldwell Banker/Carroll Realty). I’ve enjoyed working with Larry, and he is cer-tainly to be commended for going above and be-yond the call of duty; and taking time away from his business to meet his volunteer commitment to this organization and community.

We started off 2014 with a bang with 653 mem-bers present at our Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony; we closed for the first ever ice storm; PC Beach Chamber recognized me (of all peo-ple) with their Pioneer of the Year award; we brought home three Communications awards from the Florida Association of Chamber Pro-fessionals (FACP); said farewell to Col. Graff and welcomed Col. France to TAFB; led the cam-paign and won a new bed tax for the City of Pan-ama City; brought back Industry Appreciation festivities and our Career Connections had a record number of students participate from Bay

District Schools. In the last quarter alone, our organization and community celebrated United Airlines Express starting service this March at ECP; funding for the replacement of the Laird Bayou Bridge at Eastern Shipbuilding (thanks to Governor Scott) and lastly the announcement of Edge Aerodynamix.

The official passing of the gavel from Larry Car-roll to Andrew Levy of Harrison Sale McCloy, will take place later this month at our Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony. We sincerely look forward to working with Andrew to pursue our priorities for the year. Topping our priorities is to work closely with the leadership of Alignment Bay to pursue a more focused effort toward ed-ucation unity to meet the ever changing needs of the business community. As the year goes on, you will hear more about this exciting program being driven by CareerSource Gulf Coast and many community leaders.

Of course, we have many other priorities on a governmental affairs level, i.e. pursuing a multi-tude of transportation projects; opening of East Pass and a downtown location for the Business Innovation Center (BIC) through RESTORE funding; continuing to fight the ridiculous fish-ing regulations and much more.

The Chamber will continue its reputation of having the best Military Affairs Committee (MAC) in the country and will work to grow its membership from its current 260 members to 300 in 2015. If you are a member in good stand-ing of this Chamber, the Panama City Beach

Chamber, or any of our five surrounding coun-ties, you can join MAC and support our military communities at Tyndall, Naval Support Activity, our Coast Guard, Reserves and our efforts to as-sist the leadership of the Warrior Beach Retreat.

I’m sure most are aware chambers are finan-cially self-supporting, and are not a part of any city, county, state or federal agency, nor funded by tax dollars. We are solely supported by our dues paying members to improve and grow our communities to expand existing businesses, at-tract new business and industry that ultimately creates jobs for our families. We invite you to join our team as we pursue a better Bay. For membership information, please visit our web-site at PanamaCity.org, or better yet, call me at 850.215.3758, or any of our staff at 850.785.5206. We’d love to sign you up.

In this issue, you will meet our 2015 leadership, learn more about Edge Aerodynamix, see our take on the November elections, meet some of our up and coming Bay Young Professionals (BYP), and see some of the executives on the move in our Biz List. Enjoy!

Carol RobertsPresident/CEO


Welcome to the Bay County Chamber of Commerce!As the Chamber of Commerce embarks on its 102nd year, it has the opportunity to lead the way towards a more prosperous Bay County. By working closely with local and regional leaders, government and military stakeholders, education leaders and economic development professionals we can continue to create positive economic opportunities for our members and the com-munity at large.

While it is a bit of a cliché to say that “you get back what you put into the Chamber”, I would encourage you to give it a try. While we can all stay LinkedIn or “friends” on Facebook or “followed” on Twitter, there is no organization in Bay County, no forum in the area and no replacement for the face-to-face networking that the Chamber offers. So, as our membership continues to grow, Chamber staff will continue to focus on meeting the needs of existing members and adapting to the needs of new members through multiple networking events that offer the opportunity to bring existing and new members together for the purpose of improving connectivity and individual business growth.

As the green shoots of development that began over the last few years in Bay County continue to grow, the Chamber and the rest of the busi-ness community need to ensure that our funda-mental resources like our workforce, our health care community and our infrastructure contin-ue to grow to match the needs of our commu-nity.

We should all be encouraged by and applaud the willingness of many of our community leaders from our Chamber, the Pana-ma City Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Bay EDA, Bay District Schools and a host of others who are now working together more than ever to make Bay County the best place to live, work and play.

Sincerely,

Andrew B. LevyChairman, Bay County Chamber of Commerce


Election 2014:Meet Your Elected Leadersby: Theresa Moran, Vice President of Governmental AffairsBay County Chamber of Commerce

As the 2014 mid-elections came to an end on Novem-ber 4, 2014, many of our State’s incumbents remained the same, but a few names changed. There were also three amendments on the ballot with only one pass-ing. According to FLORIDAWINS.ORG, the Florida voters put jobs & education first and believe Florida is on the right track. In Bay County, there are 112,636 registered voters and 57,602 or 51.14% actually voted during the election.

Amendment #1 – Passed Water and Land Conservation – dedicates funds to acquire and restore Florida conservation and recreation lands. This amendment will fund the Land Acquisition Trust fund to ac-quire, restore, improve and manage conservation lands by dedicating 33 percent of net revenues from the existing excise tax on documents for 20 years.

Amendment #2 – RejectedUse of Marijuana for Certain Medical ConditionsAmendment #3 – RejectedProspective Appointment of Certain Judicial vacancies

United States House of Representatives District 2: Gwen Graham (DEM)Democrat, Gwen Graham is our new Representative to the U.S. House. Her campaign platform was to work with anyone re-gardless of party affiliation, to create jobs, invest in education,

keep taxes low and protect Medicare and Social Security. Gwen is married to Stephen D. Hurm, a law enforcement officer and general counsel for Florida’s Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles. They have three children, Sarah, Graham and Mark Ernest. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina and a law degree from American University in 1988. Prior to running for Representative, Gwen


was Chief of Labor and Employee Relations in the Leon Coun-ty School district. She became known as a real problem-solver and was able to develop a strong relationship with both sides. She earned a reputation as a cool-headed negotiator through her ability to build consensus out of conflict.

State Representative District 5 – Brad Drake (REP)Republican Brad Drake’s campaign focused on fighting Common Core, enforcing immigration laws, creating busi-ness-friendly environment and jobs, protecting our state insti-tutions, protection of our 2nd Amendment right to bear arms

and cutting taxes. Brad is a lifelong resident of Northwest Florida and a graduate of the University of Florida. He served as Legislative Aide to State Representative Don Brown before his election to the term-limited seat in 2008. Rep. Drake was elected subsequently through 2012, and later stepped down from office when legislative redistricting placed him in the same seat as his friend, State Representative Marti Coley.Brad currently resides in the Eucheeanna Community of Walton County, attends the 1st Baptist Church of DeFuniak Springs, is a small business owner and a member of the Board of Trustees at Northwest Florida State College.

State Representative District 6 – Jay Trumbull, Jr. (REP)Republican Jay Trumbull’s campaign concentrated on improv-ing Bay County and Northwest Florida’s economy. His goals

are to keep more money in the economy and reduce red tape. Jay was born and raised in Panama City, Florida, graduated Bay

High school and graduated with a degree in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship from Auburn University. He has worked at the Trumbull family business, Culligan Water, from a very early age. Jay is active in the local business commu-nity as a business member of the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Bay County Chamber of Commerce. Jay is married to Brittany Fishel and they are both active members of the First United Methodist Church in Panama City.

RE-ELECTED:

Governor and Lieutenant GovernorRick Scott and Carlos Lopez-Cantera (REP)

Attorney GeneralPam Bondi (REP)

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater (REP)

Commissioner of AgricultureAdam Putnam (REP)

First District Court of Appeals:Robert Tyrie Benton, IIChief Joseph Lewis Jr.Scott D. MakarTimothy D. OserhausL. Clayton Roberts

Congratulations to all of our elected officials and we look forward to working with them on our legislative agenda items, while making Bay County a better place to live, work, and play.


In October 2014, almost 100 private and public sector lead-ers gathered for the Bay EDA’s unveiling of a “Special Job Creation Project”, not knowing what would be revealed,

but knowing regardless of the news it was going to be good. Those in the audience were speculating, “Could it be new di-rect flights at the airport, a new distribution company at Port Panama City’s Intermodal Distribution Center or something completely different?”

At the height of the anticipation, Chairman of the Bay Coun-ty Board of County Commissioners (BCBOCC), Guy Tunnell, took the stage and announced that Edge Aerodynamix, Inc. (Edge) has chosen to locate in Bay County, creating 120 new, full-time, high wage jobs. The company is a pioneer in the avi-ation industry, and has developed a product that will generate significant fuel savings for all types of aircraft.

Zana Ireland, President of Edge, and her husband A.J. Ireland also own and operate Digitrax, Inc. a high tech manufacturing firm located in Springfield. They began working with A.J.’s brother, Peter Ireland, several years ago to form this new tech-nology. Peter is an aviation expert with over 30 years of air-

line experience, 22,000 flight hours on numerous military and commercial aircraft, and has experience as an accident investi-gator and test pilot among many other achievements.

In fact, it was on an existing industry call to Digitrax Inc., made in partnership with the Bay County Chamber of Com-merce, Bay EDA, and CareerSource Gulf Coast, that this proj-ect came onto the radar screen of local leaders. “This is a great example of how important partnerships are in our local com-munity,” said Neal Wade, Executive Director of the Bay EDA. “If we had not made that call together and became aware of the opportunity early on, it’s very possible this project could have gone elsewhere.”

At the announcement, Zana Ireland said, “We could have cho-sen to locate anywhere on the planet and we chose Bay Coun-ty. We’re excited to be here.” Bay County was able to beat out other locations in Washington State, the UK and Australia that were vying to secure these jobs for their own residents. The Irelands are familiar with the site selection process, and in 2008, they moved Digitrax, Inc. from the metro Atlanta area to Bay County bringing 30 new jobs to the local area.

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP)’s as-sets and leadership also played a critical role in securing the project, as a great deal of Edge’s operations will be located at the economic engine. “We are proud the airport was able to help provide a competitive advantage that gave Panama City the edge over other communities under consideration,” said


BAY BIZ | JANUARY - MARCH 2015 1110 BAY BIZ | JANUARY - MARCH 2015

Till Bruett, Chairman of the Board of ECP. “Attracting inno-vative companies to locate at the airport, not only helps create jobs, but also helps the airport grow. Growth at the airport means additional business opportunities, and in turn improv-ing the airport’s ability to encourage more air service to our market.”

ECP opened in May 2010, replacing the Panama City-Bay County International Airport (PFN), which was located in the heart of Panama City. The airport came to fruition after the leaders of Bay County recognized a new economic engine with a 10,000 foot runway and open land for development would help to take the community to the next level.

The group of visionaries led the charge to construct this new facility knowing with continued growth in tourism, quality of life assets and a diverse industrial base, an enhanced airport could attract both economic development projects and new airlines.

Surrounding ECP and encompassing thousands of acres is West Bay, a master planned community by the St. Joe Com-pany, designed to create a new regional economic center an-chored by the airport. A significant portion of the Bay EDA’s marketing efforts focus on the potential at ECP and West Bay and over the past three years, the agency has hosted sever-al major companies looking to expand production at the site. Edge could be the first domino that will result in substantial job creation and business development for the area.

To date, the company has been focused on research and de-velopment (R&D) of its products and decided to purchase its own Boeing 737-505 for testing on larger aircraft. The next step is for the company to begin production, which it hopes to

start within a year. With continued success in testing, the op-portunities are limitless for this technology and what it could mean for Bay County.

Edge is developing Conformal Vortex Generator (CVG) de-vices that reduce drag by reshaping the flow of air around an aircraft wing or other foil, such as a helicopter blade. The product also helps to protect the surface of the wing or foil, reduces C02 emissions, improves safety margins and is ex-pected to save billions of dollars in fuel costs on all types of aircraft. The fuel savings alone make this a highly desirable product in the commercial airline industry and other indus-tries with fleets of aircraft.

As Edge advances in their plans, the opportunities also grow for Bay County. In addition to manufacturing there will also be jobs created by the company in R&D and marketing. In Bay County, the company plans to occupy hangars at ECP as well as construct a world headquarters, production facility and of-fice space. A global organization, the company will also have international facilities in addition to its local operations. Lo-cally, the capital investment anticipated by Edge adds up to $77.92 million including land.

Chairman Tunnell agrees the potential is significant, “This is a wonderful opportunity for both this new and exciting com-pany and Bay County’s economy. We hope for their continued success and expansion, and they will prove to be a magnet for other aeronautical industry players to our area.”

To aid in the company’s growth, Edge will receive $720,000 in incentives, or $6,000 per new job created through the state’s Qualified Targeted Industry Tax Refund Program (QTI), which is designed to encourage the location of high-value businesses


in the state. Enterprise Florida, the state’s economic devel-opment organization, played a critical role in recruiting the company and presenting a value proposition through QTI. The Bay County Board of County Commissioners also showed support for this project, contributing a 20% local match to the total QTI award. “We welcome Edge Aerodyna-mix to Bay County and are tremendously excited about the company’s fresh, innovative ideas and commitment to job growth,” said Chairman Tunnell.

Chairman Tunnell’s excitement is echoed throughout the community as we welcome our newest corporate citizen, and commit to fulfilling their needs and creating an ecosystem to ensure their success. In economic development, the service doesn’t stop after the sale and we must continue our rela-tionship with Edge. After all, it was through an existing in-dustry program, designed to identify expanding companies

and those that might have barriers to success due to local business climate issues, this project was discovered.

Several advantages to the Bay County business climate have already been identified by Zana Ireland, “This area gives our company plenty of room for future growth, an aviation-cen-

tric workforce and offers a business friendly environment for our operations. We are thankful local leaders have placed their trust in us, and have partnered with us to make this dream a reality.”

Bay County please join us inwelcoming, Edge Aerodynamix, Inc.!

In addition to Edge Aerodynamix coming to North-west Florida Beaches International Airport, United Airlines announced in November they plan to move to the site as well. The new service will connect the region to United’s Houston hub offering one-stop connections to over 150 domestic and international destinations. Welcome, United Airlines!

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Bay Medical Sacred Heart BayMedicalSacredHeartisrecognizedasoneofthetop-ratedheartprogramsinthenation.Why?Becauseourmortalityratesareamongthelowestinthecountryandwe have healed more heartsthananyotherprogramintheregion.

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So you have all of your social profiles set up. Now what?Social media is far from a “if you build it, they will come” kind of process. You have to work to get results. That doesn’t mean you can’t work smarter. These next few points will give you the tips and tricks to expanding your so-cial reach and building your brand on social media.

1. Engage• This cannot be said enough. In order to keep the fans/follow-ers you have to grow and attract new ones, you have to engage.• Ask questions and respond in discussions on your profiles.• When responding, do it in a timely manner. Your potential client may go elsewhere if they think you’re not listening.

2. Content• Post relevant and engaging content.• It’s okay to share occasional posts from other pages or profiles but you’ll also want to create some of your own unique content.• Make it personal and funny. A real funny (but relevant post) may go viral.

3. Share• You’ll want to share your posts to your personal followers and fans. This allows you to reach out to potential fans you may not know you already had in your friends list.• Get your friends, family, coworkers, staff and neighbors to share your posts.• Have writer’s block? Keep the conversation on your pages go-ing by sharing relevant and interesting articles.

4. Email Newsletters• Include links to all of your social profiles in your newsletters.• Include links to share your newsletter and/or certain content or articles. If one of your loyal subscribers was to share your newsletter or a story you featured, they will allow you to expand your reach to their followers, and you may have a follower in more ways than one.

5. Scheduling Posts• Posting on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest from 1PM to 4PM is best. The worst timeframe to post content on Facebook and Twitter is 8PM to 8AM• If one of your followers has a lot of friends or have a ton of content on their newsfeed, your posts may go unseen. You can help prevent this by scheduling your posts. Most social networks allow scheduling of the posts straight from your browser or app.• Consider using HootSuite. It’s an amazing app that allows you to keep track of all of your main social media accounts. It also allows you to schedule posts and provides great analytical data of posts and engagement.


6. Contests• Host giveaways on your social profiles to give gifts to the per-son who shares (or re-shares) your content the most. This is a win-win for both parties. You get a ton of new shares, followers, likes, etc. and they get your gift.• The gift can be free or discounted services (which will allow you to provide your services to them and win them over as a customer).

7. Reviews• Let’s be honest…you are more likely to engage with a business that has a good reputation on review sites (Google, Yelp, Face-book, and TripAdvisor). Others will feel the same way. Make sure you have your business properly on Google and Facebook and ask past clients to give you a review.• Monitor your online reputation carefully. If you receive a negative review, never respond argumentatively or negatively. Take this opportunity to speak to the negative reviewer directly. You can find out what caused the negative review and prevent it from happening again. Offer them a discount on their next order for their troubles.

8. Videos

• Make videos (and post to your YouTube or Vimeo account). The videos can be recurring (weekly), or offer tips and tricks about a particular topic.• Videos that offer relevant and awesome information will be shared• Posting to YouTube (owned by Google) will help you in the long run with search engine optimization (SEO).


On October 23rd, the Bay County Chamber of Commerce and Tyndall Federal Credit Union held the 4th Annual First Responders Appreciation Luncheon. Local law enforcement, fire, EMS, and dispatch were honored. Chief Mark T. Giuliano, Fire Emergency Services Flight, 96th Civil Engineer Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, served as the Keynote speaker for the event. Chief Giuliano spoke on the challenges of being a First Responder, and how Bay County should be proud to be home to these brave men and women.


Awards were given in the categories of Line of Duty, Multidis-ciplinary, and Community Service. Congratulations to Panama City Police Department Corporal Christopher Taylor, who took home the Line of Duty award.

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport Fire Depart-ment Shift Manager, Kevin French, received the Multidisciplinary award.

Panama City Beach Police Department Lieutenant Jamey Wright was honored with the Community Service award.

Congratulations to all the First Responders who were nominated for the awards by their departments or family members.

LASIK for Heroes sponsored by Emerald Coast Hospice and the Eye Center of North Florida presented the 2014 winner, Panama City Firefighter Cole Suggs, with free LASIK eye surgery. Bay County Firefighter Brent Gibson, was also presented with the complimentary eye surgery.

A special appreciation video was shown produced by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce and WMBB-TV. The video fea-tures local officials and First Responders. To view the project, visit PanamaCity.org. Thank you to Perry & Young for your sponsor-ship of this piece.

A challenge coin was placed at the seat of everyone in attendance and boxes were sent to each department in Bay County to thank First Responders for their service. The donation of coins was made possible by Gulf Coast State College and Gulf Coast Region-al Medical Center.

Special thanks to our sponsors:Tyndall Federal Credit Union, Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center, Gulf Coast State College, Perry & Young, WMBB-TV, Emerald Coast Hospice, The Eye Center of North Florida, Bay Medical Sacred Heart, Superior Residences of Panama City Beach, and Gulf Power.

And thank you to our 2014 First Responders Apprecia-tion Task Force who worked diligently on this event: Chairman Matthew Lopez (Gulf Coast Regional Medical Cen-ter); Sheila Bradt (Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center); Tammy Dunaway (Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center); Debbi Gei-ger, (NHC Homecare); Vicki Gidley (Visiting Angels); James Kramer (Goldring Gulf Distributing); Debbie Massey (Coldwell Banker Carroll Realty); Karen Peeples (Emerald Coast Hospice); Brooke Powell (Bay County Emergency Operations Center); Jennifer Reale (Eye Center of North Florida); and Greg Wilson (State Attorney’s Office 14th Judicial Circuit)

from left to right - Christopher Taylor, Line of Duty award recipient; Kevin French, Multidisciplinary award recipient; Jamey Wright, Community Service award Recipient

top - Members of the 2014 First RespondersAppreciation Task Forcebottom - Cole Suggs, LASIK for Heroes Winner


LABOR FORCE EMPLOYED UNEMPLOYED UNEMPLOYED RATE

SEPT 14

AUG 14

JUL 14

91,226

93,676

95,000

91,632

93,058

94,608

86,009

87,978

89,326

85,640

87,186

88,488

5,217

5,698

5,674

6,120

5,872

6,120

5.7%

6.1%

6.0%

6.2%

6.3%

6.5%

REALTOR SALES MEDIAN PRICE REALTOR SALES MEDIAN PRICE

SEPT 14

AUG 14

JUL 14

SEPT 13

AUG 13

JUL 13

231

248

260

192

243

192

$195,000

$165,000

$179,000

$176,250

$174,750

$185,500

20,792

21,742

22,099

18,314

20,726

21,042

$180,000

$180,000

$185,000

$170,000

$175,000

$178,500

SEPT 14

AUG 14

JUL 14

JUL 13

JUN 13

MAY 13

130

138

130

146

139

136

$173,250

$174,750

$185,500

$169,850

$155,000

$172,000

8,622

8,900

8,984

8,455

9,698

9,262

$142,700

$136,000

$137,500

$130,000

$130,000

$128,000

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

SEPT 14

AUG 14

JUL 14

JUL 13

JUN 13

MAY 13

48

39

48

29

34

18

4

0

2

0

1

2

GROSS SALES TAXABLE SALES TAX COLLECTIONS

AUG 14

JUL 14

JUN 14

AUG 13

JUL 13

JUN 13

$661,834,735

$778,156,531

$565,454,503

$612,688,547

$708,325,557

$524,518,358

$411,345,088

$395,836,976

$320,583,358

$371,675,143

$374,727,733

$296,160,294

$24,949,376

$24,145,855

$19,831,992

$22,323,471

$22,995,219

$18,329,395

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: Neal Wade, Executive Director

This issue’s cover story fo-cuses on the announcement that Edge Aerodynamix Inc. will make Bay County its global headquarters and begin pro-ducing a product that could dramatically reduce fuel costs for airplanes. The potential impact on an airline company’s bottom line should gain atten-tion worldwide.

Ever since Bay County’s leaders began discussing the airport re-location to an area with a longer runway and ample expansion room, we held the expectation of seeing major aerospace companies locate here. The airport is poised to become the economic engine that helps power growth in West Bay, Pan-ama City Beach, Lynn Haven, and all of Bay County.

Edge’s announcement may be the first major domino that attracts attention from other aerospace-related companies that will create real synergy. Venture Crossings, the Port’s Intermodal Distribution Center and others throughout Bay County, will benefit if we can get more companies in and around the airport. The goal for several years has been to brand Bay County as the next aerospace/aviation hotspot. We are per-fectly situated for competition with seven military bases in the region, a world-class port, and a growing aerospace workforce.

SEPT 13

AUG 13

JUL 13


Demographic Snapshot

Bay County Population: 179,459Median Age: 40Labor Force: 90,424Average Wage: $33,251

Households: 73,362Household Income: $48,400Per Capita Income: $24,859

PANAMA CITY BEACH MEXICO BEACH

AUG 14

AUG 13

% CHANGE

JUL 14

JUL 13

% CHANGE

$1,871,889

$1,522,920

22.91%

$3,463,577

$3,143,165

10.19%

$53,775

$43,857

22.61%

$107,090

$90,897

17.81%

Bay County bed tax collections

July - September 2014

TOTAL PASSENGERS COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS

SEPT 14

AUG 14

JUL 14

JUL 13

JUN 13

MAY 13

65,704

79,778

90,923

65,790

74,658

84,996

1,020

1,268

1,369

1,165

1,037

1,327

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport passenger traffic

JUN 14

JUN 13

% CHANGE

$3,171,751

$2,956,806

7.27%

$100,556

$93,244

7.84%

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Bay County

INSIGHTS:Bay EDA Update


Hitting The Ground Running:Dr. John Holdnak Returns to Gulf Coast State Collegeby: Chris Thomes, Gulf Coast State College

It was the idea and opportunity to change the lives of deserv-ing students that first brought Dr. John Holdnak to then Gulf Coast Community College in 1982, and ultimately, what

brought him back. With strong roots in the Panhandle, a 26-year career under his belt at the College and 32 years working in higher education, it was an easy decision to come home. “I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Gulf Coast, and made some of the best memories in my life here” he said. “I wanted to come back and spend the rest of my career here.”

Holdnak spent the last six years working at the state-wide level for the Florida College System, attaining an in-depth un-derstanding of how the legislative process works, how higher education and colleges are funded, and what Gulf Coast State College (GCSC) needs to do to help better prepare students for success in the workforce and at four-year institutions. “I’ve got

a much better feel for not only how higher education is helping students in Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties improve their lives, but how we can have a regional impact, and how some of our students and programs can have a global impact as well,” said Holdnak.

Attuned to the needs of both the college and the state, Hold-nak assumed the presidency at GCSC on July 1, 2014. Now in his sixth month, he is focusing his efforts on establishing better partnerships between students and potential employers, faculty and students, and the college and the community. “The success of our college depends on the relationships we have on campus, across the street at FSU Panama City and within the communi-ty,” he said. “The more I can help to create, build, nurture and expand them, the better our college will support the students and communities we serve.”

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Playing an integral part in community engagement is the Gulf Coast State College Foundation. “As Bob McSpadden used to say, they provide the margin of excellence – their support allows us to move from being a good institution to a great one,” said Holdnak. “I want all those who spend their time, energy and resources supporting the college to know not only how much we appreciate them, but that the College and the Foundation are two sides of the same coin. We are working closely towards the same goal, and that is to provide opportunities to students and our community they wouldn’t have otherwise.”

With flat funding levels for this year, Holdnak is using his experience working with all 28 Florida colleges to find more efficient and effective ways of doing things. “Based on how education is funded in Florida and based on how Gulf Coast is funded, we aren’t going to see large revenue streams flowing into the college with lots of new money any time soon,” he said. Available po-sitions that open up are being evaluated as well as oth-er areas to see where cuts can be made. In addition to making school operations “leaner and meaner,” he also envisions smart investments in the people who make up the institution. “The college is a fabulous place to work and our faculty and staff gets a lot of intrinsic rewards, but we want to better compensate them for the great things they do without raising tuition,” said Holdnak. “We want to attract, recruit, hire and retain the best and the brightest, and we are working togeth-er as a college to do that.”

As the college transitions into the first stages of a new 5-year strategic plan, one goal in particular has made its way to the forefront, and that is to establish GCSC as the community’s first choice for education, industry training, employment and per-sonal enrichment. “This is an exciting time for GCSC, and with your help, I know we can continue the excellence this College is known for,” said Holdnak.


Helping Families of Deployed Airmen During the Holidaysby: Airman 1st Class Alex Echols, 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The holidays have come and gone, and for most people that meant joyous times with family, but for many members of Team Tyndall, a part of their family was missing.

Tyndall recently deployed more than 200 Airmen to serve their country, leaving family and loved ones behind. This can seem like an overwhelming task, but the Airman and Family Readi-ness Center, with help from Team Tyndall and the local commu-nity, hope to make it a little bit easier.

“Military members are the reason we have the freedoms we en-joy in this country, and they make sacrifices for us all the time, especially during deployments,” said Bill Fenimore, 2014 Bay County Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee (MAC) Chairman. “Extended separations are difficult at any time, and in my opinion, we should do everything in our pow-er as a community to support the families of deployed military members.”

That is where Tech. Sgt. Lloyd Estes, 325th Force Support Squad-ron Readiness NCO, and the Airman and Family Readiness

Center come into play. They have several programs in place that ensure these families are not overlooked.

“I want to make sure those families are taken care of as much as possible and not forgotten,” said Estes. “If they have any ques-tions or any needs, we want to get them support as quickly as possible rather than them struggle the whole time not knowing we have a program for the problem they have.”

The biggest of these programs is Hearts Apart. It is mostly geared towards families of deployed Airmen with children where the AFRC hosts parties and movie nights for them. The Morale Calls system is also part of this program and allows fam-ily members stateside to call a loved one that is deployed.Additionally, the AFRC works with agencies on base to provide these families with services like: Car Care Because We Care, a free oil change at the Auto Hobby Shop and Give Parents a Break, four hours of free child care once a month at the Child Development Center.

The AFRC and the MAC are looking for ways to create more community involvement for the struggling families.

“The MAC serves as a liaison between the civilian and military community and is involved with Family Readiness to help with the deployment support, due to the increase in deployments at the base,” said Theresa Moran, Bay County Chamber of Com-merce Governmental Affairs Vice President. “Support from the community while a family member is deployed can help tre-

mendously, especially to those families living off base. It makes them feel like part of the community, and they are able to ask for help.”

Through a private organization called Friends of Family Sup-port,* the AFRC accepts donations that help its programs such as Hearts Apart.

“Anything donated through that organization is used specifical-ly for military families,” said Estes.

The parties thrown by Hearts Apart are in need of gift baskets, gift cards, sporting equipment, and other things that can be used as door prizes as an incentive to attract people to the event, as well as bags of candy to serve as prizes for the children’s games.

The AFRC is also looking for venues off base to host the parties.

“Right now we do the parties on base for free with donations for food as much as possible, but the number of participants has grown. In the future, we are looking for other locations and businesses to host these parties,” said Estes.

For the spouses of the deployed Airmen that do not have chil-dren, local restaurants could set aside one day a month to give them a group discount and become a location they can go to meet together in a support group fashion to spend time with others who are dealing with similar difficulties, said Estes.

“Military members and their families sometimes don’t under-stand all of the support the community gives, as they tend to stick to the base,” said Moran. “They can find out more about the local community by visiting the Bay County Chamber of Commerce to see what the area holds for them.”

To donate to any program in the article, volunteer, get more in-formation on how to help or suggest ideas for new programs, contact Tech. Sgt. Lloyd Estes at (850)-283-4856 or the AFRC at (850)-283-4204.

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The Friends of Family Support is a private organization.It is not a part of the Department of Defense or any of itscomponents and it has no governmental status.

On February 27, we’ll take part in the 28th Annual Bay County Job Fair. We’re proud to be a support-

ing partner, working shoulder to shoulder with Haney Technical Center, the Naval Support Activity Panama City, and Tyn-dall AFB Airman and Family Readiness Center. It’s a great event for employers and job seekers, and speaks to the heart of what we do - match talented, skilled workers with the employers seeking to fill positions.

CareerSource Gulf Coast is one of 24 re-gional boards in the state working toward a single goal: Developing employment matches for job seekers and employers. We know many of the challenges facing

area businesses. From a harsh economic slowdown to the in-creasing pace of doing business - the hurdles can sometimes seem too high. We know, too, that talented people are the heart of your business. What if we could help you? What if we could save you time and money, while providing you the best employ-ment candidates for your team? That’s what we bring to the ta-ble in Bay, Gulf and Franklin Counties.

At CareerSource Gulf Coast, jobs are our busi-ness. It’s more than that, really. Our workforce professionals, with years of training and un-matched local insight, are leaders in the State of Florida at producing best fits for business-es and employment candidates. Merrick Industries. Eastern Shipbuilding. Bay District Schools. There’s a reason top employers in the region are choosing Ca-reerSource Gulf Coast for their employment needs.

• We listen. Looking for employees? We’ll develop a custom-ized recruiting agreement, and create an action plan to meet your specific needs.

• We inform. Wondering about the pay scale for the position you’re offering? Want to know more about the business climate both locally and across the country? We’ll provide you with the most up-to-date labor market information.

• We share resources. Need an office for interviews? Want a space for your staff meeting? We offer free office space and meeting rooms, complete with the equipment you need to get the job done, including computers, printers, phones, copy ma-chines and more.

• We target your needs. To help you find the right person for the job, we offer numerous tools to assess and screen candidates - saving you valuable time and money.

• We let you drive. Post a position on your own through the Employ Florida Marketplace, the powerful statewide system that generates the best results for businesses of all sizes.

These services and more are offered to all businesses, regardless of size. The cost? There’s no cost. Our workforce profes-sionals deliver all of these services at no charge - as we work to simply build stron-ger communities every day.I personally welcome you to call the CareerSource Gulf Coast job center today at 850-872-4340, ext. 128, or stop by the office on Highway 231 in Panama City. We’d love to meet you!


CareerSource Gulf Coast:Diverse Support for theBusiness Community by: Kim Bodine, Executive DirectorCareerSource Gulf Coast


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]

The Bay County Chamber of Commerce

Term Expires Dec 2015Jeremy BennettCentennial Bank

Frank MartinRaymond James Financial

Raymond PowellDoral Bank

Aaron RichAaron Rich Marketing

Jackie RinkeriHeartMedia

Term Expires Dec 2016Ronnie AdamsGulf Power Company

Ryan DavisMidSouth Bank

John JuchniewiczCarr, Riggs & Ingram

Wayne LindseySonny’s Bar BQ

Carlton UlmerGulf Coast Regional Medical Center

Ray WalkerAT&T

Term Expires Dec 2017Lisa BarnesEastern Shipbuilding Group

Will CramerBill Cramer Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC

Jimmy PatronisCaptain Anderson’s Restaurant

Ed PhelanMaritech Machine

Waylon Thompson Manuel & Thompson P.A.

Stephanie WhiteBay County Association of REALTORS

One Year Chair AppointmentGarrett Anderson Anderson Construction Company

Pamela KidwellBusiness Innovation Center

Joe SorciFlorida Architects Inc.

OfficersChairman of the BoardAndrew LevyHarrison Sale McCloy, Attorneys At Law

Chairman ElectMichael SearsMerrill Lynch

Vice-ChairRobert CarrollMcNeil Carroll Engineering, Inc.

TreasurerClaire ShermanLamar Advertising Co.

Past Chairman / Military Affairs CommitteeLarry CarrollColdwell Banker Carroll Realty, Inc.

At Large / CommunicationsWayne LindseySonny’s Bar BQ

Andrew Levy

Michael Sears

Robert Carroll

Claire Sherman

Larry Carroll

Wayne Lindsey

The Bay County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce its 2015Officers and Directors.


Bay Medical Sacred HeartBay Medical Sacred Heart is pleased to announce that Jan Thornton has joined the hospital as our new Chief Nursing Officer

(CNO). She comes to Bay Med-ical Sacred Heart with 25 years of nursing leadership experience in both not-for-profit and for-profit settings. Jan brings vast experience in nursing, operations and qual-ity improvement to their leader-ship team. Her work experience includes nursing leadership roles with Coral Springs Medical Center in Coral Springs, FL prior to joining Community Health Systems (CHS). While with CHS, Jan served on the nursing executive leadership teams with hospitals in Florida, Louisiana and most recently in Mississippi, where she served as CNO with Riv-er Region Health System in Vicks-burg, MS.

Children’s Home Society of North FloridaChildren’s Home Society of Flori-da named 15-year human services leader Sean Golder, Executive Di-

rector of its Emerald Coast Divi-sion, serving children and families in Bay County and the surrounding areas. Golder, who was previous-ly executive director of Palmetto Summerville Behavioral Health in South Carolina, has extensive ex-perience in executive operations,

strategic planning, fundraising and program development. He is also a veteran of the United States Army and the Florida National Guard and was deployed on active duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

BASIC NWFL and EasternShipbuilding GroupValerie Mincey of BASIC NWFL and Lisa Barnes of Eastern Ship-building were both selected as Pinnacle Award Winners for 850 Magazine. Mincey and Barnes were

honored at a luncheon in Tallahas-see in August. Both women were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the business com-munity in Northwest Florida.

Harrison Sale McCloyThe partners of Harrison Sale Mc-Cloy Attorneys at Law (HSMc) an-nounce the acquisition of Emerald Coast Title Services, a full-service

title insurance and real estate clos-ing company in Santa Rosa Beach,

Florida. Founded in 1983, Emerald Coast Title Services (ECTS) has its main office in Redfish Village on 30A, with an additional closing office now at Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach, FL. HSMc Part-ner, Dion J. Moniz has been named President of Emerald Coast Title Services and Of Counsel Attorney L. Paul Sirmans has been named Vice-President of ECTS. The attor-neys serving as officers of Emerald Coast Title Services have over 65 combined years of real estate expe-rience.

Gulf Coast State College

Gulf Coast State College is pleased to announce that the Office of Mar-keting & Communications was selected as the winner of the 2014 Comcast Spotlight Local Adver-tiser Multi-screen Performance (LAMP) Awards ($25,000 and under category). Comcast Spot-light created the LAMP Awards in 2013 as one of the first local media awards recognizing businesses for taking advantage of the oppor-tunity to combine television and online advertising. More than 200 businesses from across the coun-try entered their multi-screen mar-keting campaigns, outlining their business objectives, advertising strategies and results. Those entries were narrowed to nine finalists—in groups of three based on their me-dia spending—by a panel of ad-vertising experts. One winner was selected in each of the three tiers following a public voting period last month.

Burg Management CompanyDebra Laminack of Burg Manage-ment Company has been named a Certified Manager of Commu-nity Associations (CMCA) by the National Board of Certification for Community Association Managers

The Region’s Top-Rated Cardiac Care

Michael F. Morrow, MDMedical College of Georgia

Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease.

Bussie A. Evans, MDUniversity of Florida School of Medicine


Samir N. Patel, MDMedical 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

Amir R. Haghighat, MDUniv. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

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

Hari K.R. Baddigam, MDM.S. Ramaiah Medical College

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Electrophysiology.

Thompson C. Maner, MDMedical College of Georgia

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology.

Michael J. Stokes, MDUniversity of Miami School of Medicine


Hashem A. Mubarak MDDamascus University School of Medicine


Joe Trantham, MDDuke University School of Medicine

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Electrophysiology, Interventional Cardiology and Adult Transthoracic Echocardiography.

The physicians of The Cardiovascular Institute provide Northwest Florida's top-rated heart care to patients from the nine counties surrounding Panama City and beyond. Our team has played a critical role in developing the nationally recognized program at Bay Medical Sacred Heart and launched the heart program at Gulf Coast Medical Center. With a new office in Panama City Beach and an office in Marianna coming soon, we are expanding to provide both quality and convenience for our patients.

Our physicians offer the very latest in diagnosis and treatment options to care for:

y Coronary Artery Disease

y Heart Failure

y Cardiomyopathy

y Valvular Disease

y Rhythm Disorders

y Peripheral Vascular Disease

y Carotid Disease

y Hypertension

y Congenital Heart Disease

For diagnosis of heart and vascular conditions, we offer the area's only accredited echocardiography lab and nuclear stress lab and we are nationally certified in vascular ultrasound studies. We provide a full spectrum of cardiac monitoring services and stress testing in our main office.

With an in-house research department, our physicians stay on the forefront of cardiac care and offer specialized therapies that are otherwise only available in a university setting.

M eet O ur Physicians

(850)769-0329 • w w w.c ardiovascularinstitute.comMain Office: 801 E. 6th St., Floors 4&5, Panama CIty, FL • Beach Office: 11111 Panama City Beach Pkwy, Panama CIty Bch, FL

The only cardiology group seeing patients at both Panama City hospitals.

(NBC-CAM). The CMCA designa-tion is the only national certification program designed exclusively for managers of homeowner and con-dominium associations. She joins

more than 10,000 CMCA certifi-cants nationwide who have demon-strated the professional knowledge that is so important for managing homeowner associations. To obtain and maintain the CMCA credential, a manager must complete compre-hensive course work, pass a Na-tional Certification Examination, adhere to the CMCA Standards of Professional Conduct and take con-tinuing education courses to recer-tify. Laminack has been employed by Burg Management Company for over two years. She manages over 600 units for three homeowner as-sociations in Bay County.

Superior Residences ofPanama City BeachSuperior Residences of Panama City Beach is pleased to announce the appointment of Lori Becerra, Executive Director and Kristina Mizell Williams, Senior Solutions Director.

Lori Becerra has been promoted to Executive Director of Superior Res-idences. Her career in healthcare

began in the United States Air Force Medical Corps. She has worked in healthcare for over 19 years with experience in civilian and mili-tary hospitals, home health, hos-pice, long term care and senior assisted living. She holds a B.S. in Healthcare Administration and is

a licensed Assisted Living Facility Administrator in Florida with spe-cialized training in caring for those with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. She is the new Region 1 Chairper-son for the Florida Assisted Living Facility Association (FL ALFA).

Kristina Mizell Williams has joined Superior Residences as the Senior Solutions Director. She at-tended FSU and earned a Bache-lor’s in Marketing and a Master’s in Communication. With more than 10 years of marketing and sales experience, she previously worked as a Hospice Specialist at Emerald Coast Hospice and was the Marketing Coordinator at Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center and Aculab.

The Region’s Top-Rated Cardiac Care

Michael F. Morrow, MDMedical College of Georgia


Bussie A. Evans, MDUniversity of Florida School of Medicine


Samir N. Patel, MDMedical 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

Amir R. Haghighat, MDUniv. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

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

Hari K.R. Baddigam, MDM.S. Ramaiah Medical College

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Electrophysiology.

Thompson C. Maner, MDMedical College of Georgia


Michael J. Stokes, MDUniversity of Miami School of Medicine


Hashem A. Mubarak MDDamascus University School of Medicine


Joe Trantham, MDDuke University School of Medicine

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Electrophysiology, Interventional Cardiology and Adult Transthoracic Echocardiography.

The physicians of The Cardiovascular Institute provide Northwest Florida's top-rated heart care to patients from the nine counties surrounding Panama City and beyond. Our team has played a critical role in developing the nationally recognized program at Bay Medical Sacred Heart and launched the heart program at Gulf Coast Medical Center. With a new office in Panama City Beach and an office in Marianna coming soon, we are expanding to provide both quality and convenience for our patients.

Our physicians offer the very latest in diagnosis and treatment options to care for:

y Coronary Artery Disease

y Heart Failure

y Cardiomyopathy

y Valvular Disease

y Rhythm Disorders

y Peripheral Vascular Disease

y Carotid Disease

y Hypertension

y Congenital Heart Disease

For diagnosis of heart and vascular conditions, we offer the area's only accredited echocardiography lab and nuclear stress lab and we are nationally certified in vascular ultrasound studies. We provide a full spectrum of cardiac monitoring services and stress testing in our main office.

With an in-house research department, our physicians stay on the forefront of cardiac care and offer specialized therapies that are otherwise only available in a university setting.

M eet O ur Physicians

(850)769-0329 • w w w.c ardiovascularinstitute.comMain Office: 801 E. 6th St., Floors 4&5, Panama CIty, FL • Beach Office: 11111 Panama City Beach Pkwy, Panama CIty Bch, FL

The only cardiology group seeing patients at both Panama City hospitals.

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

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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].

Born in Graceville, FL, Amber Armstrong has always had a spe-cial love for the world’s most beautiful beaches. She married in 1998 and moved to Panama City where she finished her Bach-elor’s of Science in Management at Florida State University.

Armstrong currently works for Regions Bank as a Mortgage Loan Orig-inator. She specializes in loans for first-time home buyers, new con-struction, and homes for VAs. She has been in the mortgage industry for 14 years, and has a passion for real estate lending. Her extensive knowledge and background helps with all mortgage lending needs.

Armstrong is an Ambassador for the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, Bay Young Professionals member, Bay County Association of REALTORS member, Associate Board of Director for Bay Builders Industries Associa-tion, Emerald Coast Business Women’s Association member, RHS Football booster, Annual C.H.A.M.P Camp staff member and Fellowship of Chris-tian Athletes supporter. She is married to Rob Armstrong, Head Football Coach at Rutherford High School and they have two sons, Kurt and Kase.

Amber Armstrong

Justin Tyler Head was born and raised in Dahlonega, Georgia. Af-ter graduation in 2008, he attended the University of Pikeville on a football scholarship before injuries led to his retirement from the sport. After transferring to Valdosta State University, he discovered a newfound passion for marketing and professional communica-tion, focusing on mass communication. He began his move south to Panama City Beach after his first semester in Valdosta, working on the weekends at local beach clubs, Schooners and Spinnaker.

In 2011, Head settled in Panama City Beach taking over custom-er service at Schooners, while also working for Spinnaker Beach Promotions. He served as a para-professional at North Bay Haven Charter Academy and helped launch the varsity football program. After 3 years working in the hospitality industry, he signed on as an Advertising Executive with Powell Broadcasting of Panama City Beach in June 2014. Head hosts a 2-hour sports broadcast every Saturday morning on Classic Rock 95.9. In his free time he enjoys reading, cooking, writing, and spending time outside with friends and his dog, Haydee.

Tyler Head

Photos by: Desiree Gardner Photography


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FullPage 12/11/14 11:40 AM Page 1

Florida Department of Health in Bay County

www.baycountyhealth.org

The Emergency Room is no longer your only opon. If you wish to escape the long waits and do not have a

life threatening injury, consider vising The Village Health Center.

January9th 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:Superior Residences of Panama City Beach & Copy Products Co.

23rd Annual Dinner & Awards CeremonyEdgewater Beach & Golf Resort (520 Richard Jackson Boulevard)

Social & Silent Auction:5:30 p.m.

Program & Dinner:6:45 p.m.

Sponsored by:Harrison Sale McCloy Attorneys At Law, Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort, HealthSouth, Coldwell Banker Carroll Realty, RockTenn, NAI Talcor, Barron Redding, P.A., Gulf Coast State College, The News Herald, GAC Contractors, Inc. and Klever Media WorksContact Elizabeth at 215.3761 to purchase

your tickets.

29th Business After Hours*Dave & Buster’s (Pier Park)5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Sponsored by:Dave and Buster’s and United Way of NWFL

February6thFirst Friday*FSU Panama City HolleyAcademic Center (4750 Collegiate Drive)Networking:7:15 a.m. / Program 8:00 a.m.

12thBusiness After Hours*Ripley’s Believe It or Not(9907 Front Beach Road)5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Sponsored by:Ripley’s Believe It or Not

March6th First Friday*FSU Panama City HolleyAcademic Center (4750 Collegiate Drive)

Networking:7:15 a.m. / Program 8:00 a.m.

Sponsored by:CareerSource Gulf Coast

Program: Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Atwater

19thBoard of DirectorsBlock Party*Bay County Chamber ofCommerce (235 W. 5th Street)5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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


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

Team up for savings and rebates.”

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Learn where you’re spending your energy dollars and how you can reduce those costs. Perform your own Energy Checkup using our online tool, or call to have one of our energy consultants come to your home. You’ll get plenty of advice about how to start saving energy and money.

You can lower your energy costs in many areas.Some are simple and inexpensive, and othersare big investments.

To learn about incentives for energy efficientequipment and products visit gulfpower.comor call 1-877-655-4001.


Advanced Orthodontics2202 State Ave., Ste. 200Panama City, FL 32405(850) 769-2722

Advantage Refrigeration & Air Inc.9815 Morar Rd.Panama City, FL 32409(850) 628-0319

AIG Financial Network25 W. Cedar St., Ste 300Pensacola, FL 32502(850) 785-2632

AMIKids, PC Marine InstitutePO Box 268Panama City, FL 32402-0268(850) 872-4715

Armed Forces Benefits Network6128 E. Hwy 98Panama City, FL 32404(850) 624-7475

Black Thumb Wildlife Services1421 Stevenson Dr.Tallahassee, FL 32301(850) 445-2256

Boy Scouts of America9440 University ParkwayPensacola, FL 32514(850) 784-1886

Brightway Insurance855 E. 23rd St.Panama City, FL 32405(850) 532-6950

Chow Time Buffet and Grill2345 MLK Blvd.Panama City, FL 32405(850) 914-0888

Club La Vela8813 Thomas Dr.Panama City, FL 32408(850) 235-1061

Coastal Care Pharmacy11939 PCB ParkwayPanama City Beach, FL 32407(850) 249-9500

Defense Contract DevelopmentPO Box 610128Port Huron, MI 48061(810) 966-8987

Dr. Michael Reed - Spinal Associates500 W. 19th St.Panama City, FL 32405(850) 257-7097

Edgewater Crossings204 Potters Bluff Dr.Panama City Beach, FL 32407(850) 249-5982

Everest Cuisine3102 W. 23rd St.Panama City, FL 32405(850) 481-8582

Fishale Taphouse & Grill7715 Front Beach Rd.Panama City Beach, FL 32407(850) 640-1410

Florida Restaurant Lodging Association4675 Autumn Woods WayTallahassee, FL 32303(850) 933-3764

GetScene114 E. College Ave.Tallahassee, FL 32301(800) 321-6861

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.1001 W. 15th St.Panama City, FL 32401(850) 763-4651

House of Chan1518 W. 15th St.Panama City, FL 32401(850) 522-8828

McGhee CPA Consultants1601 Maryland Ave.Lynn Haven, FL 32444(850) 276-0827

McKenzie Real Estate1106 Kristanna Dr.Panama City, FL 32405(850) 215-1416

Merchant Management GroupPO Box 947Panama City, FL 32402(850) 747-0664

One Heart Yoga2993 W. 10th St.Panama City, FL 32401(850) 890-1597

Peoples South Bank630 Ohio Ave.Lynn Haven, FL 32444(850) 265-1967

Planet Fitness208 S. Tyndall Pkwy.Parker, FL 32404(850) 640-0117

Rose Printing Company2503 Jackson Bluff Rd.Tallahassee, FL 32304(850) 576-4151

Sonny’s Real Pit BBQ532 N. Tyndall ParkwayPanama City, FL 32404(850) 832-4100

Sunnyside Beach and Tennis Resort22400 Front Beach Rd.Panama City Beach, FL 32413(850) 234-3385

Uniting Happiness401 W. 14th St., Suite 1Lynn Haven, FL 32444(850) 441-3788

USA Bookkeeping & Business Solutions401 W. 14th St., Suite 1Lynn Haven, FL 32444(850) 441-3147

Vets 4 Heroes5411 Blue Dog Rd.Panama City, FL 32404(850) 890-7395

Visual Arts Center19 E. 4th St.Panama City, FL 32401-3106(850) 785-9248

ZHA Inc.6300 W. Bay Pkwy., Ste. 5052Panama City, FL 32409(850) 814-9360

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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5 YearsAqua Medical Spa @ Gulf Coast DermatologyCareSouth Homecare ProfessionalsComfort Inn & SuitesComfort SuitesDavis Oil CompanyDunkin DonutsEmerald Coast Behavioral HospitalFirehouse SubsHampton InnLori Bates InteriorsSpine Care PlusTownePlace Suites

10 YearsAllstate-McKinney Insurance & InvestmentsBuilder Specialties, Inc.Innovations Federal Credit UnionLegacy By The SeaMidSouth BankSummit Condominiums

15 YearsCapstone House, Inc.

20 YearsMatthew L. Hablitzel, D.D.S. M.S.Regions BankWow! Business

25 YearsBoys & Girls Clubs of Bay County

30 YearsEdgewater Beach & Golf Resort

35 YearsSmith Miles & Company

55 YearsCaptain Anderson’s Restaurant

Assisted Living Facility License Pending

Located at: 95 Grand Heron Drive Panama City Beach, Florida 32407

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Lori Becerra, Senior Solutions DirectorPhone: (850) 249-4969Email: [email protected]

“Call me today to make your priority reservation on the apartment of your choice!”

Now Taking Reservations!

A Resort Style Senior Living Community


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1. Representative Jimmy Patronis and son, Theo, awarded with a key to the City of Panama City at the October First Friday.2. Leadership Bay Class of 2014-2015 at their skills building session at Tyndall Air Force Base.3. Bay Young Professionals members enjoy a lunch and financial coaching session by Dan Hinz Coaching.4. 2nd Annual ColorVibe 5K race draws hundreds5. Chamber members having fun at ColorVibe 5k to raise money for the Bay County Chamber Education Foundation.6. Business Referral Network Group D members meet to share referrals.

Harvest some savings.Contact us to see how much you could save

on more than just car insurance.∑øœ∂˚

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

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Homeowners, boat, PWC and flood coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. The GEICO Personal Umbrella Policy is provided by Government Employees Insurance Company and is available to qualified Government Employees Insurance Company and GEICO General Insurance Company policyholders and other eligible persons, except in MA. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2014. © 2014 GEICO.

235 W. 5th StreetPanama City, FL 32401

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