northwest florida business climate december 2012/january 2013

www.nwflbusinessclimate.com

Sacred Heart Hospital Gets a

New President and CEO

New HotelWill BringVisitors andRevenue toOkaloosaIsland

Is YourCompanyNaughty orNice?

Dr. Susan Davis

Decem

ber 2012/January 2013

46 > nwflbusinessclimate.com December 2012/January 2013

As we transition from this year and into the next, we’re looking ahead atthe many developments on the horizon in our area. Many segments ofNorthwest Florida are continuing a trend of growth, and the healthcareindustry is no exception. The Sacred Heart Health System is one of thearea’s largest employers, and the main hospital is in the midst of a large-scale expansion as a new president and CEO takes the reigns.

We’ve got an interview with Dr. Susan Davis about her newresponsibilities as she goes from interim to permanent CEO of ahealthcare network that spans the region. With a background in nursingand plenty of leadership experience, Dr. Davis certainly has the expertiseto guide the hospital system through its continued growth andimprovement. For more, turn to page 54.

Also included in this issue is an article about an exciting developmenton 17 acres of waterfront property on the beaches of Okaloosa Island. TheHoliday Inn Resort Hotel will provide a boon to the economy of NorthwestFlorida by bringing vacationing families to the area and housing them intopnotch accommodations, and is estimated to have an annual impact of$40 million once it’s opened in 2014. Additionally, because the beachfrontproperty is owned by the Air Force, the development will provide leaserevenue that will greatly benefit military members and families based atEglin Air Force Base. See more on page 52.

Also in this issue is a helpful piece on keeping your company’scustomer service standards high during what can always be a stressfulholiday season, and IT tips from Mike White.

Here’s to a prosperous and successful New Year!

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5 0. C u s t o m e r S e r v i ceIs Your Company Naughty or Nice?

5 2. H o t e l sNew Hotel Will Bring Visitors and Revenue to Okaloosa Island

5 9. I T Ti p sYour IT Tips

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>Customer Service

Is Your Company Naughtyor Nice?

How to Stay On YourCustomers’ “Nice” List This

Holiday Season

How will your customers view the service they receive fromyou this holiday season?

Will you delight them…or disappoint them? Ron Kaufmanprovides a breakdown of service behaviors that will decidewhether you land on their naughty or nice lists this year.

Generally, companies try to stay on their best behavior allyear long. But during this holiday season—with decked halls,crowded malls, shrinking bank accounts, and frayed nerves—providing great service is even more critical than usual. Muchlike Santa, customers have their own “naughty or nice list,” andRon Kaufman says they won’t hesitate to give you the businessequivalent of a stocking full of coal (i.e., taking their businesssomewhere else) if you make your way into the wrong column.

“There’s no better time of the year than the holiday seasonto uplift your customers with great service,” says Kaufman,author of the New York Times bestseller Uplifting Service: TheProven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, andEveryone Else You Meet. “Unfortunately, there’s also no easiertime of the year to do or say exactly the wrong thing.”

Often at the holidays companies find themselves overbookedand short staffed. Supplies of popular items run out of stock.Departments aren’t prepared for the increased volume ofcustomer inquiries and complaints. Employees are toodistracted by holiday events or travel plans or shopping lists togive customers their full attention.

“These practices are precisely what land companies oncustomers’ naughty lists,” says Kaufman. “But usually, these arenot isolated incidents. Instead, they are evidence of a biggerproblem in the organization’s overall service culture.”

Kaufman is at the head of a growing worldwide movement touplift service in general—for customers and for colleagues. Hisnew book takes readers on a journey into a world of upliftingservice with dynamic case studies and perspective-changinginsights. Readers learn how the world’s best-performingcompanies have changed the game in their industries throughservice and the action steps anyone can take to achieve anuplifting service transformation.

“Holiday happiness and great service needn’t beincompatible,” says Kaufman. “In fact, one of the true forcesdriving the holidays is our desire to take care of the people welove. And that’s what’s at the core of uplifting service—taking

care of the needs and concerns of other people. Whencompanies build a service culture that keeps this top of mind,they’ll find themselves on the nice list every time.”

How can you be sure to land on your customers’ nice lists?What behaviors will banish you to their naughty lists? Read onfor a few tips from Kaufman:

To Stay on the Nice List:Make it seamless. For many of your customers, the holiday

season is the busiest time of the year. They will be shopping,ordering, and asking more questions than ever across everypossible channel: in person, over the phone, at their computers,on their mobile devices, at work, in their cars, and from home.

“When you provide integrated, smooth service acrosschannels, you’re making your customers’ lives a lot easier,” hesays. “From web to email to ATM, to counter to SMS to phonecalls, to social platforms and home deliveries, when allinformation about your customers accumulates and movesseamlessly, then your customers can get what they need fromyou quickly and get back to doing everything else in their lives.”

Customize for your customers. Sure, your customers knowthey aren’t your only customer, but that doesn’t mean theydon’t want to be treated that way. Personalized service makespeople feel special.

“When you offer options, choices, range, and variety andcreate more value through customization and personalization,your customers will feel like they’re your favorite,” notesKaufman. “Implement processes that allow you to recall yourcustomers’ questions, preferences, and choices in all futureinteractions. Then customize your offers and suggestions fortheir next visit or purchase. This increases your value each timea customer comes to you, and helps you become the vendor,store, or supplier they are glad to talk about and comfortablerecommending to others.”

Say “Yes!” to service recovery. Companies on the nice listknow that great service recovery turns “oops” into opportunities.Don’t treat customer complaints like they’re annoying or a wasteof time, advises Kaufman. Instead, be grateful when unhappycustomers give you a chance to win back their business. Why?Because for every customer who does complain, there areseveral others who had the same problem, but didn’t give you a

By Ron Kaufman


second chance. “Companies that ‘get’ service recovery understand when a

customer complains, he is really telling you what he values,”points out Kaufman. “If he says you weren’t fast enough, hevalues speed. If he says he’s tired of not being able to getanyone on the phone, he values human interaction. ‘Nice’companies quickly seek to identify what complaining customersvalue. And then they make sure that employees are empoweredto make amends and offer an appropriately generous andvaluable new action.”

Remember that happy (engaged) employees = service with asmile. Especially during the holidays, it can feel like thebusinesses, stores, and restaurants we frequent have beeninvaded by employee drones. Many service providers seemexhausted, frazzled, and too overwhelmed to do anything morethan provide the minimum service to keep customers movingalong.

“Companies on the nice list know how importantemployees—both customer-facing and non-customer-facing—areto providing uplifting service,” says Kaufman. “Your employeesshould be switched on and energized by their role at yourcompany. When they’re clearly aligned, vigorously supported,and joyfully connected to the brand, to colleagues, and tocustomers, then job satisfaction fuels customer satisfaction in avirtuous cycle.”

Weave yourself into the fabric of the community. Upliftingservice works because it makes everyone feel good, fromemployees to customers to other community members. Whenyour company plays a socially responsible role in thecommunity, then good feelings of service spread farther, andemployees want to provide great service because it is sogratifying.

“When your company contributes and participates in thewider community, uplifting the commercial, civil, cultural,environmental, and economic eco-systems, people notice,” saysKaufman. “They’ll want to give you business because they knowyou give right back to their community. Being your customermakes them feel like they’re contributing, too. Many companiesdo this with local sports team sponsorships, school internshipopportunities, highway and park adoption schemes, and otherneighborhood development programs.”

To Get Stuck on the Naughty List:Specialize in the run-around. Doing business with a company

should be a choice, not a chore. But unfortunately, manycompanies make receiving service very difficult for theircustomers.

“Companies on the naughty list aren’t streamlined,” notesKaufman. “Customers have to give the same information to oneperson after another as they’re passed from department todepartment seeking help. Departments are so siloed thatcustomers can feel like they aren’t even talking to people whowork at the same company.”

Treat customers like a number. Have you ever been to abusiness, office, or other facility where you had to literally take anumber and wait for it to show up on the electronic sign beforereceiving service? It doesn’t feel so great, does it? That’s howcustomers feel when you don’t bother to get to know them asindividuals.

“When you don’t personalize service by taking the time tolearn your customers’ names or implementing systems thatremember their needs, you make customers feel like they’re just

one of many,” says Kaufman. “There’s no bond, nothing to makethem feel any loyalty to you. Make one mistake and they willimmediately go somewhere else.”

Exhibit a “the customer’s always wrong” mentality. If turningunhappy customers into loyal customers is what landscompanies on the nice list, then the quickest way to land on thenaughty list is to treat complaining customers like they’re ruiningyour day. This can mean anything from blame shifting to“punishing” an unhappy customer by making the interactioneven less pleasant than it already is.

“Companies that don’t have a solid service recovery programreact to complaining customers by seeking to avoid blame,”notes Kaufman. “Employees point the finger at their colleaguesor back at the customers themselves and say, ‘It’s not my fault!’They’re too focused on passing the buck to even take notice ofthe customers’ real needs. And to make it even worse, thesecompanies tend to bog down customers even more by requiringa morass of receipts and time-consuming paperwork before theyreceive even a mediocre level of service.”

Put unhappy, clock-watching employees in front ofcustomers. Naughty companies hire employees who areinterested only in working for a wage, and it shows.

“For these companies, service with a smile is a pipe dream,”says Kaufman. “More like service with a grimace! You knowyou’re at a naughty company when a service representativewon’t look you in the eye, has no energy to smile, and treatsyou like the service they provide is a chore. You might leavehaving received the product or service you need, but you won’tleave feeling uplifted or wanting to return.”

Put the bottom line on a pedestal. Some companies on thenaughty list treat customers like a number; others treatcustomers like a dollar sign.

“Companies that put the bottom line on a pedestal abovetheir customers can make customers feel like they’re beingtricked or swindled,” notes Kaufman. “They offer deals thataren’t backed by great service. Or run ads touting low-costproducts that don’t offer real satisfaction. Customers end upfeeling as mercenary as the companies they buy from. Bothparties may have completed a deal, but neither was uplifted byany lasting value.”

“What companies should be asking themselves now is, Howcan we make sure we’re on our customers’ nice lists?” saysKaufman. “There’s no better time of the year to assess yourcompany’s service culture. What are your customersexperiencing today? What will they expect from you tomorrow?Are you ahead of your competitors, or lagging behind?

“When you commit to creating an uplifting service culturewhere everyone is fully engaged, encouraging each other,improving the customer experience, making the company moresuccessful, and contributing to the community at large, you’llspend every holiday season on your customers’ nice lists,” headds. “And you will reap the benefits year-round.”

About the Author: Ron Kaufman is a popular keynote speaker and is the author of the New YorkTimes bestseller Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, andEveryone Else You Meet (Evolve Publishing, 2012, ISBN: 978-0-9847625-0-7, $24.95,www.UpliftingService.com). He is the world’s premiere thought leader, educator, and motivator foruplifting customer service and building service cultures in many of the world’s largest and most respectedorganizations, including Singapore Airlines, Nokia Siemens Networks, Citibank, Microsoft, and Xerox.He is the founder of UP! Your Service, a global service education and management consultancy firmwith offices in the United States and Singapore.About the Book: Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, andEveryone Else You Meet (Evolve Publishing, 2012, ISBN: 978-0-9847625-0-7, $24.95,www.UpliftingService.com) is available at bookstores nationwide and all major online booksellers.


>Hotels

New Hotel Will BringVisitors and Revenue to

Okaloosa Island

The beautiful beaches of Okaloosa Island will soon featureanother fun, economy-stimulating dot on the horizon. TheEmerald Breeze Resort Group recently hosted thegroundbreaking ceremony for a $25 million, 152-roomHoliday Inn Resort Hotel in Ft. Walton Beach.

The development will occupy 17 beachfront acres near thepopular resort area of Destin, Florida in Okaloosa County.

The land is owned by the United States Air Force and willbe leased to the Emerald Breeze Resort Group for 50 yearsat fair market value. The lease was awarded after acompetitive process initiated by a public request forqualifications four years ago.

The property was made available for private developmentvia the Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) program. This program ismanaged by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) andidentifies underutilized military properties with ongoingmission requirements. In this case, the Air Force will maintaina passive radio receiver dish and camera equipment on thehotel’s roof.

Revenue generated from the lease will be contributeddirectly to the Eglin Air Force Base budget, to help improvethe lives of men and women living on base. Additionally, theHoliday Inn Resort will contribute approximately 4,000discounted room nights at selected times to both active dutyand retired military members via the hotel’s MilitaryAppreciation Program.

Emerald Breeze Resort Group is a partnership betweenGulf Coast based Innisfree Hotels and the Creek IndianEnterprises Development Authority–the investment arm of

the Poarch Band of Creek Indians from Atmore, Alabama.This is the second regional hotel development this

economic power duo has collaborated on in less than a year:they’re currently building a 127-room Hyatt Place hotel at thePensacola International Airport. The groundbreakingcelebration for that $24 million project took place lastJanuary, and local workers were honored in a topping outceremony in August. That hotel is scheduled to open in thespring of 2013.

“Our relationship with the Poarch Band of Creek Indianshas spanned almost two decades and we’re extremely proudto partner with them once again,” said Julian MacQueen,Innisfree’s founder and CEO. “This hotel will have a positiveimpact on a diverse range of stakeholders in our regionaleconomy including local residents, visitors and militaryfamilies.”

The general contractor and co-developer on the project isdck North America who is planning on employingapproximately 500 regional trades people during theconstruction phase.

“Dck has proven to be an invaluable asset due to boththeir contracting expertise and their rich knowledge of

By Josh Newby

Above left: Groundbreaking ceremony for the Holiday Inn ResortHotel in Ft. Walton Beach.Above: The artist rendering of the Holiday Inn Resort Hotel.


governmental processes,” said RichChism, Innisfree’s director ofdevelopment. “They’ve made aninvaluable contribution to the successof this project thus far.”

Architect Larry Adams of BullockTice Associates has designed the resort.Design elements will focus on creatingphysical spaces that nurture fun andmemorable vacation experiences. Thisis in keeping with Innisfree Hotel’scorporate motto of “having fun.”

When completed, the Holiday InnResort will offer a range of familyfriendly amenities. The focus will be a$1 million Gulf front swimming pooloutfitted with a lazy river and tiki bar.

There will also be 16 family suiteswith kid’s rooms and gaming systems,supervised children’s programs, and anarcade. The hotel lobby and Gulf frontroom balconies will offer expansiveviews of the emerald waters of the Gulfof Mexico. The hotel will have 2,500square feet of meeting space.

Pen Air Federal Credit Union andNavy Federal Credit Union provided$19 million in project funding. Both saidthey are proud to make such asignificant contribution to the GulfCoast regional economy. Navy Federalprovided 90 percent of the loan. NavyFederal, with its focus on serving themilitary, said it is especially appreciativeof the positive impact this developmentwill have on the United States Air Forceand of the benefits it will provide tomilitary families.

This is the third successful Innisfreehotel development project financed byPen Air and Navy Federal. These localcredit unions also debt financed theHoliday Inn Resort in Pensacola Beach,which won an IHG brand award forDevelopment of the Year in 2011.

The Okaloosa Island resort isscheduled to open in the spring of 2014and is expected to employapproximately 120 people during peakseason. It will also have a positiveeconomic impact of about $40 millionper year.

The project master plan includes anout parcel on Highway 98 that isavailable for a ground lease by otherswhere the developer hopes a restaurantwill be constructed. Okaloosa Countyand the U.S. Air Force has alreadyapproved phase two of the project. Itcurrently includes a second 124-roomGulf front hotel.


Sacred Heart Hospital Gets a

New President and CEO


By Josh Newby

Dr. Susan Davis

TThe area’s largest employer and one of thepremiere medical facilities in the Florida Panhandlerecently promoted interim leader Dr. Susan Davis tothe permanent role of president and CEO. Dr.Davis, who began her career as a nurse in NewYork City, succeeds former CEO Laura Kaiser andbrings with her more than 20 years of health careexperience, 18 of which are in leadership roles.

“After discussions over the past few months withthe leaders of Ascension Health and Sacred Heart’sBoard of Trustees, I decided to make a long-termcommitment to lead Sacred Heart,” said Davis. “Iam excited about the opportunity to lead a greatteam of employees and to build strongerrelationships with the many loyal physicians whohave made Sacred Heart a leader in excellentpatient outcomes.”

Dr. Davis currently leads a health system thatincludes hospitals in Pensacola, Walton County,Panama City and Port St. Joe, as well as a networkof physicians stretching from Gulf Shores, Alabamato Apalachicola, Florida.

She received a Bachelor of Science in nursingfrom Mount St. Mary College, a Master of Arts innursing administration and a Doctorate ofEducation with an emphasis in management fromColumbia University. She is a Fellow in theAmerican College of Healthcare Executives. Dr.Davis has received both local and nationalrecognition for her commitment to the communityand to volunteerism. She has been actively involvedwith the United Way, hospice and the AmericanCancer Society, and has been recognized for herservice in New York and Connecticut.

In addition to her role at Sacred Heart, Dr. Daviswill also serve as Ascension Health’s MinistryMarket Leader for Florida, the Gulf Coast, New Yorkand Connecticut. Ascension Health, the parentorganization for Sacred Heart, is the nation’s largestCatholic and nonprofit health care system.


BC: Tell me a little about your background inhealth care and hospital administration.SD: I am a registered nurse and very proud of mynursing background as a cardiothoracic ICU nurse. Myviews about health care were formed early in mycareer when I worked at the patient’s bedside. I havea passion for the patient, quality, safety andimprovement. I have been fortunate to have a numberof wonderful mentors in my career who have taughtme a great deal about leadership, accountability andthe importance of developing relationships with staff,physicians and the community.

BC: What first interested you in health care?SD: I see a job in health care as a privilege becauseyou have the opportunity to make a difference inpeople’s lives, and you can touch their hearts withyour caring and compassion.

BC: How are the leadership roles you've served inbefore similar or different to this one?SD: They are really very similar. The organizations arevery different but the leadership roles andexpectations are the same.

BC: What do you believe inspired the board topromote you from interim to permanent CEO?SD: I honestly cannot speak for our board, but for me,the decision to become the permanent CEO was easy

– it was all about the people at Sacred Heart, theirdedication to the mission, and their desire to improvethe care we provide to the community. The level ofpride and the desire to move Sacred Heart forwardwas very apparent from the first day I arrived atSacred Heart. The people – the board, the medicalstaff, the volunteers and the staff are dedicated to thisorganization and that is foundational for achieving thegreatness that is within the potential of Sacred Heart.

BC: What qualities do you believe you bring to thejob, and what will you do to continue SacredHeart's tradition of being Northwest Florida'sleading provider of high-quality care?SD: I have a great deal of passion and enthusiasm forthe work I do. I would like to think that I am a servantleader who is a role model for transparency, qualityand safety in patient care. I am always looking forways to improve. Some would say I am never satisfiedbecause I believe we can always do better.

BC: Are there any new and exciting plans for thehospital that you hope to pioneer under yourwatch?SD: The new construction on the Pensacola campus isvery exciting because it gives us the opportunity torecreate the patient experience. Many people in thePensacola area have seen the steel framework of theconstruction under way and the tall crane over the


hospital. By early 2014, we are going to add fivefloors to our hospital. That includes 115 privaterooms, 40 of which will be dedicated to critically illpatients. It is a $52 million project that is creatinghundreds of construction and health care jobs. Wewill be able to add the latest technology and digitalmedical records systems, as well as morecomfortable private rooms. Every aspect of thisproject is focused on enhancing the patientexperience and improving the quality of care.

Beyond the expansion of the hospital, SacredHeart has the opportunity to broaden the regionalpresence of our women’s and children’s services,cardiology, oncology, trauma and orthopedics. Sowe are focused both on the quality of our care andexpanding the scope of the services we can provideto all of Northwest Florida through our hospitals inPensacola, Walton County, Bay County and GulfCounty.

BC: You are obviously in charge of an extensivenetwork of hospitals and physicians. How doyou keep track of it all?SD: The key to managing a health system as broad

as Sacred Heart is to hire great people, people withpassion for excellence in patient care. We have tobe intentional with what our goals are and holdpeople accountable.

BC: How long have you lived in Pensacola? Howdo you enjoy it?SD:I have lived in Pensacola for less than a yearand love the diversity of the community. It has thebeach, the arts, the military, the ballpark and the listgoes on.

BC: What is your favorite aspect about the city?SD: I love the Downtown area; the fact that therehas been such a focus on rebuilding the Downtownis beautiful. Downtown is the heart of thecommunity.

BC: If there was one thing about yourself or thehospital that you wished the public knew, whatwould it be?SD: I love what I do and am honored to have theopportunity to be part of the Sacred Heart family.


Greetings, Gulf Coast business owners! This is MikeWhite and I am an IT Consultant and partner with Your ITSolution of downtown Pensacola. I will be writing amonthly Tech Tip article for the next couple months forNorthwest Florida Business Climate Magazine. I will do my bestto give you concise, informative advice without going full-on geek, unless I am performing a diagnostic on yournetwork. That’s when things get real.

As this is my first article I would like to give a bit ofcredit where it is due: Dr. Raymond Wolf of PensacolaState College, I hope I make you proud.

An IT “solution” is actually a process. It’s acombination of up-to-date hardware, software and due-diligence on the part of the “networkadministrator/neighbor’s kid/nephew/niece/in-housecomputer expert.” I have seen the luck run out and thenightmares come true. Here is a simple but veryimportant question I pose to you: are you doomed if yourin-house computer expert quits?

Most business owners think it would only be atemporary inconvenience when, in fact, the opposite isusually true. Want to know how much you are at risk?Ask yourself the following six questions:

1. Do you really have control of your network? Youshould have documentation about your computernetwork, including but not limited to: critical administratorpasswords to your systems and devices, how yournetwork is structured, and the hardware you own andwhen the warranties expire. You should never allow asingle IT person to keep this information under their fullcontrol over your network and company. If they suddenlyleft for any reason, this could lead to huge consequencesfor your company.2. Do you know where your backup files are stored and ifthey are being stored properly? If you are like mostbusiness owners, you’re too busy dealing with the “crisisof the day” to think about system backups and probably

leave these tasks to your internal expert. If your databasegets fried and your tech is nowhere to be found, youmight be in a lot of trouble.3. Do you have a written plan for restoring your networkfast in the case of a disaster? If you don’t have a fullytested disaster recovery plan for your office, you could beat serious risk without ever knowing it until somethinghappens.4. Do you know where all of your software is stored andhow many licenses you own? Bad things can happen tocomputers and servers, and the situation can be madeworse if you are not prepared. Taking a minute toorganize and store your software in a secure place cansave you a considerable chunk of money in the event thatyou need to restore a program on your workstations. Ifyou don’t have access to the software or don’t knowwhere it is located, you might be forced to buy thesoftware again.5. Do you know what routine maintenance must be doneto your network? I know that the very idea of learningabout and keeping track of all the servers, workstations,and peripherals on your network probably gives you amajor headache, but it is important information tomaintain. If your in-house expert leaves, you shouldclearly know who would take over.6. Do you know how to protect yourself from an uglysecurity breach if your in-house computer expert leavesand has access to your company’s network? As soon ashumanly possible, you should disable his or her access,including remote access to your network and all cloud-based applications.

There is an easy way to keep your computers andnetwork running faster, cleaner and problem-free withoutthe expense of a full time IT staff. Do a little research andpartner with a reputable Managed Services Provider.Thank you and good networking.

IT Tips<

By Mike White

Your IT Tips


business news bits you should know

Pensacola 19th out of PitneyBowes’ Top 50 Cities forProjected GrowthThe number of households in thePensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent metroarea is expected to grow by morethan 10,400 over the next five years,according to a study of U.S. CensusBureau data. This ranks the cityamong the top metropolitan areasprojected to grow quickly over thenext five years. The list includescities like Las Vegas, Chicago andNashville.

Gov. Scott highlights NavyFederal Credit Union’s expansionGov. Rick Scott recently toured NavyFederal Credit Union’s Brian L.McDonnell Center Campus inPensacola, where 2,700 of thecompany’s employees are based. Ata press conference following thetour, the Governor highlighted NavyFederal Credit Union’s continuedexpansion that will result in 700 newjobs and a $6.75 million investmentinto the area. Partner organizationsthat were instrumental to theproject’s success included EscambiaCounty 4H, the Greater PensacolaChamber, Escambia County,Enterprise Florida, Inc. and theUniversity of West Florida.

Holiday Inn Resort on Air Forceland expected to bring millions ofdollars to local economyThe Emerald Breeze Resort Grouprecently hosted the groundbreakingceremony for a $25 million, 152-room Holiday Inn Resort Hotel in Ft.Walton Beach. The land is owned bythe United States Air Force and willbe leased to the Emerald BreezeResort Group for 50 years at fairmarket value. The lease wasawarded after a competitive processinitiated by a public request forqualifications four years ago.Revenue generated from the leasewill be contributed directly to theEglin Air Force Base budget, to helpimprove the lives of men and

women living on base. It is projectedto open in early 2014.

Two-county region to receive$7.5M from BP fundThe Greater Pensacola Chamber andits tourism arm, Visit Pensacola,announced on November 21 thatEscambia and Santa Rosa countieswill receive grants in excess of $7.5million as part of the BritishPetroleum (BP) Gulf Tourism andSeafood Promotional Fund. Bycollaborating closely with theGreater Pensacola Area’s tourismentities, nonprofits andgovernmental entities, the Chamberand Visit Pensacola developedstrong alliances to ensure a variedmix of grant applications fromacross the region, thus maximizingthe potential and reach of thoseavailable funds.

Florida unemployment rate fallsto 8.5 percentFlorida's unemployment rate fell to8.5 percent in October, reaching thelowest point in nearly four years, thestate's Department of EconomicOpportunity reports. The stateadded 14,700 jobs over the monthwhile the number of unemployedFloridians fell by 20,000, knockingthe total number of jobless below800,000.

University Mall to undergorenovationSimon Property Group is takingsteps to renovate the old UniversityMall on Davis Hwy. A slew of newstores are expected to be added tothe current land, which now featuresanchor stores JCPenney, Belk, andSears.

UWF Business Enterprises, Inc.announces interim leadershipOn December 6, UWF’s BusinessEnterprises, Inc. Board of Directors,in consultation with UWF PresidentDr. Judy Bense, named Dr. JamesBarnett, interim CEO for UWF BEI,effective immediately. The board

also voted to begin a search afterthe first of the year for a permanentexecutive officer. As interim CEO,Barnett brings with him first-handknowledge of the current UWF BEIand UWF activities, as well assignificant experience with UWFfacilities management anddevelopment.

Ft Walton Beach Medical Centernames new CEOFort Walton Beach Medical Center,an affiliate of HCA, announces theappointment of Mitch Mongell,FACHE, to the position of ChiefExecutive Officer, effective January 1,2013. Mongell brings more than 30years of hospital administrationexperience to the role, having servedas Chief Executive Officer atColleton Medical Center inWalterboro, South Carolina for thepast five years. His prior experienceincludes serving in administrativeroles in several Florida-basedhospitals, including Chief OperatingOfficer at Atlantic Medical Center inOrmond Beach, Lawnwood RegionalMedical Center in Fort Pierce, andMemorial Hospital Jacksonville, aswell as Chief Executive Officer atSpecialty Hospital in Jacksonville.

New Gulf Winds Branch NowOpen in Downtown PensacolaGulf Winds Federal Credit Union ispleased to announce that a newdowntown branch is officially openfor business. The new convenientbranch is located at 400 WestGarden Street, on the corner of WestGarden Street and North ReusStreet. To better serve the membersof Gulf Winds and the downtowncommunity, this new, convenientlocation was recently purchased andrenovated. The Garden Street branchreplaces the small branch onGovernment Street and the formeroffice on L Street, which closed aftersustaining severe flood damage inJune 2012.

>AroundTheRegion


Pell and Angela Moore greet guestsat their beautiful Gulf Breeze home

>BusinessScene

Ernie Lee Magaha stands by the plaquecommemorating the naming ceremony of theErnie Lee Magaha Government Building

Harry White & Maren DeWeese

2nd Lt. Erin Fawcett, Maria Davis, NanHarper and Master Gunnery Sgt. Rivera

Admiral & Mrs. Quinn’s Holiday Open House

John Hutchinson, Jan Miller,Kyle Marrero

Dick Baker, Barry Cole Keynote Speaker - Quint Studer

Escambia County Schools Foundation Lunch

Outgoing board of Association ofFundraising Professionals

Vete Senkus, Holley Moseley Phillip Woolley, Patrice Whitten,Andrea Rosenbaum

Association of Fundraising Professionals Social

northwest florida business climate december 2012/january 2013

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