GIVE : AL LOHC OLIDAY
FEATHERED FRIENDS
Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Sanctuary
A NG SHOPPI GUIDE
Ashton Hayward
mayor with a mission A Good Samaritan
SNOW ESCAPE
Slipping Away To A Snowy Destination Near You
CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS New Recipes For The New Year
Kindness Comes Full Circle for a Local Teacher
SPECIAL BUSINESS CLIMATE SECTION INSIDE
december 2016 • PENSACOLAMAGAZINE.COM
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Editor’s Note my two cents on the subject Kelly Oden Executive Editor I don’t know about you, but I will sure be glad to start a new year. 2016, particularly the latter part has been so stressful. The election and the unrelenting 24-hour news cycle that accompanies it is mind boggling bizarre. And, when not covering every twist and turn, tweet and meeting of the new administration, my news feed seems to overflow with bad news—deaths of local loved ones and beloved celebrities, fires and earthquakes, shootings and hate crimes. 2017 cannot get here fast enough for me. It may not offer much respite from the negativity, but at least the new year offers a chance for a new outlook, a new slant on this crazy world we live in. Here at Ballinger Publishing, we are already transforming for the new year. Our longtime editor, Josh Newby has moved on to greener to pastures. Over his four years with us, Josh brought creativity, insight and untold great ideas to our team. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have worked with him and I wish him the best in his new position, marketing communications director at The Council on Aging of West Florida. Fortunately for us, we found the perfect replacement for Josh. You may recognize our new editor, Hana Frenette, from her many fine articles written for a variety of local publications over the years. Al though we are just getting to know her, I am confident that her professionalism, talent and creativity will bring a lot to the table here at Ballinger. Be sure to send her a warm hello and look for her first issues of Downtown Crowd and Business Climate in January. Welcome to the team, Hana! As for this issue, it’s chock full of all the features and departments you’ve come to love from Pensacola Magazine.
We continue our tradition of the end-of-the-year interview with Mayor Hayward. Find out what he thinks about many of the year’s top stories and see what he has in mind for the coming year. Also, be sure to check out my story on Uncle Sandy’s, a local macaw park and sanctuary. If you’ve never been, be sure to check it out. This amazing rescue facility allows visitors to interact, feed and learn about their 110 different parrots of varying species. It’s a fun outing for the whole family! If winter just isn’t winter to you without a little snow, be sure to read Dawn Gresko’s story on snow escapes within a short drive from Pensacola. Pack up the kids and head on out for cold, white powdery fun! Special thanks to Jackson’s Steakhouse for supplying the champagne cocktail recipes that are sure to be the hit of your New Year’s celebration. And, be sure to read our Good Samaritan story as well. Learn about a special teacher and the students, colleagues, friends and family who made his retirement dreams come true. It’s a great, feel-good story and the perfect antidote to the negative news surrounding us these days. Here’s to a better, no wonderful, 2017 for you and yours. Cheers,
Subscription Expiration Date is printed on the address label. Renew your subscription now online at www.ballingerpublishing. com: One year $14.95 and two years $22.75. 6 | pensacola magazine
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contents DECEMBER 2016
Page 10 with 10 deedee davis pensacola scene 12
34
Sugar plum, spice, 16 & mischevious mice champagne cocktails 19 give local: 25 holiday shopping guide snow escape 26
16
A good samaritan 28 feathered friends 30 ashton hayward: 34 mayor with a mission PLAY • LIVE • GIVE 42
on the cover: mayor ashton hayward photo by Guy Stevens 8 | pensacola magazine
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MAGAZINE
DECEMBER 2016 Owners
Malcolm & Glenys Ballinger
Publisher
Malcolm Ballinger malcolm@ballingerpublishing.com
Executive Editor
Kelly Oden kelly@ballingerpublishing.com
Art Director
Guy Stevens guy@ballingerpublishing.com
Graphic Designer/Ad Coordinator Anna Hitchcock anna@ballingerpublishing.com
Editor
Hana Frenette hana@ballingerpublishing.com
Assistant Editor
Dawn Gresko dawn@ballingerpublishing.com
Editorial Intern
Malorie Eagles malorie@ballingerpublishing.com
Sales & Marketing Paula Rode, Account Executive ext. 28 paula@ballingerpublishing.com Geneva Strange, Account Executive ext. 21 geneva@ballingerpublishing.com
314 N. Spring St. | Pensacola, FL 32501 850.433.1166 | fax: 850.435.9174 ballingerpublishing.com Published by Ballinger Publishing:
magazine
Member of:
NW Florida’s Business Climate Magazine and Pensacola Magazine is locally owned and operated. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this magazine does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Ballinger Publishing. Š 2016
pensacola magazine | 9
Page10 with DeeDee Davis
Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays….. How true it is, except what exactly is “home”? Norman Rockwell would probably paint it with parents piling their children and pets into station wagons as they . prepared to drive for hours to get back to their own roots with mom and dad. Snow would be a requirement as well as plenty of homemade treats, familiar albums of Christmas music playing on the stereo, and a tree covered with ornaments from childhood. Mom would probably be wearing an apron when everyone arrived and Dad would most likely be in a recliner by the fire watching football. I do remember those days but, my, how things have changed.
Becoming a grown-up means taking everything life has dished out and making the very most of every precious second. No one plans on divorce, death, or year round baseball and cheerleading, but all of these things have a way of redefining time-honored tradition. When my children were very small, we always made the annual holiday trek to north Alabama where my parents lived. I come from a large family and for the longest time, all of us miraculously were able to be together for a period of time during the holidays. It was great fun being in a crowded noisy house, passing on sacred family traditions to our own kids. My mother still hangs the same tacky, priceless pieces we made in grammar school on the tree. To this day, none of us claim the ugly angel that topped the evergreen for years and was retired only when one wing came loose. She now has her own tissue-lined box and is available for display only. Semi-gone, but never forgotten. Many years ago I opted for a more designer type tree, but I always put up a smaller one that shows off all the treasures my children so proudly brought home from school. My son’s toilet paper roll nutcracker soldier holds a permanent spot
Ed + Rosie Butler 10 | pensacola magazine
among the glittering decorations. Money can’t buy something like that. Mom also instilled in us the importance of a home-cooked Christmas dinner; regardless of what day we dined. Since Christmas Day conflicts, such as sharing the kids with an ex or time required at the hunting camp, create challenging schedules, we are rarely together anymore on the big day. We do, however, try to have the family feast on Dec. 23 before everyone scatters. This change was hardest on my youngest brother who still believes there is no excuse for anything short of a total re-creation of our youth. But to manage the stress level that seems to surface in December, concessions had to be made. Additionally, I have to admit that one year I took my children to a nice restaurant for the holiday dinner and if it weren’t for the guilt I feel when looking into my mother’s eyes, I would not mind that becoming a new tradition. Unfortunately, while my kids are thoroughly modern and appreciated that one unique outing, they are old fashioned enough to want green bean casserole and sweet potatoes with praline topping. Mercifully, I have a husband who loves to cook and now we
Gordon Sprague + Brian Spencer
Jill Merkl
gladly host the entire mob for dinner at our home. The lesson here is that at some point we let our children take over. This is when we really learn what they are all about and what they consider worthy of passing on. To this day, when my grown daughter comes in for the holidays, she likes to nap by the fire under her baby blanket with “Christmas in Dixie” softly playing. That song is not my favorite and I long ago substituted Harry Connick Jr., Michael Buble and Diana Krall as my holiday albums of choice. But there is something so wonderful and so peaceful about seeing her curl up in family tradition while her brother surfs through sports channels on a muted television that I could listen to Alabama sing for the rest of my life. This year our family will add new ingredients to the magical pot of tradition. My son is professionally entrenched in Tampa, but will schedule his busy days in order to be here and pour the first glass of champagne to toast the season and my husband has grandchildren, so the house is noisy again with squeals of laughter and anticipation for Santa’s arrival. Holidays can get you down if you’re not careful because
Larry B. Johnson + Judy Bense
Martha Saunders, DeeDee Davis + Mora Amodeo
Page10 it is easy to get lost on memory lane as you wander through the past. Take advantage of change and make new and better traditions for yourself and for your family. And don’t forget the nap blanket. November is always one of the busiest months here on the Gulf Coast. Charity events, holiday parties, celebrations, and the arts abound. No one has been busier than local superstar attorney Mike Papantonio, who made time to write another book. Law and Disorder is a suspenseful novel and is available everywhere now. Corbett Davis Jr. and John Peacock hosted a book signing for the attorney/author at Jewelers Trade Shop. More than 100 people attended to enjoy the holiday decorations and libations while Pap signed their books. Among the guests were Brooks and Elaine Davis and their son Robert; Larry and Lynn Morris; Larry and Dianne Robbins; Ray and Valerie Russenberger; and Mark and Shannon Wassil. He wasn’t the only one with plenty to be proud of. Martha Saunders, president-elect of the University of West Florida, was guest of honor at a reception hosted by Ken Ellzey and Mona Amodeo. She takes the helm Jan. 1, but the transition team is already hard at work. Guests at the event included Gordon Sprague; Dick and Carolyn Appleyard; Dick Baker; Lewis and Belle Bear; Bobby Switzer; and Julie Sheppard. The Association of Fundraising Professionals hosted their annual National Philanthropy Day at the Crowne Plaza Hotel with Mollye Barrows serving as Mistress of Ceremonies. This is an event that makes you proud to live in this community as numerous organizations and individuals are nominated for their service and volunteerism to our town. The stories of their contributions are inspirational. Among those recognized were Sue Straughn, Cat Country 98.7, Dave and Mary Hoxeng, Seville Rotary Club, Tip McAlpin, the Washington High School Student Government Association, Epps Christian Center, and Laverne Baker. Nancy Wolfe serves as president of the Association. Congratulations to Julian Irby, Art Norris (Posthumous), Jimmy Haynes (Posthumous),
Moose Morris, and Kay Stephenson who were honored at a ceremony retiring their jerseys from their days playing football at Pensacola High School. Others on hand for the recognition included Sandy Sansing; Dickie Combs; Mark Proctor; David Sellers; and Richard Sellers. Be sure and visit T.T. Wentworth Museum to see the latest exhibit featuring the iconic Trader Jon’s Bar. You will think you are actually in the original except that your feet will not stick to the floor. The opening ceremony included guests Mayor Ashton Hayward; Councilmembers Larry B. Johnson, Brian Spencer, and PC Wu; UWF President Judy Bense; Charlie and Fran Switzer; and Bobby and Jane Switzer. ARC Gateway held a sponsors party at the Lee House as a preview to the main event of Wreaths of Joy. Guests packed the festive house, enjoying cocktails and hor d’oeuvres prepared by the Fish House. Attendees included Fred Levin; Mark and Madrina Ciano; Phillip Morris; Lewis and Belle Bear; Gordon Sprague; Roger and Ellen Vinson; and Dave and Mary Hoxeng. The coolest party ever was held recently at the Aragon home of Ed and Rosie Butler. The couple, gifted musicians, honored their
daughter, Jill Butler Markl, who was visiting from Lafayette, La. They assembled several of their musician friends and held a jam session while guests enjoyed wine, Ed’s Cajun cooking, and the best jazz you ever heard. The apple did not fall far from the Butler tree, as Jill played piano and sang. Lucky guests included Gary Houston; Michael O’Donovan; and Tom and Nora Bailey. The Downtown Improvement Board and Winterfest kicked off the season with an inaugural trolley ride following the magnificent holiday lighting ceremony. If you have not ridden the Winterfest Trolley, make plans now! This is so festive, so fun, and so well done that it has become a highlight of the holidays in Pensacola. Congrats to the creative genius of Denise Daughtery who founded the event. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to you all!
Mike Papantonio Lewis + Belle Bear pensacola magazine | 11
pensacolascene who/what/when/where
wreaths of joy sponsor party
Lou + Sandy Ray
Jim Reeves + Lewis Bear
Madrina Ciano + Angela D’Alessandro
Autumn Blackledge, Irelyn Thompson, Jim Reeves, Jane + Gregg Beck
Wreaths of joy gala at New world landing
Phillip Morris, Teri Levin + Fred Levin 12 | pensacola magazine
Ray + Val Russenberger
Joe McNair + Meagan Leonard
Marsha Hanson, Carlette Howell, Jen Cole, Angela Moore
Miss Teen USA Karlie Hay + Miss Teen USA Deshauna Barber
pensacolascene who/what/when/where
the 2016 nas blue angels homecoming air show Brittany Cagle + Bailey McDaniel
Lacie, Jase + Jeffrey Baughman
Jeremiah Jordan
Bailey + Luke Crocke
Elf parade + christmas lighting ceremony
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pensacolascene who/what/when/where
celebrating the launch of “miss ella� of commanders palace at the home of Bruce + tip McAlpin Raisa + Roger Webb
The McAlpins: Bruce, Tip, Mary Anne, Richard + Gerri
14 | pensacola magazine
Dottie Brennan, Lally Brennan + Ti Martin
Bo + Gay Carter, Gerri McAlpin + Glenys Ballinger
A.A. Cunningham Road paving notice ... Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast (NavFac SE) has awarded a contract to mill and overlay A.A. Cunningham Road on NAS Pensacola. The work is scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 12 and expected to take four weeks to complete. Watch for “Road Closed” and “Detour” signs. Detour routes to facilities in the area will be Page Road to Warehouse Road and Farrar Road to Pat Bellinger Road. Drivers should observe the warning signs and proceed with caution around the work zones. The work schedule is weather dependent. For questions or more information, contact the PWD Construction Manager Bryan Moeller at 452-3131, ext. 3077.
Vol. 80, No. 35
VISIT GOSPORT ONLINE: www.gosportpensacola.com
September 2, 2016
Fallen Special Tactics Airman honored at NASP By Capt. Katrina Cheesman Sibley’s unit. “This dedication 24th Special Operations Wing and memorial ruck is an important step for us as a brotherhood Air Force Special Tactics Air- to honor Forrest’s legacy of men dedicated a military freefall valor, and get a small bit of clotraining exercise into Pensacola sure.” Bay Aug. 26 to His teammates Staff Sgt. Forrest escorted the famSibley, a combat ily to Sibley’s controller from burial site, wearPensacola killed ing combat ruck in action Aug. 26, sacks weighing 2015, in Helmand more than 50 Pr o v i n c e , pounds to repreAfghanistan. It sent the deployed. was the first anOnce at the niversary of Sibcemetery, they ley’s death. completed a After free round of memoStaff Sgt. falling into the rial push-ups to Forrest Sibley waters of Sibley’s honor their fallen hometown, his teammates teammate. joined family members and Sibley, 31, had served in the friends to complete a memorial Air Force as a combat controller ruck march to his final resting since 2008. In his seven years of place at Barrancas National service, he received four Bronze Cemetery (BNC). Star Medals, once with valor for “When we lost Forrest, most heroism in combat, as well as a of his teammates were still de- Purple Heart for injuries susployed for another five months, tained in combat. and couldn’t attend any funeral “Forrest was one of our best or memorial event,” said Lt. Col. combat controllers, but he was Stewart Parker, commander of 21st Special Tactics Squadron, See Sibley on page 2
After parachuting into Pensacola Bay, members of the Air Force’s 21st Special Tactics Squadron make a memorial “ruck march,” a hike with full packs, from NAS Pensacola’s Bayou Grande Marina to Barrancas National Cemetery and the grave of teammate Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley. Sibley was killed in action Aug. 26, 2015. He had served in the Air Force as a combat controller since 2008. Photo by Mike O’Connor For more photos, see page A4
CNATT: Make Labor Day weekend safety a priority Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Public Affairs
The Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) safety manager is reminding service members, civilian employees and their families to maintain safety awareness as they prepare for what is generally viewed as the end of summer. CNATTSafety Manager Krystal Hancock said that Labor Day, a federal holi-
day designed to honor the achievements of American workers, includes an extended weekend, with service members and their families often electing to travel to see family and friends. “Whether taking a long road trip or simply jumping in the car to run a quick errand, driving is inherently risky, and traffic mishaps continue to
be a leading reason for lost time, days, and lives across our force,” she said. Hancock said the National Safety Council (NSC) predicts this could be the deadliest Labor Day weekend for drivers in eight years, estimating that more than 430 people could be killed in traffic accidents throughout the Labor Day weekend. She added that service members, often sepa-
rated from their families and travelling significant distances to visit during the long weekend, should take some simple precautions before and during their trips. “Get enough rest before heading outsleepy driving is as dangerous as impaired driving,” she said. “Alternate drivers or take frequent breaks to ensure that whoever is behind the wheel stays alert.” See Labor Day on page 2
‘Be There’ for your shipmates during Suicide Prevention Month 2016 By James Rosenfelder U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery public affairs
NAS Pensacola to host 9/11 commemoration ceremony ... In commemoration of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Naval Air Station Pensacola will present a ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum aboard the base at 10 a.m. Sept. 9. The event will include a guest speaker and a musical rendition from the NATTC Choir, a traditional “two-bell” ceremony, honors performed by the NASP Honor Guard and a 21-gun volley. The public is invited to attend.
Navy Medicine recognizes September as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, which began Sept. 1. The theme for Suicide Prevention Month 2016 is “Be There.” Throughout the month, Navy Medicine will highlight the power of peer support and personal wellness, encouraging Sailors and Marines to be there for their shipmates. “Action starts with prevention,” said Vice Adm. Forrest Faison, Navy surgeon general and chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BuMed). “When a Sailor needs assistance, easy access to support resources and mental health treatment is essential, as is validation of help-seeking behaviors.” Suicide prevention is a yearlong effort. Suicide Prevention Month serves as a reminder that building resilience and preventing suicide requires all
members of the Navy and Marine Corps community to work together. Every life lost to suicide is one too many. “Take action if you notice anything
out of the ordinary for a shipmate; reach out to them,” Faison said. “If you are having difficulties, seek help if See Prevention on page 2
FatAlbertis getting a facelift...Fat Albert, the Blue Angels’ C-130 cargo plane used for transporting crew and equipment to air shows around the country, is currently undergoing a chemical de-paint process at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma after corrosion was found. Once the de-paint process and sheetmetal checks for any other corrosion are complete, Fat Albert will fly to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for full programmed depot maintenance and paint. Photo by Kelly White
GOSPORTPENSACOLA.COM GOSPORTPENSACOLA.COM GOSPORTPENSACOLA.COM GOSPORTPENSACOLA.COM GOSPORTPENSACOLA.COM GOSPORTPENSACOLA.COM
GOSPORTPENSACOLA.COM
Published by BallingerPublishing, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Navy. Opinions contained herein are not official expressions of the Department of the Navy nor do the advertisements constitute Department of the Navy, NAS Pensacola or Ballinger Publishing’s endorsement of products or services advertised.
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Sugar Plum, Spice, & Mischievous Mice written by Malorie Eagles photos courtesy of Ballet pensacola
T
he holiday season is full of fond childhood memories of donning your best clothes, having an endless supply of sweets, and being showered with love and gifts from family and friends. Ballet Pensacola’s annual performance of The Nutcracker allows us to relive our best moments and revive the thrill of Christmas Eve. The Saenger Theatre will raise its curtains on Dec. 16, 17, & 18 to reveal a winter wonderland draped with satin and tulle and laced with action, adventure, and a timeless romance that will captivate the entire family. Enter the enchanting Land of the Sweets and join young Clara and her Nutcracker Prince as they help the toy soldiers defeat the Mouse King and his army. With music by Tchaikovsky and original choreography by Richard Steinert, Ballet Pensacola’s The Nutcracker is poised to be a masterpiece. You won’t want to miss this timeless holiday classic that will simply be en pointe. To purchase tickets, pirouette over to the Saenger Theatre Box Office, visit Ticketmaster.com, or call 800.745.3000. In the following interview with Pensacola Magazine, Richard Steinert, worldrenowned ballet dancer turned coveted choreographer and artistic director of Ballet Pensacola, inspires us with the magic of his profound career.
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Tell me a bit about yourself. How did you get involved in the world of dancing and choreography? I got into dance because I asked a girl out on a date. She was a dancer and she said she would only go out with me if I signed up for ballet class. So, I signed up for ballet class to get a date. I ended up falling in love with ballet instead of that girl and I’ve been in the studio ever since. How has your experience with Ballet Pensacola been different from your experiences working in Kansas and Connecticut? One has been that I am not only the artistic director, but the executive director and general manager as well, so I have not only the artistic responsibilities but the fiduciary responsibilities. What has been exciting about it here for me is we’ve been able to create a company of
dancers who we really want to work with and who really want to be here. We’ve also been able to create the personality of a company. When you go into a directorship, very often, the personality of a company is already determined. And you only, as a director, get to tweak that. When you have started it, you get to make some of those decisions as it grows and you drive it from behind. This is really a nice group of people who are mutually supportive and kind to one another and that makes for a great working atmosphere. I hope that turns into a great experience on the stage for the audiences. Who was your mentor when you were getting started? I think the person who affected my career the most was Tom Pasic. He was associate director in Atlanta Ballet when I danced there, then he got the directorship of
Baltimore Ballet. He invited me and my wife Christine to come and dance in Baltimore Ballet and he really was key in getting me from that court of ballet into principal roles and really nurturing and developing me as an artist. Everything I do is pretty much a homage to him and where he brought me. That’s amazing! Where do you get inspiration for your new choreography? It comes from everywhere. Sometimes I hear the music and that’s enough to spark me and I’m like, “I want to make a ballet to this music.” We’re doing Wizards and Warriors right now, and there are three people in the company who did a piece in a ballet called Swing, Swang, Swung. One of the guys, Josiah, just seemed very Harry Potterish to me and the three of them together really made me think, “I want to use the chemistry that they have together to make this happen.” I understand that stylistically, you love to fuse dance and theatre. What is your creative process when developing a new production? The process often just comes from a story that I think would be able to be told without words. Stories that I think suit a particular person, or a group of people in the organization, or something that is just so outlandish that I feel like we have to do it. I like ballet that is unexpected. I guess
by nature I like to push people’s buttons. And so, I think what we do here well is give people something that’s fresh and unexpected. You reach a certain point of your life where you’ve danced the classics. And you either are in a world where you just keep dancing those over and over, or you step into a world where it’s something new every season and someone’s kicking your butt and saying, “Okay, I know that’s the way you used to do it, but we’re not doing it that way anymore. I want you to do this.” And the dancers seem to respond to that and for me, I think we have found that that’s what the audience here wants, as well. Our audience is Pensacola and the places we tour to respond to the, “This isn’t your grandmother’s ballet company.” So, you were talking about how you really loved building a dynamic atmosphere where you can choose people who want to be here. How do you discover new dancers to introduce to the company? We do a national tour every year. When I first started and there wasn’t a company here, I really had to go out and beg people. We do a five or six city tour, and usually do Austin, Houston, Atlanta, Miami City, Boston, and New York. But, we are at the point now where we receive on average about 400 resumes for every open position when it comes to hiring. So, we really
have the pick of what we want for the most part. We are very fortunate. There are so many holiday productions out there. Why did you choose to adapt The Nutcracker? I got my first directorship when I was 28 and I had to put together a new Nutcracker for that company. It’s been 30 years now that my version of The Nutcracker has been in someone’s company. I like the story of it. I like the fact that I love the music still. I feel very fortunate because after doing a ballet for 30 years, you can get a little jaded and a little tired of it and I feel very fortunate that I haven’t. We change it every year here. We change choreography, we change costuming. It keeps it fresh for the dancers, it keeps me from going out of my mind doing the same thing over and over, and it keeps the audiences happy. It’s also just become a real piece of the holiday fabric here in Pensacola. Everybody loves the idea of that childhood magic and I think that’s what The Nutcracker captures for all of us. The children who see it are living it firsthand because they still live in that magic of childhood and all of the rest of us—it’s reverie. It takes us back to those days when there always was some magic in our imagination.
pensacola magazine | 17
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Cocktails The clock strikes 12 and the first sounds of the new year echo out in explosions of uncorked champagne bottles and hurrahs from the crowd. There’s
perhaps no better way to ring in the new year than with the holiday’s signature, celebratory drink: a big ol’ bottle of bubbly to share and toast with the closest of friends and family. But, if you’re looking for a novel way to enjoy your bubbly, we suggest jazzing up the traditional beverage of choice by raising a glass to the new year with a new champagne concoction: one of four deliciously crafted champagne cocktails courtesy of Jackson’s Steakhouse, perfect for any palate. Cheers!
intro by dawn gresko photography by guy stevens recipes courtesy of Josh goldman, beverage director for great southern restaurants pensacola magazine | 19
Give Local 'Tis the season to shop locally! Be sure to spread the economic holiday cheer to our Pensacola small businesses and nonprofits this year. We’ve put together a few interesting items to help you find the perfect gift for everyone on your list while supporting local businesses at the same time.
Historic Pensacola Museum Stores 15” x 53” oblong silk scarf featuring a vintage 1909 panoramic photograph of Pensacola’s bayfront: $48 Sterling silver iconic Petrified Cat bracelet, Inspired by T. T. Wentworth’s infamous Petrified Cat: $160 Trader Jon’s magnetic calendar: $6 Classic Trader Jon’s logo t-shirt: $15 Vintage Trader Jon’s Flying Pub t-shirt: $20 Trader Jon Bobblehead: $15
pensacola magazine | 23
The Mole Hole 425 E. Zaragosa
Custom Made Pensacola Coasters, Made in the U.S.A Raku Pottery Spirit Rattle
Angel’s Garden 1208 N.12th Ave.
Indoor or Outdoor Iron Angel: $120 Hand-made, Fair Trade Christmas Ornament: $26 Hand–Etched Wine Glass: $23 Hand–Etched Carafe: $39
24 | pensacola magazine
Give Local
Pensacola Shoe Hospital and The Boot Store 7801 Pine Forest Rd Women’s Dan Post Boots: $259.95 American Bling Concealed Weapons Purse: $49.95 Matching Wallet:$19.95
The Wicked Diva Boutique 1116 N. 9th Ave.
Simply Noelle Sweater: $39.99 Blingsting Pepper Spray: $19.95 Ahh!-larm Personal Alarm: $19.95 Cyclone Pink Stun Gun: $14.95 Guard Dog Security Flashlight Stun Gun: $29.95 Brutus Self Defense Cat Keychain: $7 Kubotan Key Ring: $10
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Snow Escape: Slipping Away to a Snowy Destination Near You written by Dawn Gresko
If you were born and raised in Pensacola, chances are you’ve never had the opportunity to understand the true meaning of a white Christmas. While shoveling driveways has given northerners their fare share of reasons to dislike snow fall, there’s no shoveling driveways when you’re on vacation; when you’re going on a snow escape to one of many areas that might not be Pensacola, but are areas no more than a day’s drive away in bordering states like Alabama and Georgia, as well as in states slightly farther away like North Carolina and Tennessee. If they aren’t coming with you, then tell your family and friends you won’t be home for the holidays because you’re on a snow escape.
Sarasota Snowfest: Florida
Cloudmont Ski and Golf Resort: Alabama
To kick off the list of places to whisk yourself away on a snow escape, we’ll start with a location right here in our own Sunshine State: the City of Sarasota has something special in store for the holidays—piles and piles of snow! From Dec. 16 to 18, the annual Snow Fest is returning and coming to a new location at the Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch—which you can drive to from Pensacola in a little over seven hours. But, what’s the trick to getting it to snow in Florida? We won’t reveal all of Santa’s trade secrets, but we will tell you this: roughly 900 blocks of ice are trucked in (by Santa’s sleigh) and they are fed through an ice chipper to creating approximately 70 tons of snow that magically transforms the land. From daily snow fall and sleigh riding to giant snow slides and so much more, there’s no shortage of things to explore in this wintery wonderland. 5895 Post Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, FL snowfestsarasota.com
Our neighboring state of Alabama has some higher altitudes and lower temperatures—some of the perfect ingredients for keeping snow alive. Cloudmont Ski and Golf Resort in Mentone, Ala., gets glittering snow as soon as overnight temperatures drop to 28 degrees or colder, which allows snowmaking to commence. Although the snow may not be authentic, you’ll confuse it for the real thing, especially when you’re surrounded by the lofty, mountain atmosphere. The resort is as unique as Lookout Mountain itself, including two 1,000-foot beginner to intermediate slopes for skiers. Two “pony” lifts will carry you to the top, where the elevation is as high as 1,800 feet with a vertical rise of 150 feet. Enjoy scenic rock formations, white water, and the crisp mountain air this winter at Cloudmont Ski and Golf Resort—a drive no more than five hours away from Pensacola. 721 County Rd. 614, Mentone, AL cloudmont.com
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Wolf Ridge Ski Resort: North Carolina Are you a snowboard or skiing enthusiast, who just so happens to be trapped in the hot box that is Florida? Go the extra mile and visit the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina to Ski the Wolf! Wolf Ridge, that is. Hop in the car and put on your favorite holiday tunes for a drive no more than eight hours away. The resort is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Wolf Ridge itself rises to an elevation of 4,700 feet with 72 acres of ski terrain. This family-friendly getaway features as many as 23 ski slopes and trails. Just outside the main resort you can have a day of wonderful winter fun at the Wolf Ridge Tube Run; better than traditional sledding is tubing down a long slope, which is safe for all members of the family. Whether you are a beginner or expert, long-time regular or first-time visitor, you are guaranteed to have a blast at North Carolina’s premier snow sport facility. 578 Valley View Cir., Mars Hill, NC skiwolfridgenc.com
Ober Gatlinburg Resort: Tennessee Travel to the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg, Tn., for Ober Gatlinburg: an amusement park and ski area resort with a top elevation of 3,300 feet. Established in 1962, Ober Gatlinburg contains a 62,000-square-foot mall (Tramway Mall) with indoor amusements including a skating rink called the Ice Arena. Venture outside for an alpine slide, the ski mountain coaster ride, or a cruise inside a chairlift to the top of Mount Harrison. An aerial tram connects to Ober from Downtown Gatlinburg, so hitch a ride on one of America’s largest cable cars that departs every 20 minutes. Ober Gatlinburg has ten skiing trails and a terrain park, and it is the only winter ski area in Tennessee. A multi-lane snow tubing hill opened in 2009, where riders can slide down snow chutes on inflatable bobsleds; lanes are 400 feet long with a 50-foot vertical drop. Don’t miss a magnificent panorama of the Smokies at Ober Gatlinburg this season! 1001 Parkway Ste. 2, Gatlinburg, TN obergatlinburg.com
Stone Mountain Park: Georgia Adventure awaits you just outside Atlanta, Ga., in Stone Mountain Park— Georgia’s most popular attraction that features a wide variety of family activities on as many as 3,200 acres of naturally beautiful landscape. By car, the trip to Stone Mountain Park takes no more than six hours. Once there, there’s no end to the array of activities from Avalanche Alley, where you can tube down snowy hills with friends, to the Snow Zone, where you can have fair fights with snowballs, build your very own snowman (or woman), plus construct your own Igloo City. There are ways to enjoy the landscape from afar by taking a cable car on the Summit Skyride to the top of the mountain, and you can visually soak up all the snow while you enjoy a scenic train ride around the mountain, too. While we know snow played a major role in your decision to visit Stone Mountain Park, remember you can also trek through the tree tops on Sky Hike—the nation’s largest adventure course, and check out the spray at all new Geyser Towers. 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd., Stone Mountain, GA stonemountainpark.com pensacola magazine | 27
Uncle Bill Willis featured at the center in the purple shirt, surrounded by some of his former students who helped surprise him with a dream trip to Italy.
A Good Samaritan:
Pensacola’s Resident Do-Gooder, Uncle Bill Willis What does it mean to be a “good Samaritan”? Typically, when we hear the term we think of a charitable and helpful person; a person who acts in favor of the greater good, who aids another without a thought of how he or she might be advantaged (or disadvantaged) by helping. Following the spirit of the holidays and giving season, we could think of no better way to celebrate than by singing the praises of a local do-gooder who has been a guiding light to countless local students over the years, inspiring them to reach beyond their perceived limits. So, who is one of Pensacola’s very own good Samaritans? None other than William “Uncle Bill” Willis. – by Dawn Gresko Uncle Bill spent his career as a high school teacher, bringing history to life as an American and European history teacher presenting to both traditional and Advanced Placementlevel studies, beginning in 1976 at Woodham High School. Later, when Woodham became a middle school, he transitioned to Pine Forest High School in 2007 before finally retiring in 2015. He sponsored a high school academic team, “Brain Brawl,” at Pine Forest and it often produced champions. “Bill was an exemplar teacher, impacting the lives of thousands of students,” said Gordon Smith, leader in rallying help for Uncle Bill’s Surprise Dream Trip. “That was enough to inspire us to return in a small way the big investment he made in us. As we pulled this gift together, we also learned of the impact he 28 | pensacola magazine
made with his coworkers by mentoring faculty, the love that he brought to his family and community, and the contributions he makes to his congregation. Truly, he makes a difference in all his worlds.” For many of Bill’s students, he admirably blurred the line between “formal” and “extended family,” which is why so many refer to him as “Uncle” Bill. After finding out that Bill had made a Facebook post saying he was finally giving up on his lifelong dream to visit Italy, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance that holds special meaning for history-buff Bill, for health and financial reasons, one of Bill’s former students, Gordon Smith, expressed his concern on social media and asked a few classmates if they were all feeling the same way.
Within a week, the small group of alumni had a secret Facebook page set up, a “caring conspiracy” if you will, which was titled Uncle Bill’s Surprise Dream Trip, where even more of Bill’s students joined and pitched in their ideas and enthusiasm. “As we came together to secretly surprise him, we found so many others whose experiences were similar and in many cases so much more profound,” explained Gordon. “The students whose lives he touched were left with a particular and unique mark, and we all cherish it still.” As many as 600 members, who all had been influenced by Uncle Bill in one form or another, pitched in to help with the surprise trip to Italy. Thanks to one member in particular, they opened an account on YouCaring.com, which
at last count had as many as 134 contributions totaling $15,550 to the surprise trip fund. In addition to Gordon, who helped rally together the rest of Bill’s rag-tag group of alumni from over the course of his teaching career, there were a few students who took the lead in organizing various areas of the trip plan—from travel, destinations, and fundraising to planning a party. In fact, several students had become travel agents, which helped the group indentify an array of options for Bill’s surprise trip. The steering committee, as Gordon called it, consisted of: Anne Bradley (Bill’s sister), Christine Hightower Destry (fundraising and Youcaring.com starter), Sue Ehlers (party planning and local bank contact), Richard Heath, Stacey Spence (travel coordinator and local bank contact), as well as Russ Willis. The cost of the trip was estimated according to Bill’s own finances and health; the committee scouted a variety of options suited for Bill’s health needs. Since the committee didn’t want Bill to travel by his lonesome on his dream trip, the budget was doubled so he wouldn’t be traveling alone. They also considered what Bill would need to go out of the country, including small details like passports and spending cash. The crew also set aside money for Bill’s mother, since he is her primary caregiver, so her needs could be met while Bill was away. As Gordon explains it, getting people to donate was a crash course in fundraising for him; he relied heavily on advice from Christine, as well as his understanding of Kickstarter campaigns and annual NPR drives. The key was gently reminding people the chance to donate was there, without annoying them, so the team started with weekly updates that received a pretty quick and impressive response. The best part of it all? Uncle Bill’s legacy carries on in his students who went on to become teachers themselves—as well as doctors, lawyers and more, all of whom became successes in all walks of life and all of whom point to Bill as an inspiration. In fact, because of the overwhelming responses and number of donations, the committee had considered other goals of letting Bill go on other trips, take care of bills, or possibly using leftover funds to start a scholarship in his name for the generations to come. While the details are still being finalized, it looks like Bill will be targeting a trip to Italy in spring of 2017. It goes without saying that Bill has touched the lives of many, including those now reading his story. If you feel inclined to pay it forward and keep the good will going, check out how to make donations at youcaring. com/bill-willis-627101.
Summati n Weekly
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Feathered Friends Written by Kelly Oden | Photography by Guy Steven
Tucked away on a two-acre lot on Old Palafox sits one of the most interesting, colorful and pleasantly noisy places in Pensacola. Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Bird Park Parrot Rescue and Sanctuary houses roughly 110 parrots of varying species as well as a couple of emus, a few peacocks and at least one rooster.
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he sanctuary was started by Sandy Carl Kirkconnell, affectionately known as Uncle Sandy, in 2002 after his retirement. Born and raised on a small island off the coast of Honduras, Uncle Sandy saw macaws flying freely and he developed a deep love for the birds, especially the green-winged macaws, which he had as pets growing up. His interest in the birds prompted him to build a large free-flight open aviary where his macaws could enjoy flying. As people became interested in his aviary, he started to allow visitors in order to share his knowledge and the beauty of the birds. As news got out, people began asking Uncle Sandy to take in birds they could no longer care for. Unable to say no to an animal in need, he created the sanctuary for them and for people to learn more about them. After Uncle Sandy lost his battle with cancer in early 2013, a group of volunteers helped establish the park into a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to continue his legacy of saving birds and educating the public. The park is run completely by volunteers and is funded by entry fees and donations. All proceeds go back into the park to care for the majestic animals who call it home. “Volunteers are welcome and encouraged,” says Reed Raulston, a member of the board of directors and a sanctuary volunteer for over eight years. “Volunteers clean cages, feed birds, clean up the park and socialize with the birds.” Currently, the sanctuary has about eight dedicated volunteers and a varying number of casual volunteers. The experience of visiting the park is a something magical. Brightly colored bird cages, flower pots, step stones and the calls of multiple birds greet visitors on the way in. “When you come in the park, we set you up with a cup of peanuts and give a little bit of instructions,” says Raulston. “We will show you how to interact with the birds. A running joke I have is that we want everyone to leave with all ten fingers, not nine and a half. We show you where the birds are and let you walk through the park at your leisure. We try to be available for answering questions. We try to make it as interactive as possible. If folks want to hold a bird or play with a bird, we can try to make that happen as long as the bird likes human interaction. Visitors are also
entertaining for the birds. They have physical needs, but they also have social needs. They are flock animals. They like to have interaction. So, we try to get everyone who comes here to interact and socialize with the birds as much as we can.” Sweetie, a 9-year-old white umbrella cockatoo, is the mascot of the sanctuary. She’s the first bird people see when they enter the office. She is very social and vocal, loves to dance and if you are lucky, she may respond to your “I love you, Sweetie” with an “I love you, too.” Sweetie goes to nursing homes, schools and civic events to spread the word on the sanctuary and to educate the public on the dedication necessary to raise a parrot, many of which will live for 80 years. The species in the park includes many large macaws, amazons and eclectus as well as smaller parrot varieties. The oldest birds are a pair of bonded macaws, which are estimated to be about 53 years old. All of the birds are surrendered birds, which means an owner was no longer
Reed Rawlston with Sweetie and a friend.
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Feathered Friends able to care for the bird and gave it to the sanctuary. “It generally boils down to some sort of lifestyle change,” says Raulston. “Marriages, birth of children, divorce and death are some of the major reasons for parrot surrender.” “Birds can easily outlive a human companion,” Raulston explains. “Single birds bond to their human companions like glue.” This intense bonding can cause problems for families who have recently added a spouse or children because the birds can becomes protective of their bonded person and will feel the need to defend that person. This can create rifts within the family. In some of these cases, the best decision may be to find the feathered companion a new home. Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Bird Park Parrot Rescue and Sanctuary is located at 9513 N Palafox St. Admission fees are $5 per person for those 13 years of age and up, $2 per child from 7 to 13 years of age, and free for children under the age of six. Hours vary, so check website for availability: macawbirdpark.org
While owning a parrot can be a rewarding experience, it also requires a lot of knowledge, time and work. Consider these tips before bringing a parrot into your home. 10 Things You Need to Know Before Buying or Adopting a Bird by Monica Engebretson, Grassroots Coordinator, Animal Protection Institute 1. Birds are not domesticated animals. Domestic animals are animals that have been bred for hundreds of years to live in the care of humans and are distinct from their wild ancestors. Birds commonly kept as pets are no different than their wild relatives—they are the native species of other countries. 2. Chlamydiosis (psittacosis) and avian tuberculosis can be transmitted through the air from birds to humans. These diseases can cause significant illness, especially for people with compromised immune systems. Birds also continually shed feather dust, which may aggravate asthma in some people. Many homes with pet birds have HEPA-type air filters in rooms with birds to control allergies from bird dander. 3. Parrots, including lovebirds, parakeets, and cockatiels, are noisy and messy, and can be destructive. Vocalizing (squawking, chirping, talking) is an important part of any parrot’s social communication. Birds eat continually throughout the day, dropping and discarding bits of food everywhere. Birds are instinctively programmed to chew and shred wood, whether it is a perch, toy, picture frame, or furniture. Birds will also chew electrical cords, paper, and curtains. 32 | pensacola magazine
4. All parrots have long life spans. Depending on the species, they may live 20 to 80 years or more. Caring for a bird is often a life-long responsibility. 5. Parrots are extremely social animals, and have been compared to human toddlers in the needs of their emotional and social lives but, unlike children, they never grow up. 6. Birds are active and inquisitive and must be provided with ample room to move about and play. An indoor or sheltered outdoor aviary or a flight safe room (windows covered, no cats/ dogs, no ceiling fans, etc.) that will allow the bird(s) to fly is good for exercise. Birds with clipped wings can get exercise by climbing, swinging, and flapping, if provided with ample space, toys, and climbing structures. 7. All birds need a varied diet, not just seeds or pellets, but grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, too. 8. Light exposure and sleep are very important to birds. Birds need at least four hours exposure to UVA and UVB rays from sunlight or full-spectrum lighting to provide them with vitamin D, which promotes vitamin A absorption, critical for upper respiratory health. Birds must have a minimum of ten hours of sleep each night. 9. Birds are very sensitive to air quality. Unlike humans, a bird replaces nearly all the air in its lungs with each breath. Because no residual air is left in the lungs during the ventilation cycle of birds, they transfer more oxygen and more pollutants during each breath. Birds should never be exposed to tobacco smoke, chemical fumes (hairspray, cleaners, etc.) or Tefloncoated materials. Exposure to some toxic inhalants can cause immediate death; chronic exposure to other toxic can lead to premature death.
FRESH FOOD FRESH SMOOTHIES 10. Birds need veterinary care from a & CATERING veterinarian that specializes in birds. Proper vet care for birds can be expensive. Your vet will probably recommend a complete examination and diagnostic tests when you first acquire your bird; in addition, she/he will probably recommend annual well-bird examinations. Smaller birds require the same vet care and regular examinations.
Tropical smoothie cafe catering offers a refreshing variety of delicious eat-better, feel-better food to please everyone in the crowd.
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Ashton Hayward mayor with a mission
Six years into his tenure as Mayor of Pensacola, Ashton Hayward remains as energetic and optimistic as ever. In 2016, Hayward successfully focused on bringing more jobs to the city, creating solutions for an aging infrastructure and providing an overall higher quality of life for Pensacola citizens. However, the year was not without its controversies and disagreements. Pensacola Magazine sat down with Mayor Hayward to talk about the successes and challenges of 2016 and his vision for the future of the city. Written by Kelly Oden + Josh Newby
What would your ideal process be for demolition or renovation of historic properties? What role does owner input play in decision? Where do you draw the line on what is culturally significant? The owner plays a big role in it. We have property rights. We are very fortunate to be America’s First Settlement and I take that very seriously. When you think about the Pensacola Historic District, where the UWF Historic Trust and a lot of historic homes are, there are definitely strict guidelines that every smart city should have from an architectural guidelines standpoint and in terms of coming in front of our Architectural Review Board. We also have the Governmental Center Overlay District, created in the early 70s for the city, county, federal and state buildings in the overlay district. When the John Sunday House issue came up, people started looking at it through a different lens. There were some discrepancies on that as well. The City was sued by the person who was buying the property. The judge ruled that the structure could be taken down. Every situation is going to be different. I’m not for having structures in which the owner can’t take down their own property. If there is historical significance there, we need to look at it. We have guidelines that we go by for that. I think the lines became a little grey in those areas. We have the Old East Hill District and we have the North Hill District and
the Pensacola Historic District, which are both on the National Register of Historic Places, which we take very seriously. But we represent 50,000 people and I can’t just start putting in regulations for the sake of regulations. You have to have a process in place. Could we potentially make that more clear? Maybe, but with the Governmental Center Overlay District, where this conversation started, people didn’t have all the facts. I wasn’t for the Historic Structure Moratorium because I think our city is small enough that you can go case by case. We don’t have that many historical structures outside of the historical districts that would become an issue.
What about a neighborhood like Belmont-Devilliers, which has great significance particularly in the African-American community, but many people feel like it has been overlooked. I think it’s exciting that you have a group of investors who really want to celebrate the historical and cultural significance of Belmont Devilliers. Since I’ve been in office, some things have changed. Five Sisters is a great success and University of West Florida is leasing property, but you need more density there. You need more activity there. There is a big push for more activity and you have to be able to meld new and old and work together. If there is a structure that is significant, that might not pensacola magazine | 35
photo by Laura Bogan
come down. You also have to have people who are willing to invest those dollars to bring those properties back to where they need to be. I think you have to work with public/private and have both public and private investment. You have to have collaboration and communication. From the private sector, there has to be a want to invest in that. From a private-investment standpoint, we cannot afford to have the reputation of anti-growth because long before the new form of government, that was our reputation. We have to be pro-growth, probusiness and there has to be processes in place. You have to adhere to the historical districts. But from my office, from my administration—I am pro-business, I am pro-growth. When you start putting moratoriums and wanting to change land development codes and have these big ideas with not enough money or people to support that, you run the risk of turning people off. We are in a great tilt right now where we feel great about our community and we are doing great things, but we can’t afford to go backwards.
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Much has been said about the panhandling and homeless issues, particularly in the downtown area. Local business and civic leaders have proposed creating an ordinance or expanding license to use rights to businesses other than bars and restaurants so that essentially all sidewalks would become private property. Do you think this is a good idea? They are two different issues. People who are homeless are looking for shelter and for food. They are just trying to survive every minute of the day. Homelessness is something we will all manage as a country or a state or a city. I think we can always be better. That’s something we are going to have to manage. Fortunately, there are so many people in our community who want to help the homeless. The panhandling is different. They move from different counties throughout the state and throughout the country. They are out there on the streets and they have a strategy. We are a great, friendly community so they feel comfortable. You see that with growth in a community. We need to get better ordinances on the books to handle
panhandling. That’s one thing we are working on. We need to address the needs of the investments of business owners, too. The license to use is what other cities do. So, if you pay for a license to use, you can’t have people panhandling on your property. We want to be intelligent and we want to be good neighbors to our investments that are going on in the community. I do think the ordinance needs to be stronger when it comes to panhandling. As government, it’s our job to do that.
From your perspective, how has your dynamic with City Council evolved over the last six years? I bet many think that I go home and stew about it, but I don’t. I ran for mayor. I never ran for City Council. This is my first time in politics and the citizens of Pensacola took a risk on me. I’m a big believer in under-selling and over-delivering. I feel like we’ve accomplished great things as a community. It’s been a team effort, but I had big decisions to make in the Executive Branch and those are difficult decisions. I think you always reach out to collaborate. We did that countless times. They are great people and I have all the
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faith in them. You don’t agree on everything, but at the same time, I made sure we had the votes we needed in order to pass what we needed to pass and to get done what we needed to get done. I feel very fortunate that we’ve done a lot in six years for the community and for the people of Pensacola who took a risk on electing me. I see my council members all the time. City Council has a voice and they feel a certain way and I have to respect that. If you look back in time and think about how difficult it was for our forefathers, it hasn’t been that crazy. I try to keep it in perspective. We’ve never been disrespectful to each other and I think that’s important. We have to have diplomacy. I think if you are going to take it personally, whether in business or politics, you are not going to win. To a degree, things are very personal because we all want to be successful in the role that we are in—whether it’s a mother or father or business-owner or politician, but we have to respect other people’s opinions. I have learned a lot in this job. I was green when I started in terms of being a mayor. I think you use a lot of your life skills and your personality. I’ve also had good people around me who have helped me navigate that. I think sometimes when you want to bite, you have to back up, reflect, take 24 hours and don’t react. One of the lines I use a lot with City Council is “take a bow.” I mean, really, we’ve done great things. The legislation City Council has passed or the things we’ve gotten approved to benefit the citizens—the Council has been a big part of that. That’s success in my opinion: We’ve done a lot.
What do you think the next phase of the Downtown Improvement Board (DIB) should look like and how can it work with the city to improve downtown business and recreation? The Downtown Improvement Board’s original goal was to alleviate blight. The folks who live within the DIB district pay an extra two mils. It definitely has a role. I think it has evolved with the growth of Pensacola and the investment of the private sector in downtown. So, their role will evolve into where we need to grow as a community. I think the DIB is a voice outside of City Hall that is important to speak to business owners. Obviously, as the mayor I am always talking to business owners, but I think it’s also a
We have two ports that are bookends to us on the Gulf Coast. We have Mobile and we have Panama City. There are 15 deep water ports in Florida and we are a boutique port. Has the game plan changed for that port in the 21st century and 2016? Do we need to rethink what we are doing with that 50 acres?” different eye and a different ear. The new DIB director, Curt Morse, has run a business himself. He understands the importance of the client. The customer is always right. We are a governmental agency. We work for the public. We have to make sure it still has the role downtown residents and business owners want. I would like to see citizens and downtown business owners offer their opinions more on what they feel and what they think. I’m a big believer that they are paying the freight. So, maybe they should get involved more to make sure the value is still there. They did a great job with Gallery Night. I’ve always heard more positives than any negative about Gallery Night. But things evolve. You change the dynamics and you don’t want to be stale. I applaud the private folks who stepped up to continue Gallery Night. People have energy and they are motivated to create the next kind of excitement. This allows the DIB to be focused on other things. Parking is going to be a big issue. We’ve talked about doing parking decks and they can help with that. I think it’s very important for them to evolve. The question should be, “How is it going to benefit the people who pay those extra two mils?” You always have to have that voice for the people who are paying the freight.
I understand the City may be helping to support the Pelican Drop financially. What is your position on the City financially supporting downtown events, particularly when the streets are closed? I definitely think there is a role that cities play. It’s no different than in Times Square. They shut down Broadway and they have law enforcement out there. Obviously the Pelican Drop was very
successful and people love to come downtown on New Year’s Eve, where there is a great environment and great energy. I think there is role we can play whether that is policing or being able to offer some funding. What I heard from the citizens and from business owners is that they definitely want the Pelican Drop and they want a New Year’s Eve celebration. We are going into a new year and I think people really enjoy celebrating their town. What I really like to see is that the ownership of the private sector is coming together and saying, ‘we want to have this.’ We are all collaborating and working together.
There seems to be some reluctance for some business owners to partake in the financial burden of these events, particularly in regard to Gallery Night. I think that’s just part of it. I think every business that wants to be successful is going to have to take some risks just like they did to open their business. They know that they have to have some skin in the game. I think when you have some skin in the game, it makes you work a little harder to be successful.
There’s been some discussion about better coordination with emergency services between the City and the County. How would that happen and what would the ideal situation look like? We’ve had a great relationship with Jack Brown and his team over there and the collaboration between Eric Olson and Jack has been terrific. The good thing is that they want to have collaboration. It’s easy to paint the picture that we do not because we have so many agencies for a town of our size. To your point; a horrific accident happened. Our lines are so on top of each other than some people don’t even know if they live in the city or the county. I think coordinating better together is very important. We’ve put an interlocal agreement together with the Escambia County Fire Department and the City Fire Department. We did that so we could work together because for me, public safety is number one.
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photo by Laura Bogan
Ashton + An Hayward
“VT MAE was a huge win for our community. I feel we will see lasting benefits from that. It gives people who live here an opportunity and it gives us an opportunity to have more eyes on Pensacola from a business perspective.” The Port of Pensacola is located on prime waterfront real estate and many people argue that it is not earning its keep and should be relocated in order for that land to be developed into a source of private economic development. When we got into office we had a port advisory committee and we looked at what would benefit the community. We are America’s first settlement. We are an historic city and the port is in a historic district. You have a lot of people who are sensitive to the port being there, as it has some historical significance. We looked at the market and the market was oil and gas. The price of a barrel of oil was around $111 when we first started focusing on it over there and we had some success. Then, as we all know, the price of oil hit rock bottom. We have to rethink it. We have two ports that are bookends to us on the Gulf Coast. We have Mobile and we have Panama City. There are 15 deep water ports in Florida and we are a boutique port. Has the game plan changed for that port in the 21st century and 2016? I think we owe it to the tax payers to say, “hey, do we want to be a port town?” We get Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development (FSTED) grants 38 | pensacola magazine
from the state, but can we be successful in today’s market? Do we need to rethink what we are doing with that 50 acres?
What do you think of the idea of moving the port to NAS? I like that idea. I’ve heard it floated around since I’ve been in office. I think so many cities to the east of us toward Tallahassee don’t have what we have—a downtown community on the water that is accessible and walkable for the citizens. Our grid system sets up perfectly for people to live, work and play. So, all of these cities that we complete with don’t have this asset. We need to look at this whole picture again through a different lens and see the growth we are having in Northwest Florida. Pensacola now, in my opinion is the driver; we are the hub for Northwest Florida. We have the healthcare, the population, the historical city, the beaches, the National Seashore, the Navy, the military— we have all of these great assets. And most importantly, we have human capital. We have talented, smart people, so we need to look at every asset differently. That’s the taxpayers’ asset. Is it paying a dividend for them and for our kids and grandkids futures? People know where we
are now, meaning big investment, so maybe there is opportunity there to develop that in a different way than we’ve used it.
At the time that the Pensacola Young Professionals Quality of Life Survey was taken, you were entangled in an issue with the City fire department. How do think that affected the outcome, specifically your numbers? As we talked about earlier, you can’t harbor bad feelings about things that happen, but I am sensitive to things because my personality goes to: how can I improve? How can I be better? So, when I saw those numbers, I backed into when that survey was done and what the news of the week was at the time. But listen, I have to respect the data and I’ve got to do better if those are the numbers. I want to be better.
When you look at those numbers do you look at yourself personally or at the system that you control? Well the buck stops with me. I think any leader understands that. If you’re a football coach and the offensive line is not blocking the quarterback, then the coach has to say “The buck stops with me at the end of the day.” So I look at myself and I think what am I not perceiving when I am out publicly? I’m out all the time and if people don’t like you, they are not going to come up and give you feedback. But again, I’m very proud about what we’ve done in the last six years. I think I’m one of the most available politicians we have in our
As mayor, Hayward manages a city staff of almost 800, a budget of over $200 million, and works with members of the City Council to set policy and the city budget. In addition to managerial and policy duties, the mayor also serves in an unofficial capacity in guiding local economic development initiatives, leading legislative advocacy efforts to state and federal elected officials and agencies, and ceremonial duties throughout the region.
photo by Laura Bogan
Mayor Hayward with Sen. Bill Nelson community, whether that is in City Hall or out on the streets.
As Pensacola becomes more tourist-centric and as more people live in and around its urban core, do you think things like ferries and trolleys will serve some of the transportation needs? Robert Rinke saw the success of the trollies out on the beach and he sees the value of what is going on downtown and how we can benefit and work together. It’s another asset, another amenity. People think it’s a fun experience and you see it in other cool towns. Robert worked hard on that and Mr. Studer stepped up and was a part of it. It’s another example of the private sector partnering with government to have a win for the citizens. It’s a pilot project. We’ll see what the feedback is and we will make a decision.
We tend to focus a lot on downtown. What is happening in other parts of the city? When we ran for office, we really wanted to go into those areas that were underserved. I said I was going to focus on the West Side. We built a new community resource center over there. Woodland Heights was a neighborhood that felt underserved, so we focused on that neighborhood. I knew that if we collaborated with all citizens we could do a lot. Being 39 square miles, our footprint as a city is not large. But there were neighborhoods that didn’t feel like they had a relationship with City Hall. I think we did a tremendous job getting out there and doing that. One of the areas that we focused on was west of A Street. We are going to do a really cool project, I hope, on the Blount School building site. That school sat there for 30 years. Immediately when we got into office, I said
I can’t have a dilapidated building in the middle of this neighborhood that is a few minutes from downtown, from the water. Now, we are hoping to do a really fabulous single family development there and we are trying to figure out the best way to do that on the public/private side. When I came into office, they wanted me to do a disparity study. We did that. We wanted inclusion. We’ve done that. The face of City Hall has changed. We have our city’s first female port director, first female city attorney. We’ve got a lot of diversity in city hall. The face of what we are has changed. For 80 years, there wasn’t much change before the new form of government. We went after the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) dollars right after the BP oil spill. We got the restoration money. We got the fish hatchery. We created an environment for jobs. We are creating an environment for people to want to live in our community. My big thing is giving opportunity.
How important is it to attract companies like VT MAE and what are the biggest things our city government can do to continue bringing those businesses in? It’s huge. We had 200 plus acres to develop there. Before I came into office, we were never focused on growing and that was why we were getting beat out by other places. And that’s why we got a big grant last year from the Department of Economic Opportunity—an extra million dollars to purchase that property on 12th Avenue across from Pensacola State College. We accelerated that and we worked tirelessly as a team for the VT MAE project, which helps to create an aviation cluster. Those are jobs people can get trained for that don’t have a four-year degree
and may not have a two-year degree. Our school district, Pensacola State College and UWF have partnered with us. That is the modern culture of the American worker again—let me learn how to do a different trade. I think many of us who were formally educated started to appreciate that when the economy crashed and we were envious of the plumbers and electricians. What we did with VT MAE is a big deal and I think the community will continue to feel the benefits in the future. That put us on the world map. To have a big time international company in Florida, in Pensacola, and in the city limits. Again, it was a team effort with the city and the county. We were determined to get it done.
The city recently contracted NAI Halford for the marketing and sale of unused city properties. Are their particular industries you are looking to sell to? There are assets the city might need to retain, but I don’t think the city needs to be in the real estate business. We provide services. We pick up your garbage, we fill your potholes, and we provide gas. We do essential services that are critical. I’m not talking about selling the airport or anything like that. One thing that is critical here is that City Council has to approve the sale or lease of city property. This is not a unilateral decision by the mayor. I don’t have the authority to do that. But I do think we need to put it in the private sectors hands, much like Hawkshaw. Obviously there will be questions of zoning, how it will look. Those things will have guidelines as to what can be done.
With the recent elections, how do you plan to work with Tallahassee to make sure Pensacola is represented? I think one of the biggest wins we’ve had is our ability to build a relationship with Gov. Rick
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Scott. I’ve been very fortunate. We just clicked. So, I obviously work with the legislature as well and we have great relationships with the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT). A lot of storm water and beautification projects came from money that we went after and DOT wanted to work with the municipality. Take something as benign as painting the I-10 Bridge—I was obsessed with that and we worked with them to get it done. The $3 million storm water grant we got at the airport was a big win. We have a great relationship with Tallahassee. All these little projects that you see like Martin Luther King south of Cervantes, Main Street, Bayfront, the I-10 Bridge—I’m pushing hard to get our project done with a roundabout when you come off the Three Mile Bridge. So yes, it’s incredibly important to work with Tallahassee and DC. You brought up the ferries. I was at the Department of the Interior telling Eileen Sobeck that we needed ferries after the oil spill. The fish hatchery is coming to life. That was grant money. All of these things just show how important is to work with everybody.
What do you see as the three best things to happen to the city in 2016? VT MAE was a huge win for our community. I feel we will see lasting benefits from that. It gives people who live here an opportunity and it gives us an opportunity to have more eyes on Pensacola from a business perspective. We were under a microscope from their leadership. They were looking at us in terms of how we interacted as a city and county government—the city council, county commissioners, the mayor’s office. That was a big deal. Obviously the growth of Navy Federal was big because that has a ripple effect for all of us. The University of West Florida coming downtown to play football is huge for the community. That’s another amenity that drives people downtown. It gives a bounce to the restaurants and businesses downtown. I’d also say getting the Urban Land Institute Award for the Community Maritime Park was big. That’s a huge world organization that puts us in the minds of land planners and architects.
What do you see as the three most challenging things to happen to the city in 2016? A heartbreak for the community was the loss of Capt. Jeff Kuss with the Blue Angels. He was one of our heroes and I think it broke America’s heart. Other than that, I don’t focus on the negatives much. I keep moving forward. I think you are 40 | pensacola magazine
Balto Labrador/American Foxhound mix
always going to have challenges, but it’s about how you manage those challenges.
One year old male
What’s on your Agenda for 2017? Well, it’s been six years and I’m really excited to get the construction of the fish hatchery going and the collaboration with Florida Fish and Wildlife. I think there are some opportunities to partner with some research institutes and that could evolve to a bigger space and more educational options in the aspect of research. Obviously we’d like to get something going at the Maritime Park. Leveraging that asset would be really nice. I’m really excited about the new Holiday Inn hotel going up on Main Street. That shows continued investment. What I’m going to really focus on is getting outside investment into our community. We have so many people in our community who have invested heavily in the last six years. The southeast corner of Main and Palafox with the Woodbury family, the investments from Mr. Studer, and Ray Russenberger’s development—these are big wins. Outside investment is good, too. I think getting more and more people attracted to Pensacola and bringing their businesses here is very important. I think any CEO is looking for quality of life and our quality of life is hard to beat. The affordability, the assets, and the people are all great. I think you’ll see a lot more restaurants coming on the scene and more young people investing in staying here. For me it all about being relentless about going after business, but also pleasing the citizens. I think it’s important for us to know that we are the driver in Northwest Florida and we have to own our market. We have to attract people from other parts of the state and from around the country and the world for that matter.
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an Interview with Bubba Watson
Road Trip!
Amazing Destinations along Highway 90
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The Art of Archery
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Play / Live / Give dec 9–11
Pensacola’s Children’s Chorus presents Christmas on the Coast The best times of the holiday are ones spent together: opening presents, going caroling, baking cookies, even playing in the snow (although this may not be in Florida). Experience the sights and sounds of the season that will have you humming through the new year at Christmas on the Coast by Pensacola Children’s Chorus, coming to Pensacola Saenger Theatre for the weekend of Friday, Dec. 9 through Sunday, Dec. 11. You won’t want to miss this performance, where the Children’s Chorus transforms sunny weather into a winter wonderland. Tickets range $25 to $41 and you may reserve your seats now at pensacolasaenger.com. Or, find out more about the show at pensacolachildrenschorus.com.
dec A Charlie Brown 9–18 Christmas
Who doesn’t want A Charlie Brown Christmas? Gather round the stage at Pensacola Little Theatre to enjoy the holidays Peanuts-style with all your favorite characters: from Snoopy, Woodstock, Linus and Lucy to none other than Charllie Brown himself. Based on the classic TV special, Charlie Brown and the whole Peanuts gang discover the true meaning of Christmas by putting on the school Christmas pageant, finding the right tree, and sharing the holiday with friends. Bring the whole family for this new holiday treat. For more, or to purchase tickets now, check out pensacolalittletheatre.com.
dec Jackson’s Deck the
10 & 17 Halls: A Holiday Lunch Event In celebration of the holidays and back by popular demand, Jackson’s will be open for its special holiday lunch event: Deck the Halls, coming on Saturday, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17 at Jackson’s Steakhouse. Once again, Jackson’s teamed up with the Pensacola Opera to present a lunch filled with holiday cheer featuring costumed carolers strolling from table to table singing all of the traditional carols. Anne Wallace, Holly Robinson, Greg Watson and Ben Riddles will be serenading patron with holiday favorites, such as “Silent Night,” “Away in a Manger,” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” to name a few. Each Saturday there will be two seatings for this event at 11 am and 1 pm. In addition to a full lunch menu, Chef Miller will have a special feature presentation. This is a limited seating event, so to reserve your table please call Jackson’s at 850-469-9898.
dec 2016 Cox Pensacola 10 Christmas Parade
Join in on the holiday cheer in Downtown Pensacola starting at 5:15 pm on Saturday, Dec. 10, when the 2016 Cox Pensacola Christmas Parade will set sail and sleigh on. You won’t want to miss this event that draws over 50,000 each year including eight bands from Escambia County, New Orleans and Mississippi. The parade also features the nationally renowned Blue Angels flight team and a host of organizations from around the region on more than 50 floats. All proceeds of the Cox Pensacola Christmas Parade go to local high school band booster organizations. For more, please visit coxpensacolachristmasparade.org.
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dec Harry Potter Yule Ball 16–17
Enter the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter--well, at least for a night or two at Vinyl Music Hall from Dec. 16 to 17. Witches, wizards and muggles alike are invited to participate in the Potter cosplay and costume contest, test out wizarding-worldinspired drink specials, pose for photo ops, and enjoy Grand Theft Audio’s performance as Dumbledore’s Army,
playing your favorite 80s and 90s muggle-rock songs! So put on your best robes to celebrate the holiday season and all things Potter-verse! Wear what you like,, but something Potteresque is definitely encouraged. Later in the evening they’ll be auctioning a Harry Potter-inspired live painting completed by a guest artist and Gabe Smith (owner of Hula Moon Tattoo) to raise money for Manna Food Bank. Tickets are $15 per person, and you can find out more on vinylmusichall. com.
dec Ballet Pensacola 16–18 presents The Nutcracker
Perhaps nothing says the holidays quite like the classic tale of The Nutcracker, whirling its way to the stage of Pensacola Saenger Theatre from Dec. 16 to Dec. 18. Experience the magic of this beloved holiday classic, featuring the story of young Clara and her Nutcracker Prince. Share the enchantment with your family as you journey through a glistening land of winter and the whimsical Land of the Sweets. Don’t miss your chance to see how artistic director Richard Steinart transforms this traditional tale like no one has before. Tickets are $25 to $37 and you may reserve your seats now at pensacolasaenger.com..
Play / Live / Give dec Southern Accent:
16 Contemporary Works by Gulf Coast Artists
While you’re out and about at December’s Gallery Night, pop by 151 W. Main Street, Suite 104 for the Leader Art Consultants’ popup gallery and exhibit on Dec. 16. The exhibit, “Southern Accent: Contemporary Works by Gulf Coast Artists,” celebrates the newly formed fine art advisory firm’s network of regional artists and will make available to the public a curated group of paintings, photographs, prints, glass and sculpture, with price points ranging from $200 to $12,000. Admission to the pop-up gallery and opening reception is free and open to the public from 4 to 8 pm on Dec. 16. Come for refreshments, an artist meet and greet, as well as live painting by artist Loren Miller. Other featured artists include Pat Regan, Kim Howes, Zabbia and Michael Boles. If you’re unable to attend Gallery Night, the pop-up gallery will be open Dec. 17 between 10 am and 5 pm as well as Dec. 18 between 10 am and 3 pm. For more details, visit leaderfineart. com, or follow them on social media @ leaderartconsultants.
Dec Pensacola Pelican 31 Drop 2017
Does the Thanksgiving holiday have you running around like a wild turkey? Leave all the grocery shopping, food preparation and clean-up to someone else this year by making your holiday gathering something special with any one of the Great Southern Restaurants (Jackson’s Steakhouse, The Fish House, Atlas Oyster House, and/or Five Sisters Blues Café). On Thursday, Nov. 24, the four restaurants will be providing a holiday dinner service from 11 am to 5 pm. In addition to their regular menus, the restaurants will be serving up a traditional turkey plate with variations from chef to chef. Reservations will be required and you can find out more about the menu and reserving your seat(s) at greatsouthernrestaurants.com.
thru PMA presents Old Dec South, New South 31
The Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) is proud to announce the solo exhibition of 14 original works from Svend Damhave: winner of the 2015 Member’s Juried Exhibition. Svend has been painting for over 60 years, and continues to pursue it even while balancing a medical career. He received his BA from Auburn University and his work has been shown in galleries from Washington D.C. to Jupiter, Fla. While Svend considers himself selftaught, his work has been described as photo-realistic. His use of acrylic and transparent glazes create an emphasis on contrast and depth from the use of shadows. This exhibit will focus on scenes from southern cities in a warm and appealing light. For more details on this exhibit, visit pensacolamuseum.org.
thru 2016 Winterfest dec Pensacola
Winter is here and Downtown Pensacola is full of cheer! Don’t miss your chance to join in on any of the Winterfest activities running through December, including Reindeer Games, Performance Tours, and most importantly: a visit with Santa! Enjoy holiday moments with characters from the Polar Express and Whoville on one of 16 Performance Tours running through the streets of downtown from now until Dec. 18. You can Visit with Santa and get your photo taken every night of the Performance Tours as well until Dec. 24. Or, throw snowballs at the Grinch and dance with Dasher, Prancer and Vixen for your Reindeer Games after your Performance Tour trolley ride. Find out more by visiting pensacolawinterfest.org.
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Play / Live / Give dec The Fish House
31 Celebrates New Year’s Eve
The Fish House is once again preparing to celebrate New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31. The Fish House will be offering two special seatings for the evening in the main dining room, for our annual New Year’s Eve wine and food event. The seatings will be held at 6 pm and 9 pm and will feature the culinary creations of Chef Billy Ballou with a fixed-price, five-course menu along with wine pairings selected by Josh Goldman, Fish House beverage manager. The cost per person is $100 (excludes tax and gratuity) with complimentary favors included. As always, we will offer walk-in service all evening throughout the complex, serving from our standard menus. In addition, the Deck Bar will be tented and heated with a DJ playing your favorites to ring in the New Year. To reserve your table for New Year’s Eve Wine Dinner at the Fish House for the 6 pm or 9 pm seating, please call 850-433-9450.
dec Pensacola
31 Symphony Orchestra Presents: Celebrate the New Year!
Celebrate the new year with Pensacola Symphony Orchestra and “A Night on Bourbon Street”: a night of New Orleans style jazz with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon at Saenger Theatre on Dec. 31 starting at 7 pm sharp. When it comes to jazz horns, the sax and trumpet usually reign supreme. But in the right hands, the trombone holds it own as Wycliffe Gordon will soulfully show. Wycliffe is a regular presence at the top festivals and jazz clubs around the world, having shared the stage with nearly every major jazz musician. He brings an authentic mix of New Orleans style, blazing chops, and a larger-than-life personality, and we’re thrilled that he’ll be joining the Pensacola Symphony for a New Year’s Eve celebration that is sure to be memorable. Find out more at pensacolasymphony.com.
AC ON ’B KIN MA
PMA presents Controversial Lines
Join Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) in celebrating the works of one of the most famous and controversial artists of the 20th century: Salvador Dali. Prolific for more than 60 years, Dali created countless oil paintings, drawings, sculptures, theatre and fashion designs, jewelry, book illustrations and prints. This exhibition focuses on multiple print suites and single prints by Dali, from the 1940s to 1980s, following the artist’s formal affiliation with the Surrealist movement. The more than 50 works on view will be late prints by Dali from American public and private collections, including the PMA Permanent Collection. Supplementing this exhibit will be additional prints by icons of Pop Art, such as Warhol and Lichtenstein, further enforcing Dali’s influence on art history post-Surrealism. For more, visit pensacolamuseum.org.
Ice Flyers Games
What’s that sound? Skates, pucks and hockey sticks are hitting the ice, and these are all signs that we are well into hockey season. Whether you’re a fan of hockey, the Pensacola Ice Flyers, or you just like watching hunks make skating in full gear look easy, you won’t want to miss any one of the upcoming home games or any of December’s scheduled Theme Nights like Polar Express and PJs Night on Dec. 17 or Military Appreciation Night on Dec. 30. For more details, or to get your tickets now, check out pensacolaiceflyers.com. Dec. 16: vs. Huntsville Havoc Dec. 17: vs. Huntsville Havoc Dec. 27: vs. Macon Mayhem Dec. 30: vs. Columbus Cottonmouths
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Our Storied Past
Photo Courtesy of University of West Florida Collection
The E. E. Saunders and Warren Fish companies
For fifty years, 1880-1930, Pensacola was known as the “Snapper Capital of the World.” The E. E. Saunders and Warren Fish companies opened in the early 1880s. These fish houses shipped fresh-caught snapper, grouper, and other fish across the country. Damage from early 20th century hurricanes, the Great Depression, the two World Wars, and over fishing all played major roles in the decline of Pensacola’s major role as a nation-wide provider of fresh fish.
SPECIAL SECTION
SPECIAL SECTION 53
VT MAE
How the Pensacola International Airport and city of Pensacola plan to diversify Pensacola’s growing landscape, starting with VT MAE and the aerospace industry.
· OTHER STORIES ·
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Meet Frank
Called 2 Rescue
IN A YEAR OF POLITICAL TOXICITY, LOCAL BUSINESSMAN FRANK WHITE HOPES TO MAKE SUBSTANTIVE AND MEANINGFUL CHANGES IN THE FLORIDA STATE HOUSE.
What a local organization is doing to prepare volunteers in the Florida Panhandle on how to aggressively address and root out human trafficking in our area.
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Around the Region FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND CULTURAL NEWS IN THE GREATER PENSACOLA AREA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.
nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 49
Government FRANK WHITE, a native of the Texas panhandle, is dipping his toes into the complex world of state politics when he officially assumes the role of District 2 state representative in just a few weeks. He has been active on the Florida Development Finance Corporation Board of Directors and the Pensacola State College Board of Trustees. When he is not working for his father-in-law Sandy Sansing, White also serves as a board member for Baptist Hospital, a mentor with Take Stock in Children, a lead organizer for Startup Weekend Pensacola, and is a former board member of the Pensacola M.E.S.S. Hall. He, his wife and three children live in Pensacola. White was unchallenged in the primary competition and beat out opponent Ray Guillory in the general.
Why did you get involved with politics in this divisive year? It was really about the opportunity to serve and make a difference. I saw the dynamics align to where there was a path. In knowing that public service is something I’ve always been interested in, this was the time when there was a clear path. We took a big risk and filed before some dominoes began to fall and some seats began to open up. As soon as that happened, we were off and running, knocking on doors, raising money, going to events, etc. That kept the primary path open and clear, which was a wonderful benefit working in the fall. Have you always had your eye on a legislative position? Yes and no. I’ve always been interested in it. I’ve never had a 30-step plan to become something like Secretary General or something. A long time ago, I learned to have plans but those plans never work out like you think they will. The opportunity was there, to
50 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com
meet
Frank
and strengthen our economy and provide opportunity more broadly to everyone in the area. We’ll start The political newcomer is ready to represent to make improvements in a lot of Florida’s District 2 with a moderate voice, a the other challenges our society face like generational poverty, sensitive likability, and a sensible approach to healthcare outcomes, K-12 the state’s challenges. education, stronger community, BY JOSH NEWBY etc. As a region, we once had serve and make a difference. a strong, vibrant middle class I’m not playing House of Cards. Some that was based on a manufacturing economy. people I’ve met seem to be playing House of Things have changed in the region. As Cards. That’s not me and that’s not what’s globalization and automation has hit the entire going to make a legislation successful. manufacturing sector, in the area, that has eroded what was our stable middle class. So What are your priorities? kitchen table economics for people in our area Number one is the BP settlement are very different than they used to be. You TRIUMPH funds being invested in our have one- or two-parent households with at economy. The damage was done here, the least one job per person, and those jobs don’t settlement was intended to come here, and have as much stability as we thought they had. the legislature promised that it would. And Those people are also saddled with a lot of now those funds are at risk. The number student debt. Any state policy that will provide one priority is that the legislature fulfills its more economic stability in more homes will be promise to our region. a good thing. I’m also interested in policies that promote growth. The issues of growth are much greater than the issues of stagnation. Let’s diversify
What particular committees are catching your interest? Appropriations definitely. But there’s only a few spots, so I’m interested in that process wherever I’m best used. Also, tax, healthcare, regulations. Those are my main focuses. Have you seen Speaker Corcoran’s plans to limit lobbying? I love it. Any reforms that will make the legislative process more open and responsive and open and accountable, I will support. What are some things you think the district can do better on? This district has probably the largest spread in household income of any district in the state. We have median household incomes in the six figures in Perdido Key and Gulf Breeze. And then you have some zip codes with a median income of $14,800 a year. To me, that’s mind-boggling. A lot of that is generational poverty, which I will support policies and make investments to solve. How do you feel about pay raises for state workers? I’ll look at the state budget and see if the budget would support a pay raise. Second, I’d look at market dynamics and if the state is having a hard time attracting the workforce it needs to do the people’s business.
“Any state policy that will provide more economic stability in more homes will be a good thing.”
What is your opinion on Enterprise Florida and funding for them? Enterprise Florida is a flawed organization. The excesses were shocking. It was formed as a public-private partnership. The intent was half would be private and half would be public. It didn’t work out that way. Over 90 percent of its budget comes from taxpayer dollars. We do need an economic development agency in the state. We need an entity that tells Florida’s story as being a business-friendly climate and a wonderful place to grow your economy. But it needs to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars and show a positive return on investment. Candidly, a lot of those deals haven’t shown that. I think a review of how the state does economic development is in order? How about the death penalty legislation that keeps getting struck down? Whenever the state is going to take someone’s life—even someone who has been found guilty of the most heinous type of crime you can imagine—it better be the right result. The first law that the Supreme Court overturned required a minimum 7-5 votes to impose the death penalty, that seemed to me too low given the significant disparities in judicial outcomes for different economic and ethnic groups. I don’t think that a 7-5 vote by a jury was a high enough standard. I’m not convinced, though, that it must be unanimous. That may be too high a bar because a juror may have a philosophical problem with the death penalty, they can highjack the process. On the other hand, we have to place the highest standard on the state when it wants impose such a penalty on a person. What are your thoughts on zero-based budgeting? I absolutely 100 percent love it. It’s common sense. There are some anti-discrimination LGBT bills coming up. What are your thoughts on that? I’m against discrimination. I’ll look at the bills on a case-by-case basis. President Obama’s mandate about bathrooms in public schools was heavy-handed and authoritarian. I’ll look at the legislation on a case-by-case basis.
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Awareness
Called2Rescue:
Human Trafficking Awareness in the Florida Panhandle by Dawn Gresko
The underground world of human trafficking lurks below the surface of our every day lives. While you might not have heard much about it in the local news, that is not to say that human trafficking is not an issue in our own sector of the planet: the Florida Panhandle. In fact, the state of Florida itself has been ranked second in the county for the number of human trafficking reports received by the National Human Trafficking Hotline. In honor of upcoming Human Trafficking Awareness month in January, Business Climate spoke with local leader and advocate for missing and trafficked persons, Brad Dennis, in order to discuss human trafficking and how Called2Rescue addresses the concern in our own backyard. nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 53
Awareness
Two years ago, Called2Rescue was created to educate, empower and mobilize an alliance of local churches and community partners to search for and rescue trafficked and exploited persons in our area. The organization was founded by Brad Dennis, who has over 30 years experience in search and rescue as well as crisis management; some of which stems from his career as a Cryptologic Master Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy, when he received highly decorated recognition for his intelligence analysis and counter-terrorism efforts. Since then, he has managed search efforts for over 200 missing and abducted children around the 54 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com
country, most famously managing the community-assisted search effort following the abduction of Polly Klaas, which has become the model for child abduction search strategies. He has been instrumental in the rescue of numerous children from sex trafficking and the intelligence he has gathered has been key in assisting in taking down several child prostitution rings. Following the Klaas case, for 13 years Dennis has served as the National Search Director for the KlaasKIDS Foundation and the director of its National Search Center for Missing and Trafficked Children. Although he also serves as Master Lead Evaluator for the National Association of Search and Rescue, travelling extensively
throughout the US to provide dynamic instruction concerning search and rescue advocacy to families of missing children, child abduction search management, and the sex trafficking of minors, he also serves locally as the founder of Called2Rescue and as Pastor of Eden Fellowship Church right here in Pensacola. During his time with the KlassKIDS Foundation, he and his team discovered many of our missing children in this country have been lured, groomed and abducted into the world of human trafficking. Although the foundation worked with law enforcement agencies to find ways to interdict and rescue those children, Dennis cites the power of an aware community
in protecting others from human trafficking; he witnessed how children were more likely to be rescued when a community was aware and readily mobilized to meet rescue efforts. “Called2Rescue was birthed from that realization,” said Brad Dennis. “The realization is that an aware community can make a difference and more importantly, an aware community that educates can prevent it from happening. Called2Rescue’s mission is to educate, train and mobilize the faith-based community to action to combat child exploitation and reach out to our vulnerable teens.” As Dennis points out, the ability to bring home children who have fallen victim to human trafficking
is the result of combined efforts by local and federal law enforcement, community partners, and the people who make up a community. In our own community, we have a number of partners who aid Called2Rescue’s efforts including: KlaasKIDS Search Center for Missing & Trafficked Children, Junior League, University of West Florida, Gulf Coast Child Advocacy Center, Lakeview, Liberty Church, Freedom Church, Eden Fellowship Church, and Crown Church. However, Called2Rescue has a number of community volunteers (just like you and me) who help keep their operations running successfully. How do they do it? By taking action and signing up for one (or all three) free training modules through Called2Rescue. The training is from people who have been “on the streets,” who like Dennis have conducted direct action with law enforcement, engaged in searches for the missing, and led teams in search and rescue efforts. Prior to training, all volunteers must complete an online questionnaire before they will be contacted by a ministry representative. Then, the first step in training is going through Module 1, which includes a vulnerability assessment conducted in our area to highlight potential trafficking and exploitative situations. After completing Module 1, you’ll have the option of taking on Modules 2 and 3, which possess components to get you ready to go out in the field and get your “boots on the ground.” Module 1 is the only mandatory section of training and includes an eight-hour block of instruction based around your availability. Lessons range from an overview of human trafficking, schemes that form labor trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, as well as understanding the
issue of human trafficking as it applies to supply and demand. After Module 1, training is broken down into two separate modules in which your church, ministry or group determines the direction of your action based on the needs in your area and your level of experience. “Train-the-Trainer” programs and other opportunities are available to encourage continued education in Called2Rescue volunteers.
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Called2Rescue’s mission is to educate, train and mobilize the faith-based community to action to combat child exploitation and reach out to our vulnerable teens.” Depending on your level of training, volunteers can fill a number of roles from educators, teachers and mentors to joining the “Protect Initiative” and “Shepherds’ Team” programs, which Dennis has graciously broken down for us. Educators and teachers cover Human Trafficking Awareness and Child Safety classes for the community. Members attend Called2Rescue’s “Train-theTrainer” program to offer these classes to their community, churches and businesses.
one member of a dynamic group of women who provide mentoring and life-coaching to survivors of exploitation. Your role is moving these teens and young women from victims to survivors and finally to thrivers. Participants in “The Protect Initiative,” spearhead Called2Rescue’s proactive interdiction efforts to combat online child exploitation. These members scrub internet sites searching for child exploitation victims then develop comprehensive leads reporting to law enforcement around the country to rescue the children. Over the past two years, “The Protect Initiative,” has been a collaborative partnership between Called2Rescue, KlaasKIDS Foundation and law enforcement, which assisted in the rescue of 27 children. The most recent was their assistance in rescuing a 15-year-old in North Florida. Being a member of the “Shepherds’ Team” means being one part of a group of strategic outreach teams who reach deep into communities to vulnerable populations, providing education and awareness, offering referral services, as well as searching for missing children and ministering to the voiceless. How do we help stop human trafficking? Stay informed by getting involved with Called2Rescue today, or by catching up on resources found at called2rescue.org.
Human Trafficking Statistics The State of Florida has been ranked second in the country for the number of human trafficking reports received by the National Human Trafficking Hotline. I-10 has often been cited as one of the highest corridors for human trafficking in the country. Called2Rescue has led reports and worked with over 80 suspected victims of human trafficking in the Panhandle.
On the other hand, you might prefer being a mentor: nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 55
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Adopt-A-Manatee® for Loved Ones
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Industry
vt mae Growing the Economic
Landscape of Pensacola
written by Hana Frenette photos courtesy of VT mae renderings courtesy of city of pensacola
The Pensacola International Airport and the City of Pensacola are making strides in their quest to expand and diversify Pensacola’s growing economic landscape. After years of strategic planning and negotiating, the airport and the city solidified a long-sought after lease agreement with the Mobile-based company VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering (VT MAE) to construct a major aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility on airport property—a project expected to bring more than 400 aerospace industry jobs to Pensacola when the facility begins operations in 2018. City officials and economic experts are hopeful the $46 million aircraft maintenance facility will serve as a stepping-stone in the development of an aerospace industry in Pensacola. nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 57
Industry
VT MAE’s History VT MAE opened its doors in Mobile’s Brookley Aeroplex in 1991 with 50 employees and one airplane hanger offering services to both commercial airlines and airfreight operators. By the end of their first year, VT MAE added a second hangar and launched their Boeing 727 passenger-to-freighter (PTF) conversion program. Just two years later, the company expanded with the addition of four more hangars. Today, VT MAE is capable of accommodating eight wide-body and 10 narrow-body aircraft simultaneously within their 10 hangars, which occupy more than 900,000 square feet. Each hangar has direct access to the Mobile downtown airport’s 9,600-foot, 24/7 operational runway. They’ve also developed additional buildings onsite to house training materials, warehouse operations and an environmentally controlled engine storage facility.
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VT MAE’s employees, facilities and procedures consistently meets and exceeds extremely stringent airworthiness requirements and are fully certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as an approved repair station.
the residents have been so receptive and so supportive of the project,” Bill Hafner said. “We looked all over Mississippi, central and northern Alabama and western Florida—but the workforce is there, and the interest to grow is there, along with the proximity to Mobile.”
The repair station has been operational in Mobile for 25 years and now employs 1,000 individuals locally; their annual employee payroll reached $80 million in 2010 and totals more than $1 billion since opening the door in 1991.
Choosing Pensacola
Bill Hafner, president of VT MAE and chief operating officer said when VT MAE made the decision to further expand within the region and began their search for a new satellite facility location, Pensacola quickly became a contending city—both for its proximity to Mobile and the interest expressed by local residents. “The city of Pensacola, the airport, and
Once the initial idea of opening a satellite location in Pensacola began to take hold, Hafner and the leadership team at VT MAE began conducting job market research in order to survey the interest and qualifications of local Pensacolians. They quickly realized there were a significant number of people in the panhandle who were highly qualified and interested in working for the new potential VT MAE facility. “We held a job fair as a test, and we met a significant number of folks who expressed interest in working for an aviation center in Pensacola- more than we thought we would get to come to work in Mobile,” Hafner said.
“The city of Pensacola, the airport, and the residents have been so receptive and so supportive of the project,” Bill Hafner said. “We looked all over Mississippi, central and northern Alabama and western Florida- but the workforce is there, and the interest to grow is there, along with the proximity to Mobile.” Hafner said VT MAE wasn’t interested in simply doing a transfer of labor from Mobile to Pensacola—they wanted to source the new jobs locally. He also noted the large military and exmilitary presence in Pensacola as a positive factor. “After a full career they’ve enjoyed with the military, we can do a cross-train and bring them into civilian aviation while utilizing their previous skill set and training,” he said. In 2013, conversations began firing back and forth between Pensacola city officials, Pensacola International Airport Director Dan Flynn, and VT MAE leadership as to whether or not building the 173,000 square-foot aerospace facility in Escambia County could be a real possibility.
worked together to provide the funding for the design and construction of the $46 million facility, which also included a $6.3 million loan from the city to kick start construction. On Oct. 28, the city of Pensacola broke ground on the much-anticipated project, and is expected to complete construction on the massive structure within 16 months. When finished, the facility will be able to accommodate two Boeing 777’s, or several Boeing 757’s and Airbus A-320 sized aircraft. City of Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward said he believes the VT MAE project is a big
success for Pensacola and the community will continue to feel the benefits of the partnership in the future. “That put us on the world map—to have a big time international company in Florida, in Pensacola, and in the city limits,” he said. “Again, it was a team effort with the city and the county. We were determined to get it done.”
Adding Value to the Region The expansion of VT MAE into Pensacola’s economic landscape marks what many are hoping to be a significant milestone for new job growth within the city.
“This is an industry that the area does not currently have, and one we haven’t had in Pensacola since we had the naval aviation facility in the 1990s on the navy base,” Airport Director Dan Flynn said. “This would give individuals the opportunity to stay in Pensacola and use the skills they’ve worked toward building. It’s also a great source of non-airline revenue for the airport. ” While the initial reactions from entities within Pensacola were those of excitement and optimism, the cost and size of the facility, along with the city’s willingness to help secure funding for construction played a large role in the multi-year discussion of the project.
Renderings of the VT MAE facility
“Took us a long time to get here—we did quite a bit of looking around, surveying, and getting it to come together and finally making it happen,” Hafner said. “It will be a beautiful facility, state-of-the-art, everything is in place to help us make this successful.” In late September, the City of Pensacola and VT MAE finalized the remaining portion of the long-awaited deal. The State of Florida and the Florida Department of Transportation, Escambia County, VT MAE and the Industry Recruitment, Retention and Expansion Fund
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Industry
VT MAE by the numbers The new repair facility will cost $46 million to design and construct. The blueprint of the building will cover 19 acres of Pensacola International Airport property and consist of 173,000 square feet. The facility is expected to bring more than 400 local jobs to the area. The majority of the jobs are expected to pay a salaries ranging from $30,000 to $58,000. The city will lease the newly constructed facility to VT MAE for a 30-year term lease. Construction is expected to take approximately 16 months, with an opening date taking place in early 2018.
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Scott Luth, CEO of Florida West Economic Development Alliance said he is hopeful the aerospace company will hire predominantly local people to fill the new positions. “The new facility will be hiring for approximately 400 positions,” he said. “And hiring local people is an investment in Pensacola and the entire Gulf Coast. “ Luth noted some of the higherexperienced level positions could possibly be recruited from outside the city, but would still leave hundreds of skilled positions available for locals. Some of the current jobs openings offered at the Mobile location include sheet metal mechanic, avionics technician, IT support technician, and aircraft inspector. Most of the positions require three or more years of experience in commercial or military aircraft avionics, while some of the advanced openings, like the master APG technician, require 10 or more years of experience and the ability to read and interpret service bulletins, engineering orders and Structural Repair Manuals. “Four hundred jobs is a great number of openings for a company of that size, and is certainly a significant number for the area,” Luth said. Luth made comparisons to International Paper in Cantonment for scale, with 500 to 600 employees, and also to Navy Federal with more than 5,000 to 10,000, many of which are local. “This new facility could really encourage growth of aerospace industry sector for us,” he said. “In partnership with the Chamber of Commerce as an effort to address our double digit unemployment over last 5 to 6 years, the goal was to really decrease the unemployment and increase private sector jobs and this company is part of that success we’ve worked toward.”
According to the most recent report on state unemployment numbers from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Pensacola has added 3,000 more jobs since October 2015 and has significantly increased private sector growth. Luth said the jobs brought in by VT MAE or any other manufacturing industry help to boost the creation of other jobs in the community—a boost Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties could really benefit from. Aside from diversifying the job market and creating a potential hub of aviation industry, VT MAE will also encourage students from Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida to stay in the area once they’ve graduated, allowing them to utilize their skills locally. “These are jobs people can be trained for that don’t have a fouryear degree and may not have a two-year degree,” Hayward said. “Our school district (PSC and UWF) have partnered with us.” Pensacola State College and several other schools within the Escambia County School District will begin offering courses in aviation, prior to VT MAE’s completion. Hayward said he believes VT MAE could help promote the renaissance of the modern American worker by supporting and encouraging the importance of specialized trade skills. “I think many of us who were formally educated started to appreciate that when the economy crashed and we were envious of the plumbers and electricians,” he said. “What we did with VTMAE is a big deal and I think the community will continue to feel the benefits in the future.”
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Around the Region
Pen Air Gifts $100K to PSC Scholarships
Two UWF professors join human trafficking task force
On Nov. 30, Pen Air Federal Credit Union announced they were gifting $100,000 to the Pensacola State College (PSC) Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship Fund. The gift parallels with the celebration of the college now having more than 100,000 graduates as of December’scommencement ceremony. “We are honored to help provide a way for our community to fulfill their dreams of having a college education,” said Stu Ramsey, president and CEO of Pen Air. “Dreams can make incredible things happen, and having the education to back those dreams can make them a reality.” In partnership with PSC and the PSC Alumni Association Endowed scholarship initiative, the gift names the Pen Air Federal Credit Union Scholarship Fund, and will be available to area residents who enroll at PSC and meet the qualifications. The gift also names the Pen Air Federal Credit Union Room in the Edward M. Chadbourne Library. The room will host financial literacy classes and seminars to PSC students, Pen Air members and the entire community. “We are exceedingly grateful to Pen Air for this generous gift that will help so many area resident attend college,” said Dr. Ed Meadows, president of PSC. “Pen Air’s pacesetter gift will help us jumpstart the growth of new scholarship funds. Combined with gifts from our past graduates, we can enable the maximum number of area residents to realize their goal of a college education and provide them with the essential building blocks to lead productive lives and attain their career goals. We encourage our alumni to join with us and help future students attend college.”
Drs. Andrew Denney and Melinda Lewis, faculty members in the University of West Florida College of Education and Professional Studies, have been asked to serve as members of the Pensacola Task Force for Human Trafficking. Organized by the Florida Department of Children & Families and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the task force aims to bring together government agencies and community partners to better address human trafficking issues in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. It is one of several task forces across the state mandated by House Bill 7141, passed in early 2016. “Human trafficking does happen in our area, and a lot of people think it doesn’t,” said Denney, an assistant professor in the UWF Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. “Many people are aware of sex trafficking, but there is also a labor aspect, especially with the number of hotels and attractions on the Gulf Coast and our proximity to New Orleans, Atlanta and other larger cities.”
our department’s commitment to engage with the community to develop solutions for our most pressing societal issues,” said Dr. Matthew Crow, professor and department chair. “We are proud to have him represent UWF and share his expertise as a taskforce member.” Dr. Melinda Lewis, assistant professor in the UWF Department of Social Work, will join the Human Trafficking Task Force at its second meeting, to be held Thursday, Nov. 17. “As an instructor of human trafficking courses at UWF, I am passionate about spreading the word on various forms of modern day slavery,” Lewis said. “The prevention of human trafficking is such an important cause and I am pleased to be a part of this new multi-agency interdisciplinary task force in Florida’s First Circuit.”
“To help out in any capacity and affect change in the local community is exciting,” he said.
As an Emerge Faculty Fellow in the College of Education and Professional Studies, Lewis has been instrumental in creating high-impact learning opportunities for UWF students on the subject of modern day slavery. One such collaborative high impact practice activity, entitled “From the Underground Railroad to Modern Day Human Trafficking,” took place on a weeklong learning journey in 2014 as students, faculty, and staff traversed rural portions of the historic Underground Railroad across several states.
Through his work with the UWF Criminal Justice Student Association, Denney previously has helped to place student interns with the Pensacola-based KlaasKIDS Search Center for Missing & Trafficked Children.
For more information about the Florida Department of Children & Families’ efforts against human trafficking, visit their website. For more information about the UWF College of Education and Professional Studies, visit uwf.edu/ceps.
Denney said the task force will initially meet monthly as it works to develop community outreach programs and initiatives.
“Dr. Denney’s appointment to the Human Trafficking Task Force is a wonderful example of
One Palafox Place Announces New Tenants One Palafox Place is pleased to announce five new retail tenants to its new mixed-use community development: Wilfrid’s, a barber and fine goods shop; Gray, a women’s fashion and lifestyle boutique; Bee & The Bear, a casual restaurant; Frios Gourmet Popsicles; and Nick Zangari’s newly renamed bar, Badlands. The new retail tenants will occupy the renovated first floor of the Brent building, which is part of One Palafox Place development. The new retailers are expected to open in the first quarter of 2017. Wilfrid’s, owned by successful stylist and owner of Volume One Salon, Hurst Butts, and his sibling Evan Butts, has already begun temporary operation in the former Dollarhide’s Music space while its future permanent space at the other end of the development is under construction. Gray Boutique, a fashion and lifestyle boutique by seasoned apparel veteran, Katy Nagel, will bring a new offering of clothing and accessories to Pensacola along with a unique shopping experience.
Bee & The Bear is a new bar/restaurant concept from Kiley and Bill Manning, owners of the popular neighborhood bar and restaurant, The Magnolia, in East Pensacola Heights. The new restaurant will have al fresco seating in the new courtyard on the backside of the Brent building. Frios Gourmet Pops, a Gadsden, Alabama-based company with over 20 retail locations stretching from Mississippi to Houston, Texas, sells fresh, frozen popsicles with unique flavors developed by a team of passionate foodies, chemistry geeks and organic farmers using simple, wholesome ingredients that are grown or sourced locally. Nick Zangari, the former New York Nick’s restaurant owner, has announced the renaming of his new bar from Glory Dayze to Badlands. The bar will still be themed “a roadside bar”. “We’ve sold out of retail and office space at this point,” said Billy Lovelace, a partner and leasing agent for One Palafox Place. “In the next few months, we will be announcing additional retail and office tenants after finalizing several new lease agreements, which will include an international brand.” nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 63
Around the Region
Cognitive Big Data Systems Wins Cox Business’ Get Started Pensacola Business Pitch Competition Over 100 community leaders and local business owners watched as Cognitive Big Data Systems was selected the winner of the 2016 Get Started Pensacola event, presented by Cox Business, held last night at the Pensacola Little Theatre. Cognitive Big Data Systems takes home a prize package worth up to $20,000 to assist in the development of their business. Cognitive Big Data Systems’ computer vision app uses creative machine learning technologies to learn the pixel patterns from each camera’s video stream to understand what’s normal at that location and generates both threat and business intelligence information on the fly. “I feel very emotional right now. We’ve put a lot of hard work in. It means a lot to be recognized,” Lloyd Reshard of Cognitive Big Data Systems said after being named winner of the competition. “We entrepreneurs, we spin our wheels quite a bit doing things, but it’s better if you can work within a framework knowing you’re not spending your time doing the wrong thing, or you don’t know if somebody wants it. So, this event is just what Pensacola needed to stir up some entrepreneurship stuff and give folks a chance.” More than 30 local businesses applied to pitch at the event. Five businesses were selected as finalists and pitched their ideas or business plans to a panel of experts in front of a live audience. After much deliberation, Cognitive Big Data Systems was selected as the winner. “I’d like to congratulate Cognitive Big Data Systems for their outstanding pitch at Get Started Pensacola,” said Harbin Bolton, vicepresident of Cox Business Florida/Georgia. “All of our finalists demonstrated great products and business plans. It’s exciting to see these types of ideas and entrepreneurs along the Gulf Coast. Cox Business looks forward to working with these groups to help their businesses grow.” Each organization delivered a two and a half minute pitch to a panel of successful entrepreneurs and business experts. After votes were collected, Cognitive Big Data Systems was named the winner and recipient of the prize package valued at more than $20,000, including $5,000 in cash, a Cox Business technology package and additional prizes from local partners.
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Election of City Council President and Vice President At a special meeting of the Pensacola City Council held on November 22, 2016, the City Council elected Brian Spencer as the President of the City Council and Gerald Wingate as Vice President of the City Council. The President and Vice President Elect assumed their positions immediately. In 2013 City voters chose to amend the City Charter by doing away with two at-large City Council seats. In 2014 Dr. Megan Pratt’s District A at-large seat was eliminated and on November 22, 2016 immediate past Council President Charles Bare’s District B at-large seat was eliminated. This brings the total number of City Council Members to seven.
Escambia Co. Sheriff’s Off ice gives $10,000 to PSC’s McGuire scholarship fund Pensacola State’s Culinary Arts program received a $10,000 boost Wednesday from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff David Morgan. Morgan made the donation to the Molly McGuire Culinary Arts Endowed Scholarship fund. Molly “McGuire” Martin, the matriarch of McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola, died in August 2014. In June 2015, the over $200,000 scholarship endowment was established at the college with contributions from more than 200 Pensacola area residents and businesses. Interest from the endowment funds annual scholarships for Molly McGuire Culinary Arts Endowed Scholars. Also, the college’s culinary arts dining room was renamed the Molly McGuire Culinary Arts Dining Room. Morgan said the donation is part of the sheriff’s office long-term community reinvestment efforts. “It is our policy to take drug forfeiture money from the seizure of cash and property of those convicted of drug offenses and return it back into the community,” he explained. “I was approached by Mr. (Jim) Reeves and Mr. (McGuire) Martin about helping underserved students and those in need enrolled in Pensacola State’s culinary arts program.” In fall 2015, the first scholarships were distributed to several culinary arts students. Pensacola State President Ed Meadows said he and the entire college family were touched by Morgan’s generosity. “It makes us feel good here at Pensacola State to know that Sheriff Morgan recognizes the way this
college changes lives,” Meadows said. “Many of our students have full-time jobs, are parents and caregivers. But they are willing to make sacrifices to earn a degree or certification because they realize education is the pathway to a better life.” McGuire Martin said his late wife would be “so, so pleased” with the gift. “This donation will help some young people further their education. It is money well-spent by the sheriff’s office,” Martin said. “I want to thank Sheriff Morgan for remembering Molly and the students here at the college. Molly really loved Pensacola State.” Jim Reeves, a longtime Martin friend and real estate attorney, spearheaded the initial fundraising efforts for the endowment following Molly “McGuire” Martin’s death in 2014. “Culinary support staff is so important to our local restaurants, and employees who work those jobs mattered to Molly. She started out as a waitress at McGuire’s,” Reeves said. “I want to say thank you to Sheriff Morgan for the $10,000 donation. This is an outstanding way to honor Molly McGuire.” Morgan said the donation was part of the sheriff’s office diversionary plan which serves as an incentive for young people to continue their education. “This was my first time partnering with Mr. Reeves and Mr. Martin but the sheriff’s department plans to make more donations to Pensacola State’s culinary arts program in the future,” he said.
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