P e n s a c o l a • Yo u r C i t y • Yo u r M a g a z i n e September 2015
Meals
on Wheels
Pensacola’s Mobile Food Trucks
grab a bite
New R e s t a u r a n t s i n Pe n s a c o l a
LOCAL FLAVORS WITH
chef JOHN BESH
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit #447 Pensacola, FL
Business Climate Special Section Inside
2015
editor’s note > my two cents on the subject Kelly Oden
Executive Editor
People who love to eat are always the best people. – Julia Child Julia Child is so right about that. Every close friend I have ever had has shared my love of food in one way or another. We may not always like the same things, but we all love eating and sharing good food. Breaking bread, in my mind, is the absolute best way for friends and family to come together. The table pulls us in with the promise of a satisfying meal, but we leave with so much more—we leave with stories, laughter and memories. Nourishment for body and soul. So, it is no wonder that this month’s issue was so much fun for me to put together. I had the opportunity to talk with a variety of people who have made great food both their living and their art. Renowned Louisiana chef John Besh spoke with me for nearly an hour about his passion for local and seasonal food prepared simply and shared with loved ones. We also talked at length about his love for the Pensacola community
and how much he enjoys spending time here. Chef Besh will be the celebrity chef at the Taste of the Beach event on Sept. 18 and 19th. Be sure to head out and try all the delicious options at this fantastic local foodie event. Local chef and restaurateur Blake Rushing offers his take on charcuterie in this issue as well. Chef Rushing is well known for his mouth watering cured meats and house made condiments, which he plans to feature prominently at the soon to open Union Public House. Read his article to find out everything you need to know to get started on your own charcuterie journey. Dawn Gresko and I also talked to a number of local chefs trying their hand at the mobile food truck craze. From Latin inspired to traditional French and from Asian barbecue to Mediterranean, Pensacola’s growing food truck scene offers something
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for every palate. Josh Newby also gives you a heads up on some of the latest restaurant ventures to hit the Pensacola cuisine scene. Be the first to know about these exciting new eateries. And, as if that’s not enough, I got to interview Big Bird! What a magical career Carroll Spinney has had. For over 45 years, Carroll has played one of the world’s most beloved children’s characters. I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with him about his life and career. Be sure to attend his lecture on Sept.15 at WSRE’s Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio. Finally, be sure to read about local artist Margaret Biggs’ upcoming solo show at the Pensacola Museum of Art. Margaret is a Pensacola native whose art and poetry truly reflects the natural beauty of our area. Bon Appetit!
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Contents
Local Flavors with John Besh 39
Meals on Wheels 33
Pensacola’s Mobile Food Trucks
12
Page 10 with DeeDee Davis 10
16
Pensacola Scene 12 Margaret Biggs 14
Visions of the Gulf Coast
Coastal Flavors Abound at the Pensacola Seafood Festival 16 I Am Big Bird 19 Grab a Bite 24 Charcuterie’s Artful Cuts 26 Play, Live, Give 46
Northwest Florida’s Business Climate Magazine Special Section 49
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On the Cover: John Besh Photographed by Maura McEvoy
September
2015
Publisher Malcolm Ballinger • malcolm@ballingerpublishing.com Pm Editor Kelly Oden • kelly@ballingerpublishing.com Art Director Rita Laymon • rita@ballingerpublishing.com Graphic Designer & Advertising Coordinator Guy Stevens • guy@ballingerpublishing.com Editor Josh Newby • Josh@ballingerpublishing.com Editorial Assistant Dawn Gresko • dawn@ballingerpublishing.com Editorial Interns Hamishe Randall Sales & Marketing Jennifer Bullock, Account Executive ext. 21 jennifer@ballingerpublishing.com Paula Rode, Account Executive ext. 28 paula@ballingerpublishing.com
Owners Malcolm & Glenys Ballinger Publisher Malcolm Ballinger • malcolm@ballingerpublishing.com Executive Editor Kelly Oden • kelly@ballingerpublishing.com Art Director Rita Laymon • rita@ballingerpublishing.com Graphic Designer & Advertising Coordinator Guy Stevens • guy@ballingerpublishing.com Editor Josh Newby • Josh@ballingerpublishing.com Editorial Assistant Dawn Gresko • dawn@ballingerpublishing.com Sales & Marketing Jennifer Bullock, Account Executive ext. 21 jennifer@ballingerpublishing.com Paula Rode, Account Executive ext. 28 paula@ballingerpublishing.com Website: www.ballingerpublishing.com Editorial Offices 41 North Jefferson Street, Suite 402 Pensacola, Florida 32502 850-433-1166 • Fax 850-435-9174 Published by Ballinger Publishing:
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. © 2015
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page10 with DeeDee Davis
As much as I love college football and autumn on the Gulf Coast, I hate to see summer go. I try not to complain about the heat and humidity because without them I wouldn’t have the regular opportunity to hear the soft thunder that announces an oncoming late afternoon storm. I love the swarms of butterflies that are drawn to the beds of pentas in our yard. The flowers continue to flourish, even in this heat, but the butterflies are starting to head south. I can hardly wait for weekends to visit Joe Patti, especially if Frank is calling the numbers. We are so fortunate to have stress in our lives that involves the difficult decision of fresh shrimp or grouper for dinner. My skin has paid dearly for my love of the sun and beach and yet I wouldn’t trade one minute of seashore therapy for all of the ivory skin in the world. My dermatologist certainly has job security as long as I am around. It is surely no coincidence that I was born on the last day of summer, soaking up every bit of my favorite season as we move into my next best season of fall. Temperatures soared in August, but the local calendar was full of celebrations involving new beginnings and opportunities. Summer Wedding Congratulations to Kathryn Garner and Philip Switzer who were married in Lisbellaw, United Kingdom on July 25. Following their return from a romantic, fairy tale destination wedding, a formal reception was held at Mustin Beach Officer 10
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Club for friends and family to bring best wishes for a happily ever after. The wedding party included Stephanie Auld, Matron of Honor; Krista Doughty, Maid of Honor; Kinga Switzer, Matron of Honor; Sydney Auld, Flower Girl; Christopher Roberts, Best Man; Jason Switzer, David Switzer, and Jeremy Switzer, Groomsmen; Tristan Auld, Ring Bearer; and Kacy and Karly Taillet, Train Bearers. The couple will reside here and manage their lovely coffee and teashop Constant Coffee and Tea in East Pensacola Heights.
Anna and Bill Spain Hallelujah! Congratulations, also, to another bride and groom who celebrated 50 years of marriage on Aug. 8. Despite a torrential rainstorm that afternoon, hundreds of guests poured into the Wright Place of First United Methodist Church to celebrate Bill and Anna Spain. Adrianna Spain and her brother Colonel Everett Spain hosted the crowd with a lavish buffet catered by the amazing staff at the church. Dr. Spain addressed the crowd before he and Anna
SEPTEMBER 2015
sliced the multi-tiered cake that disappeared quickly. Notable attendees included Paul and Jean Rasmussen; John Appleyard; Milton and Dona Usry; Judge Roger and Ellen Vinson; Jerry and Rhonda Maygarden; Neil and Jackie Jones; Theo and Jenny Baars; Judge Lacey and Bev Collier; Pat Dyehouse; and Steve and Heather Lenga. New Collection The Pensacola Museum of Art welcomed photographer/ author Richard Sexton to town on Friday as his exhibit Terra Incognita, on loan from it’s permanent home at Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, opened and will show through Oct. 17. The black and white photos include forests, marshes, dunes, and swamps along the Gulf Coast as subjects. Robert and Clair Montgomery sponsored the event, as they have become friends with artist after acquiring some of his work. Other attendees included Betty Roberts; Henry and Jane Roberts; Mike and
Susan Ragan, Betty Roberts and Mary Jane Bass
Mary Jane Bass; JP and Michelle McNeil; Greg and Sherry Saunders; Rob Montgomery; and Ray and Hilda Jones.
Corbett Davis, An Hayward, Mayor Ashton Hayward and Brent Lane Guns, Glitz and Glamour The American Cancer Society presented the 15th annual Cattle Barons’ Ball on Aug. 22 to another full house at New World Landing. Only JR Ewing was missing from the gala as the who’s who of Pensacola turned out in Stetsons, boots, and denim to support efforts to eradicate the miserable disease of cancer. One of the most well-respected oncologists in the business, Dr. Thomas Sunnenberg of Sacred Heart Cancer Center, and his wife Donna were presenting sponsors of the event that was chaired by Mary Gamble and George Gamble. The beautiful decorations, the menu created by Gus Silivos, the lively auction by Brent Lane, and the heartfelt message by survivor Kelly Elliott all made for a successful and entertaining evening. Cheers to the wonderful committee and volunteers that made it happen because anyone involved in an event of this magnitude knows the work it takes. Guests included Buddy and Irie Vance; Hank
Bell and Liz Taylor; Bud Lovoy; Dr. Steven and Evan Jordan; Mayor Ashton and An Hayward; John and Marianne McMahon; Cindy Hall; David and Abigail Ackerman; Madrina Newcomb; Pete and Angela Moore; Fred Simmons and Nancy Borne; Jenn Cole; Carlette Howell; Jason and Erica Richards; and Joe and Molly Maloney. Author Visits to Support Florida House Well known author Randy Wayne White and his wife Wendi Webb were in town to sign copies of his latest book and support fundraising efforts for Florida House, a state embassy of sorts in Washington, DC. Most of White’s novels are set in south Florida, particularly the Keys, and involve mysteries with a lot of fishing thrown in for color. He is a long time acquaintance and fishing buddy of Corbett Davis, Jr so it was appropriate that his evening in Pensacola began at Jewelers Trade Shop where a hundred or so fans turned out to hear the author and also his talented wife as she entertained on piano. The party moved on to a trolley that took them to the Portofino boat at Palafox Marina for a trip across the bay to Portofino Beach Resort and a poolside cocktail buffet. Guests included John and Kristine Connell; Hal and Suellen Hudson; Lewis and Belle Bear; Teri Levin; �Debbi Wein; Bobby and Jane Switzer; State Senator Don Gaetz; Larry and Dianne Robbins; Scott Mitchell; Delories Richerson; and Ray and Valerie Russenberger. Celebrate Their Lives A very sad farewell to Dr. Bruce Raymon and also Coach Artie Davis. Dr. Raymon’s many friends gathered at Beach Community Church for the service he scripted himself. A party in his honor was held afterwards at his favorite watering hole, The Sandbar. Artie Davis, long-time coach and teacher at Gulf Breeze High School, was one of Auburn’s most loyal fans. Both men made a difference in this community and will be truly missed.
September Birthdays 2: Corbett Davis III 4: Tina Tortomase 5: Crystal Spencer 6: Logan DeVries
Send me your birthday for our calendar! ddavis@naihalford.com
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pensacola scene who • what • when • where
at the YMCA Ground Breaking
Groundbreaking
Sophia and Brock Smiley
Lisa Long, Cliff Krut and Jeff Rogers
at the Tiger Bay Club’s August Meeting
Visiting the Spanish Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jaime Muñoz Delgado at his office in Madrid, Spain June 25, 2015
Bob Holmes, Albert Fox, Ted Howard and Jack Stevenson Glenda Raines
Members of Tiger Bay Club
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Jack Stevenson and Sheila Nichols
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Vice Consul of Spain in Pensacola Maria Davis, Nan Harper, Joe Gilchrist, Fred Levin and the Mayor of Macharaviaya Antonio Campos visited the Spanish Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jaime Muñoz Delgado at his office in Madrid, Spain June 25, 2015. The Pensacola delegation thanked Admiral Muñoz Delgado for the 8th visit to Pensacola of the Spanish tall ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano in May 2015. The Pensacola delegation presented Admiral Muñoz Delgado with a Blue Angels poster and a painting of the Juan Sebastian de Elcano with the Blue Angels flying overhead, painted by celebrated artist Nina Fritz from Pensacola. (L-R) Nan Harper; Joe Gilchrist; Maria Davis, Honorary Vice Consul of Spain in Pensacola; Admiral Jaime Muñoz Delgado; Fred Levin; Antonio Campos, Mayor of Macharaviaya, Spain.
at the August 21 Gallery Night
Felipe Deakins
Dallas Hart and Robert Martinez
Kristen Wilson and Hannah Godfrey
Cory Arnold, Cayla McSweeny and Anthony Voore
Jenny Ma and Robert Larson
Habitat For Humanity
Todd and Jackie at Wine World
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Margaret Biggs Visions of the Gulf Coast
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Margaret Biggs
By Dawn Gresko
T
hough an artist who is often in seclusion with her work, Margaret Biggs welcomed Pensacola Magazine to her studio to discuss her background and motivation behind her Gulf Coast inspired exhibit entitled Visions: Through Painting, Poetry and Prose, which will go on display at the Pensacola Museum of Art starting with an artist reception on Sept. 25 from 5:30 to 7 pm. The artist’s book by the same name, which houses her collection of paintings accompanied by poetry and prose, can be purchased through Amazon or her official website. Margaret will also be at the museum for an artist lecture, as well as a meet and greet and book signing on Oct. 16 from 6 to 7 pm. For the chance to see Margaret in her element, you may visit her at 1801 E. La Rua St. for her open studios on Oct. 10, Nov. 21, and Dec. 12 from 11 am to 4 pm. To learn more about the artist or browse her many works, visit margaretbiggs.com. Tell me about your roots and how they influenced your art. I was born and raised in Pensacola as were both my parents. They had a passion for the outdoors, which they shared with their children through endless summer days spent on our small boat in Pensacola Bay, Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key. Leisure time was spent in the woods of northwest Florida and Alabama during the cooler months. We were raised Catholic and I am very grateful to my mother for instilling in me a deep belief in a higher power and in prayer. This cultivated the inspiration for my art—nature’s beauty, spiritual texts and my inner life. You’re somewhat of a world traveler. How have the places you visited influenced your work? I have lived and worked in eight major cities including NYC, Paris, Hamburg and Milan as an international model for Ford Models. As a professional model, advertising had an influence on my art and can be seen in the graphic quality of much of my work. Exposure to the masters in the many museums I frequented greatly matured my artistic eye. An excellent education at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Fine Arts exposed me to conceptual art. This fostered my use of familiar natural landscapes and using objects as metaphors to communicate deeper meanings. Twenty-three years of study under an exceptionally kind and wise yoga and spiritual teacher in Chicago is at the root of the continued themes of self reflection, inner peace, forgiveness, acceptance and love that permeates both my paintings and poetry. What does a “comprehensive approach” to art mean to you? A comprehensive approach has to do with the willingness to delve deeper into life’s meaning and to communicate this inner life through my work. With the use of familiar imagery, I have the ability to communicate so much more. It was a long time before I shared my poetry with others but I found that when I did, somehow it had a healing effect on people. There is a movement called “evidence based healing art” whereby the medical establishment has recognized the healing power of art and, hence, many doctors and medical facilities are drawn to my strong, peaceful imagery. I have the ability to put into words what others feel but cannot say. I have the ability to paint on canvas a vision of my world that helps to open the eyes of others. Guide us through your creative process. I am very careful to enter my studio with a quiet mind and my desire
A Surrender
The Sound and the Silence is to paint the inner strength and beauty that comes with this state of mind. I have spent countless hours walking alone on various beaches, especially Ft. Pickens, taking pictures that I refer to when I paint. A simple grid is drawn on the photo and the canvas, which I use to transfer the outline of the image. I sketch as well and, most importantly, I quiet my mind through meditation before I begin to paint or write. I also read spiritual texts each day from The Bible to The Tao to the teachings of Buddha. Either I paint while listening to calm, classical music or I paint in silence. What comes first, the painting or the poetry and prose? More often than not I would say the painting comes first. Often the poetry and prose comes to me when I am painting. It is as though it just falls into my head. I realize it is the result of 30 years of spiritual practice and study. When we have a quiet mind, we give ourselves a chance to “hear” what I would call the voice of the divine but there are several different names for it—intuition, inspiration, the voice of God. What can viewers expect at your exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of Art in September? I am taking my art further through the use of a short video installation and a new medium. Mixed media installations will be included in the show, as well as an interactive thought piece along with poetry and prose. I will be looking to invite the audience to participate and reflect. Where else can we see your work? Numerous doctors have decorated their offices with my work including one in Chicago with over 25 of my originals. The State of Florida and University of Alabama hospitals have also purchased both my visual art and poetry for their new facilities. But I’m most excited to display my work at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota.
Visions: Through Painting, Poetry, and Prose by Margaret Biggs Sept. 25 – Nov. 14 Pensacola Museum of Art, Opening Reception: Sept. 25, 5:30 – 7 pm SEPTEMBER 2015
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Coastal Flavors Abound at the Pensacola Seafood Festival By Dawn Gresko
It’s time to feast with Fiesta of Five Flags at the 38th Annual Seafood Festival,
where you are invited to experience all cultural and culinary tastes of the Gulf in the streets of Downtown Pensacola on Sept. 25 through Sept. 27. From the wafting scent of fresh seafood to displays of talent by local musicians and artists, there’s plenty of culture and eats to sample at the free event. Enjoy the first days of fall by spending your weekend outdoors at the familyfriendly festival to be set up in Seville Square, Fountain Park, and Bartram Park with areas for children, arts and crafts, vendors, cooking demonstrations, a sports bar, beer garden and much more including a new VIP entertainment experience. Don’t forget to visit Taste of Pensacola and Seafood Grille, where you’ll find several local and celebrity chefs doing what they do best. For more about the event go to fiestaoffiveflags.org, for more information on the VIP experience contact the Fiesta of Five Flags office at 850-433-6512.
Local Options
Dot Chap from Khon’s: Steamed whole fish with crab sweet and sour sauce, coconut curry mussels John Flaningam from Crabs on the Beach: Sno mac and cheese, Conecuh crab snapper Brandon Melton from Seville Quarter: Crab stuffed flounder roulade with red pepper broth, salt and pepper Gulf shrimp over heirloom tomato and cucumber salad Gregg McCarthy from The Grand Marlin: The Grand Marlin ceviche, The Grand Marlin flounder piccata Matthew Brown from The Fish House: Hoisin BBQ salmon with jicima slaw and soy roasted peanuts, seared grouper with mussels and linguine Dan Dunn from H2O: Lionfish dragon fish, lionfish with tomato and feta Daniel Watts from The Wine Bar on Palafox: Ancho-butter shrimp with grilled prosciutto wrapped papaya, char-grilled lemon lionfish with butter-bibb lettuce and tomato salad Buzz Valado from Triggers: Tequila lime pasta, bayou poboy 16
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Art
Featured Artist: Sarah Turner After graduating from Auburn University with a BFA in commercial art and BS in art education, Sarah Turner joined EW Bullock in 1984 as a graphic designer. Sarah has won numerous Addy awards for her work on local, regional and national levels. She continually enhances her creativity as a painter and graphic artist by participating in art competitions, workshops and by taking classes.
Music
Drake White and The Big Fire, Sept. 25, 9 to 10:45 pm. The rising country music star is often described as a “cowboy Michael Jackson” when he dances, and White was recently featured in Rolling Stone magazine for his hit single “It Feels Good,” compared to Pharrell’s famous “Happy.” Anders Osborne, Sept. 26, 9 to 10:45 pm. The mega-popular New Orleans songwriter and musician has won acclaim from music critics for his powerful vocals and blistering guitar skills. His music is a combination of rock and blues, and Osborne was the New Orleans Entertainer of the Year. Marc Broussard, Sept. 27, 3:30 to 5 pm. Broussard is a Louisiana native who describes his music as bayou rock and soul. He’s had countless high-profile gigs, ranging from live performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live to performing at the NBA All-Star Game. His hit song “Home” has been covered by Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton.
Marc Broussard SEPTEMBER 2015
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never be bored
www.downtowncrowd.com
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Caroll Spinney has been the man inside Big Bird from the beginning. In 1969, Jim Henson persuaded Spinney to join the cast of Sesame Street as both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Since then, his characters have been seen on more than 3,900 shows, and Sesame Street is now viewed in more than 150 countries by more than 6 million viewers each week. Since achieving worldwide renown, Spinney has made guest appearances on many other television shows, always as Big Bird and Oscar. He has performed in specials with Julie Andrews and Bob Hope, starred in his own 90-minute special, Big Bird in China, and marked his motion picture debut in a starring role with Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird. He has earned four Emmy Awards, two Gold Records and two Grammy Awards. Spinney’s book, The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons from a Life in Feathers, is an inspirational memoir sharing wisdom gleaned from his work creating and portraying one of the world’s most beloved characters. A new documentary, I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story, was recently released by Tribeca Films. Named a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress, Big Bird has captivated children around the world for more than 30 years. With support from Gulf Power Company, WSRE’s Public Square Speakers Series will present the famed Sesame Street puppeteer at 7 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 15 in the Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio. At the podium, Spinney will discuss how he has helped children reach their highest potential through his Sesame Street characters. Admission is free, but reservations are requested. Learn more at wsre.org/speakers.
By Kelly Oden
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KO: I understand that you wanted to be a puppeteer at a very young age. Were there particular people or other puppeteers that you knew of that influenced you? CS: Well, when I was five I saw a show come to school and it was Three Little Kittens Who Lost Their Mittens. I thought it was wonderful and they came out and bowed afterward, having their little puppets on their hands. And I thought, isn’t that wonderful to tell a story using little things that you animate, a little bit like stuffed animals except that you could move them. So I found a puppet for 5 cents at a church rummage sale. We had scrap lumber, and my mother always had plenty of cloth because she was always sewing things and she helped me make some curtains. I did my first show in the upstairs of our carriage house, an old barn. I made a little poster because I’m also a cartoonist and it said, “See the puppet show at the Spinney house.” And that was 1942. Sixteen people showed up. I was 10 years old and I made 32 cents. In 1942, that was good money for a 10 year old. KO: So you continued doing this throughout your childhood? CS: Well, the next Christmas, there was this thing leaning against the wall by the Christmas tree covered up with a blanket. When it was time for the presents my mother pulled another blanket away that was covering up some wonderful things down underneath the tree and it was Punch and Judy and the policeman and the baby and hangman and a ghost. She took the blanket away from that thing leaning on the wall and it was a puppet theatre. It had curtains and it was really pretty. So I gave shows a little bit on and off, trying to get used to it. My English teacher at school asked if I would come to her niece’s birthday party. She gave me $2 to do the show. Well, that was plenty of money. So I had a theatre and everything. So she picked me up in her car and we went to her house in the next town. And I gave the show and she had to turn pages for my dialogue that was all in a book that my mother made for me—a big book about Punch and Judy. KO: So then I understand when you were a young man you joined the military and you had a show that you did while in the military, is that correct? CS: It was actually a mother who saw me give a puppet show at the PTA housing area for the parents of children. She said, “You should be on television” and I was stationed in Las Vegas. So one morning she said, “I’m gonna go see the program manager and tell him to give you a television show.” So I went in to talk to him and I had already made a television 20
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slide for the title: A Rascal Rabbit Show. And I had about 70 puppets my mother had shipped to me, which she had made through the years. So then, I did an audition. He said, “Well, would you work for the station? I’ll pay you $2 for each slide.” That was actually enough money because I made $60 a month doing that and I only made $80 a month being in the military. I was there until I made staff sergeant. Then I was discharged because my four years was up. And they wanted me to stay in. So I said, “Yeah but I really want to be in children’s television.” So I auditioned at a TV station. Two years later they called me and the guy said, “We want you to do a summer replacement show.” I worked on that for 10 years.
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KO: That brings us up to meeting Jim Henson. Had you ever met him prior to 1969? CS: I met him seven years before. He didn’t remember that because when you make it other people come and go, but you don’t remember who they are. KO: So that meeting with Jim Henson, what do you think it was that he saw in you that made him ask you to join Sesame Street? CS: The first thing he said to me was, “I like what you are trying to do.” KO: And you didn’t realize he was trying to offer you a job? He said, “come to New York and talk to me about the Muppets?”
CS: Yeah. So I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “You know, working with me.” I thought, wow. I had taken off from The Bozo Show because I wanted to do something more important. It was a fun show to do but it wasn’t very educational or important. So it was my chance, I guess it was a case of being in the right place at the right time. KO: Absolutely. One of the things that stuck with me so much in your story is how frustrated you were in that first season of Sesame Street. CS: Well, the pay was very poor. Muppets were already quite famous in America, but not worldwide. So when he said he would really like to build a large bird around me and a grouchy character, would I be willing to take the job? I said, “Sure. What do I get paid?” He said, “Oh, we have a tradition.” I said, “Well, traditions are nice.” He said, “You won’t like this one, you won’t get paid much.” Then he proved it. KO: I understand it was difficult for you to find your stride in the beginning? CS: They made more of that in the movie than I felt happened. I always had a little bit of problem. It showed up to me when I was in basic training in the Air Force and you’d march a lot. I managed to overcome that. I would often miss the first note of a song, so the mouth of the puppet wasn’t opening exactly in synchronization with the beginning of the song and each time I would keep goofing that up. Jim was so kind. After he went over it and watched the playback on the third take, I had made the same mistake again. He said, “Garbage!” to himself, but he never said anything bad to anybody. And I said, “Oh Jim, I’m not good enough to be a muppeteer. I’ll resign so you can get somebody better.” He said, “Oh no, no, no! You’re doing fine. If you’ll listen there’s a little bell just before the first notes of the song. So when you hear that little tiny bell ding, be ready to open the mouth instantly.” So I got it and I began to feel much more confident. So it was just that one incident. KO: So everyone wants to know, of course, the physical aspects of being Big Bird and how you actually operate the costume? CS: Yeah, it’s made in parts so it can be shipped. At first, it was like wearing legs that have funny bird feet with uncomfortable shoes inside it. In more recent years they were more comfortable because I bought them myself. I said, “Here, build these in.” I used to walk around with a pained look on my face, but no one gets to see your face on TV because you’re a puppet. Big Bird was such a large
puppet. It was really like a costume up to the neck. My left hand was in the left wing and I could move the right wing with like a little see-saw motion with a piece of string. If I put my left wing down, the right wing rises. Viceversa. People often wonder how can I move both with just my hand. And then the head, the mouth, the eyes, and angle of the head. By the beginning of the second year I had a monitor so I could see. The first year I had no monitor so the work was pretty poor. I’m surprised it passed for acceptable. The reason he’s so tall is his head is in my hand, I have to hold my hand up over my head to manipulate the lower jaw to make him talk and my little finger would control the eyelids. If you raised the eyes he’s more excited, lower he’s either sad or angry. KO: I understand that Big Bird was kind of meant to be a goofy, foolish character and it was actually your idea to bring a little bit more substance to him. Can you tell me about that? CS: Well I asked Jim, “What do you want me to play him like? I have to have some guidance. Is he funny?” And Jim says, “Well, I’ve always wanted to make a character that was a funny, silly bird. Think of Mortimer’s Third, who was a ventriloquist character. Think of him and play it like that, like a country yokel, who’s a bird, too.” That was over 45 years ago. I saw him more like a kid who happens to be a bird, who happens to be eight feet tall. Big Bird is the most human character. He’s a very complex character. There are other characters who developed their own shows like Elmo. But Big Bird has this great place in a lot of people’s hearts. KO: I know that you are an advocate for early education and preparing young children for success in school and life. How does the new HBO partnership affect that mission? CS: Well, I think it’s going to be a great asset. One of the problems that we’ve had all along is funding. It used to be they got 10 percent from every toy that is franchised by the show. Other than that there are no profits. It all goes totally into production and salaries. We’ve had competition from other television shows that hurt us a lot. HBO has no shortage of funds and they’re very interested in making it bigger and we’re happy to do that. KO: My understanding is that in terms of being able to continue to produce Sesame Street, the new partnership is a bit of a godsend. CS: Definitely. The only advantage they get is they get to show it first. We’ve found that children are happy to watch things over and over. Little kids particularly.
KO: In addition to teaching children their ABCs and how to count and math skills and all kinds of great educational things, Sesame Street also dealt with very deep topics—the death of Mr. Hooper, HIV, diversity, obesity, and many more. What show that dealt with one of those themes was the most impactful for you? CS: I think that the death of Mr. Hooper because our audience was three or four years old, maybe a little older. But children don’t understand much about death. I talked to a young man the other day. His father died when he was seven years old, and that episode helped him out so much. KO: Do you often find yourself in your everyday life slipping into Big Bird or Oscar? CS: I can think of plenty of things as something they would say. Sometimes I do the voice to someone I’ve just been introduced to or just because people like it so much. I can think of whatever just happened and I’ll throw in an Oscar voice. KO: You’re 81 and the work you do is physically demanding. But I’ve read you have no plans to retire, you hope to do this for at least 50 years. CS: Yes, I’ve only got four to go. KO: Do you think you’ll retire then or keep going? CS: I would like to continue as long as I do good work and they want me. We are going to be making more shows now that HBO is involved. We used to make 110. We had to cut down to 26. Now we’re going to start going back up again. KO: There have been over 4,000 episodes of Sesame Street. Do you happen to know how many of those you’ve been in? CS: I’ve been in all except maybe 300 or 400 over the years. KO: I know that you are well known on the speaker circuit and you give a really good lecture and you’ll be doing that here in September, so what can fans expect from you at that upcoming lecture? CS: I have so much to say and tell. Part of the thing I do is a question and answer thing. People get to ask questions important to their hearts about what I’ve talked about.
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Grab a Bite
New Restaurants in Pensacola by Josh Newby
It seems like every month brings new and exciting dining options to Pensacola. From ethnic and international food to unique takes on American staples, these restaurants boast menus that are sure to whet your appetite and service that represents the best of our area’s friendliness and hospitality. Bon appetit!
nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 37
Rico’s Mexican Up-scale Mexican has a new name in Pensacola, and that name is Rico’s. They offer truly authentic, made-from-scratch Mexican food prepared to order and even have hamburgers, pizza, steak and more. They also offer a full-service bar, something you can’t get at many other popular Mexican destinations in Pensacola. Tabitha Hairelson, an owner of the establishment, has already had great success with Rico’s in Spanish Fort and felt that one in Pensacola would be a similar hit. “The experience we are trying to create is one of casual dining in an upbeat, exciting atmosphere,” said Hairelson. “Have a quiet dinner in the main dining room or sit in the bar area and have a Margarita along with some appetizers and watch the game on TV – whatever you prefer.” Since opening in Pensacola, the community response has been great. People want healthy, authentic Mexican, and they certainly find it at Rico’s, located at 50 Coast Road.
The Ruby Slipper Cafe Citizens of and visitors to New Orleans have almost surely heard of or been to the Ruby Slipper, an up-scale yet casual brunch destination that combines all the best flavors of the city with breakfast staples. Now, those in Pensacola will get to take part in this unparalleled culinary experience in the fifth location at 509 S. Palafox. The brainchild of Jennifer Weishaupt and her husband after Hurricane Katrina, the Ruby Slipper takes everyone’s favorite meal and offers it everyday for extended hours, 7 to 2 during weekdays, 8 to 2 on Saturdays and 8 to 3 on Sundays. “We thought Pensacola was a great location, because it has historic streets and buildings, and people who love great food, just like New Orleans,” said Weishaupt. Decadent, colorful, make-your-stomach-grumble food is their specialty, as proven by their menu that features eggs coubion, eggs blackstone, hot-smoked salmon bennies and more. Come into the uniquely Pensacolian location of the New Orleans staple, and find out why you’ll never want to get full.
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Photo: Guy Stevens
The Union Public House
Photo: Guy Stevens 38 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com
The Union Public House will be a modern gastropub that combines the talents of bar and restaurant powerhouses Blake Rushing (Type), Patrick Bolster (5 ½), and Melissa Tempsook Knott and Jeffrey Knott (Old Hickory Whiskey Bar). With that team at the helm, Pensacola better know that it is in for something special and addictive. The space at 309 S. Reus St. is currently getting a massive makeover with hopes to open sometime in the fall. When completed, The Union Public House will be “a crafty Southern pub with rustic and modern influences,” says Rushing. The gourmet food and beverage offerings will be locally influenced and served in a comforting and inviting atmosphere. Rushing is planning some classic pub fare with a modern and southern twist, including vast and expansive charcuterie dishes for communal dining experiences. Jeffrey says he and Bolster have a deep appreciation for classic cocktails, which will serve as a base for the bar menu, but you can bet there will be some twists to the drinks as much as to the dishes they serve.
Zoe’s Kitchen Walking into the clean, airy, colorful Zoe’s Kitchen at Cordova Mall is an experience unto itself. Greek aromas immediately fill your nostrils as your mouth begins to water. Walking to the counter to survey the options, your stomach begins to rumble in anticipation. So many options, all for such reasonable prices. Zoe’s is a franchise that stretches across the Southeast, but the quantity has not undermined the quality in any way. Every ingredient is as fresh as possible, and healthy simplicity and fun flavor are delivered simultaneously in every bite. “We really emphasize both health and the overall aesthetic of the experience,” said Gabriel Hernandez, a manager at the Pensacola location. Patrons are encouraged to relax, unwind and stay as long as they want. This is a welcome relief from fast casual dining experiences where customers are often treated like cattle, milling about and rushed. The Mediterranean food at Zoe’s is not unlike the Mediterranean itself – perfectly enjoyable and something you find yourself thinking about when you’re not there. Thankfully, they’re open 11 am to 9 pm daily.
Photo: Steven Depolo
The Burger Factory New to the west side of Pensacola at 314 W. Navy Blvd. is the Burger Factory, a sandwich and burger shop where everything is made from scratch. That includes the sauces and soups, too. Owner Scott Green wanted a simple, straightforward answer to a burger restaurant, in much the same way Roly Poly changed up the casual sandwich industry. “This is something I’ve been wanting to do my entire life,” said Green. “Everything else down here is pizza and fast food, so I thought being close to NAS would really help me set myself apart.” While the location certainly helps Green set himself apart, the food he serves up definitely doesn’t hurt. The homemade ingredients give even the most routinely plain burger a special, memorable zest that instantly catapults it past other burger-andbun based options. With counter service and piping hot meals brought to your table, Green is also bringing a much-needed American favorite to Pensacola’s west side. Order’s up!
Photo: Jeffrey W.
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Two Figs and A Date Coming in 2016 to 116 Palafox near the Saenger Theatre is Two Figs and a Date, a health-conscious restaurant with offerings as clever as its name. Their menu boasts smoothies and cold press juices, granola blends and house blend organic coffee, as well as farm-to-table healthy food items for breakfast and lunch. All food will be locally sourced from places like East Hill Honey and regional farms. They also aim to provide multiple vegetarian and gluten-free options, too. Owner Neil and his wife Brandi are the brains behind the operation, whose purpose is simple: to provide the freshest, most delicious, locally-sourced food available. They plan to grow with their customer base by offering classes on everything from soap-making to gardening, vendor nights, and spotlights on organic farmers in the area. The team also plans to give back to the community by contributing in Gallery Night and proudly displaying local art on their restaurant walls.
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From top left clockwise: Salami, Bresola, Headcheese, Chicken Liver Pate, Prosciutto, Lardo, Capicolla, Lonza, Andouille
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Pensacola Magazine
Written by Blake Rushing Photography by Guy Stevens
Charcuterie (shahr-koo-tuh-ree) is a beautiful thing. It is one of the most primal ways of preserving proteins that would rot without curing in salt or preserving in fat. Charcuterie translates into “cooked flesh.� The cooking can be done with heat, smoke, or salt. Some delicious examples are rillettes, pates, confits, cured meats, sausages, ballontines, galantines, etc. The curing process is an art in itself and develops a depth of incredible flavors, much like a fine wine. The art or artisan side of the curing process comes from the salt to sugar ratio and the addition of spices. Also, how long you keep the protein in the cure and how long you hang the protein will control the flavor and texture. At Type by Chef Blake Rushing, we are well known for all of our house-made charcuterie, the most popular being our signature bacon, smoked Scottish salmon, and chicken liver mousse. When Union Public House opens in the fall, we plan to have a very extensive charcuterie program and all the curing meats will be on display over the bar. Pensacola Magazine
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Prosciutto, cappicola, bresola, lonza, and bacon are all words you may have probably heard before and even enjoyed some of them. These types of charcuterie are literally nice chunks of meat that are cured for anywhere from one day to three weeks. The whole hindquarter of a pig can be cured and sometimes smoked and has different names depending on where in the world you are. For example, prosciutto is French, iberico is Spanish, country ham is smoked and American, speck is smoked and Irish, serrano is Italian, and they all have different styles and flavors that make them unique to the region. Cappicola is cured neck/shoulder. Bresola is cured beef. Lonza is cured pork loin. All of these start out with a mixture of two parts salt to one part sugar and the addition of a small amount of nitrate “pink” salt. Then you can customize the cure with spices to your taste. The bigger the chunk of meat the longer it cures and the longer it will have to hang and air dry. We have a Duroc heritage American pig ham that has been air drying for 17 months after a
three week cure. The kitchen is excited to cut into it next month when it will be ready after the 18 month process. The next style is forcemeats, which we can make into sausages and salamis. Forcemeat is ground protein with the addition of spices and other flavorings that are packed into natural casings made from natural intestines. Andouille, cotecchino, chorizo, blood sausage: the list goes on and on and they have tons of variations. Sausages can be cooked fresh, cured and aged, smoked, and/or boiled.
My favorite section of the kitchen is the garde manger or “keeper of food.” This is basically the cold starter section of the kitchen. In culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Orlando, this was by far my favorite class. A nice terrine takes between 48 and 72 hours. Terrine is merely the shape and mold you pack the protein into for cooking or chilling. Pate is ground into forcemeat and then packed into a terrine mold. There are two main ways to make a terrine. The first is to prep and marinate the protein, then you must let the flavors marry over night to develop flavor, and finally gently cook in a water bath
We have a Duroc heritage American pig ham that has been air drying for 17 months after a three week cure. The kitchen is excited to cut into it next month when it will be ready after the 18 month process.
This is how you impress your friends at a party. Use the knowledge you learned here and make an impressive platter.
and let chill over night. The second is to cook your ingredients before layering them into the terrine. Cooking before could be by braising in stock and reducing that stock down to where the natural collagen from the bones set the liquid to hold the terrine together or by confiting in duck fat which, once chilled, will solidify to hold the terrine together. The next morning it’s like a Christmas present wrapped up ready for you to open. When I worked at the Savoy Grill in London, I was on garde manger for the first year of my career. We had a wild game pate, a hare terrine, a ten layered seared foie gras, smoked goose and confit duck terrine, and a seafood and vegetable terrine. The cool thing about terrines is your imagination can run wild and there are unlimited creations.
If you are not up for curing your own, there are lots of spots in town to buy it yourself. When Union Public House opens, we will be selling it by the pound. Joe Patti has a great selection and Type will do custom orders for you with 48-hour notice. This is how you impress your friends at a party. Use the knowledge you learned here and make an impressive platter. Grab a selection of pickles, four or five sliced cured meats, sausages and pates, a couple of mustards and some crackers or toasts and let your inner artist come out. I always start with the meats and then build up everything else. There is nothing better then a big meat platter to pick at while hanging out with your friend, and crazy enough it pairs up splendidly with almost any beer or wine. Enjoy, aspiring artisans!
Executive Chef Blake Rushing Type by Chef Blake Rushing Union Public House Spot On Catering typebyblake.com
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Meals on Wheels eat! Pensacola’s Mobile Food Trucks By Kelly Oden and Dawn Gresko
Although food trucks have been a part of the hipster and foodie lifestyle for decades in other major cities, Pensacola’s food truck scene is a relatively new trend. While food trucks have been staples at local festivals for years and the Al Fresco concept at Palafox and Main brings a different twist to the genre, mobile food trucks, particularly those with a diversity of menu options (i.e. no funnel cakes or bloomin onions here) are few and far
between. That said, we are excited to see a handful of interesting concepts pop up and we hope the trend continues. Although current ordinances make it difficult for mobile food trucks to set up shop on downtown streets, these six foodie entrepreneurs have found ways to keep the movement alive in Pensacola by partnering with commercial property owners and offering private food truck catering experiences. Bon Apetite!
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Nomadic Eats Where/When: 1014 Underwood Ave, Mon. – Fri. 11 am to 3 pm Price range: $1 – $7 Catering/Delivery: Yes/Yes Must try: Adobo pork taco, chorizo sausage taco, sweet mint green tea, lemon grass citrus tea Contact: 850-375-5696 • nomadiceats.com Randy Russell is the operating owner and chef of Nomadic Eats, a food truck that has gained renown with Pensacola locals despite being only a few months old. Although he did not attend culinary school, Randy has plenty of hands-on experience as a chef in the Pensacola area, hving cooked for restaurants such as East Hill Yard, World of Beer, Red Fish Blue Fish in Pensacola Beach, The Grand Marlin and The Fish House. His travels to Southeast Asia and Central South America inspired Randy to create a fusion of Asian and Latin dishes, which became the menu for Nomadic Eats. Randy and Steven
Jordan Valley Where/When: Downtown Pensacola, Friday Gallery Nights Price Range: $4.99 – $14.99 Catering/Delivery: Yes/No Must try: Fish kabobs, stuffed grape leaves Contact: 850-450-1761 The Jordan Valley food truck may be small but it offers all the big flavors of the Mediterranean. Three years ago, Tommy Ghboun decided it was time to get the word out about Jordan Valley’s downtown restaurant and decided to try something new by starting a food truck. Most of the special spices and meats come from the nearby cities of Jacksonville and Atlanta. Although you can find the truck at events such as Movies at the Maritime and
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Gallery Nights in Downtown Pensacola, Tommy is working on getting a permanent location for the truck, so you can pick up a serving of gyros or grape leaves any day of the week. Jordan Valley also offers catering services for any private events from weddings to graduation parties.
Chang are the two-man team who run the food truck, and food preparation is done daily to ensure everything is ready to go for the next day. They buy ingredients as needed, so food is always very fresh with a quick turnover rate, and everything is cooked inside the self-sufficient truck. Nomadic Eats offers its service to private parties and offers catering as well as delivery services, which includes driving box lunches to offices and large groups of people. Although Randy is looking into getting the food truck approved for participation at Gallery Night, right now they focus on main operating hours at their location on Underwood Avenue, as well as catering services.
Mimi's Kitchen Where/When: Downtown Pensacola, Gallery Nights @ 5:45 pm Price range: $6 – $8 Catering/Delivery: Yes/No Must try: Goat cheese-spinach-tomato-balsamic glaze crepe, chicken-pesto crepe, Nutella crepe Contact: 850-723-9158 • mimisonthego.com Mimi’s Bistro began with Christina and Milan BrunetSaestia, who decided to open the first creperie food truck in Pensacola. Milan hails from France and worked at a French creperie, where he learned the skills necessary for making crepes such as how to make the batter correctly. While Milan took over the culinary aspect of crepe preparation, Christina sought after a food truck, did research on food truck ordinances, and figured out a name for the mobile business, which we now know fondly as Mimi’s Bistro. Although the couple did not have much back-
ground in the food business, they put their minds together and developed a menu according to their favorite flavors and crepe dishes. Although they do not have a set location, you can find Mimi’s Bistro at various local events including Gallery Night, Gulf Coast Arts Festival, Music in the Park, and many more. With only two crepe makers in the food truck, they produce as many as 120 orders of crepes during Gallery Night. Customers are welcome to customize their crepes with up to four sweet and four savory toppings from which to choose. From weddings, baby showers, graduation parties and business marketing events, Mimi’s Bistro also provides catering for any private party needs.
rolling embers Where/When: Santa Rosa Farmer’s Market, Sat. 8 am – 2 pm Market in the Breeze, Tues. 4 pm – 8 pm Price Range: $7 - $9 ($1 per extra toppings) Catering/Delivery: Yes/No Must try: margherita, sunrise, basil pesto and spinach, buffalo chicken pizzas Contact: 850-293-9778 • rollingembers.com Rolling Embers is a family-owned and operated mobile wood-fired oven started in 2013 by the Saxtons—Terry and Cathy, along with their two children Jennifer and Steven. While Terry and Steven fire up the pizzas, Cathy and Jennifer work on preparing the hand-stretched dough and pizza toppings using locally harvested ingredients. Their pizza is cooked in a claybrick oven crafted out of a 100-year old chimney fired by pecan, white or red oak wood. In addition to rolling their ember maker out to lo-
cal events such as festivals, farmers markets, weddings and parties, Rolling Embers has brought their signature pizzas to the Studer Group, Harley Davidson, Pensacola Runners’ Association, Sertoma Club’s Dragon Boat Race and more. As a result of growing popularity, and in the hopes of promoting community involvement, Cathy is working on finding a location for another commissary kitchen to be shared between Rolling Embers culinary staff, local farmers and food vendors. Pensacola Magazine | 35
hip pocket deli Where/When: 4051 Barrancas Ave., Mon. – Fri. from 10 am – 3 pm Price Range: $3.95 - $13.95 Catering/Delivery: Yes/Yes Must try: Gyros, philly cheese steak sandwich Contact: 850-455-9319 • hippocketdeli.com
Previously known as the George’s Dainty Deli, Hip Pocket food truck officially opened for business on April 20 this year. Hip Pocket is associated with the familyowned Hip Pocket Deli restaurants here in Pensacola, where George Makris has wanted to start a food truck for some time. Just like a deli, the food truck always fresh ingredients including produce from local farmers markets and bread from Bread of Life Bakery. Spot the Hip Pocket at the upcoming Beer Festival and Semper Fi
Barbasian Where/When: 2909 Pace Blvd., 920 Palafox St. Tues. & Wed. 10:30 am – 2:30 pm, Thurs. & Sat. 10:30 am – 7:30 pm Price Range: $5.99 – $22.99 Catering/Delivery: Yes/Yes Must try: Barbeque egg rolls, rack of ribs Contact: 850-512-8367 • barbasian.com
Why not have both? That’s the motto at Barbasian, where traditional barbeque cooking meets Asian cuisine in the aptly-named food truck that began as the brain-child of David Downey and Shawn Goad, who decided to fuse the two distinct styles of cooking together. Everything is made from scratch including the signature Barbasian sauce. In addition to catering for individual and commercial events, the truck offers delivery services to homes 36 | Pensacola Magazine
and businesses. You are also welcome to walk up and order, or carry out food of your choice. All orders can be made conveniently by phone or online. The truck frequents local shindigs and has served the crowd many times at Pensacola Ice Pilots and Blue Wahoos games, but you can always find Barbasian at its two set locations: downtown Pensacola by Jaco’s on Palafox Street, or off Pace Boulevard by Fairfield.
Marine Charity Run both on Sept. 11. However, you can always find Hip Pocket’s food truck stationed on Barrancas Avenue where there is cozy outdoor seating for up to 32 people. On a busy day, Hip Pocket serves as many as 150 to 200 people. While George is in the process of trying to accommodate food truck deliveries to Pensacola businesses, Hip Pocket currently offers catering services as well as pre-ordering for quick pick-ups. You can even place your order online.
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You Can Learn to Play
Piano Lessons for Adult Beginners
And Pianos to Practice On
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F l avo r s with John besh Kelly Oden, Executive Editor of Pensacola Magazine, interviews Southern Celebrity Chef John Besh of New Orleans, Louisiana. Photography by Maura McEvoy
John Besh is a chef and native son of Louisiana who is dedicated to the culinary riches of southern Louisiana. In his twelve restaurants, entrepreneurial pursuits, and public activities, he aims to preserve the ingredients, techniques, and heritage of the region he loves. Besh’s cookbooks, My New Orleans and My Family Table, were each recognized with an IACP Award. His third cookbook, Cooking From The Heart, was published in fall 2013 and his forthcoming cookbook, Besh Big Easy, will release on September 29, 2015. He hosts two national public television cooking shows based on the books.
The John Besh Foundation works to preserve New Orleans’ culinary heritage via initiatives such as the Chefs Move!, the Colorado Culinary Academy scholarships, and microloans for local farmers. He and his wife Jenifer live with their four sons in southern Louisiana. They also spend a good deal of time in Pensacola. In anticipation of his Guest Chef appearance at The Taste of the Beach event on Sept. 18 and 19, Pensacola Magazine talked with Chef Besh about his dedication to Louisiana culture, his love of local ingredients and how much he loves Pensacola. Pensacola Magazine | 39
KO: How often do you visit Pensacola? JB: We have a little house on Pensacola Beach and we just absolutely love it over there. What I love about Pensacola is that it’s close enough for us to get to on a whim. Jennifer and I will often just run over for the weekend. For the summer our extended family is here, so the house is packed. We go over there during the fall, too, when the beaches are empty and the water is warm. I love walking out on the beach. Such a diversity of things to do in Pensacola. Unlike a lot of beach towns, it’s a real town. I love downtown on Palafox, too. There are so many great restaurants popping up. I think there are more undiscovered gems there along the Gulf Coast, especially in the Pensacola area, than just about any place I know in the South right now. All these new restaurants sprouting up like Nom - I’m thinking about their ramen as we are talking.
KO: It’s great that you’re so entrenched in the food and culture here. You’re coming here in September to be the celebrity chef for the Taste of the Beach. What can attendees expect to see from you at the event? JB: We’re going to push up our book release date for my newest book called Besh Big Easy. I’m bringing that and this simple approach to Creole food. So the things that I’m cooking will be the things that I cook at the beach. It’s going be the etouffe, and crab stews. Anyone who has a relationship with New Orleans, or for that matter the greater Gulf Coast, will have an attachment to this kind of food. So it’s really playing off the fact that we’re right there at the beach, on the coast, and I like to honor where I’m at. It will all be things that should remind us of those great childhood meals and the southern Gulf Coast traditions.
KO: So maybe we’ll see a restaurant of yours over here one of these days?
KO: Speaking of fresh gulf seafood, do you have a Gulf of Mexico favorite?
JB: No, no! Because I like to go over there to play.
JB: Oh my gosh, it changes all the time. In the spring I love to go chase after the lemon fish or cobia. And who doesn’t love red snapper? What we have been doing lately is spearfishing for lionfish. After watching YouTube videos I figured out how to clean them pretty quickly. But we’ll go to a couple of lionfish spots that are really not that far off the coast of Portofino, about a mile and a half or so, and we’ll go and get all these lionfish and bring them back and eat lionfish tacos and feel like we are doing something good for the world. And they’re actually good. That being said, I think triple tail is the most highly underrated fish that you have out there. Off the coast where the bay waters kind of meet the gulf blue waters, there’s normally all this seaweed floating and underneath there are the most beautiful triple tail. We call them blackfish in New Orleans.
KO: Ah, I see! You don’t want to work over here. JB: Right. It’s always a restaurant at my house anyway. I love the fact that we have a little routine to stop in at the Saturday market and Joe Patti’s, and all the great little things and quirky places that are so Pensacola.
KO: Do you have a favorite place to eat here? JB: Too many! But we just love to go to the Grand Marlin and Chef Greg will hook me up with the perfect piece of fish - grilled, with a large salad. It might not be on the menu like that, but he’s just so good about giving us the freshest that the Gulf has to offer. I love the fact that Casino Beach Bar and Grill sprouted up. Last year it was just the bar, this year we have the grill, too. You get a lot of fun, simple food that you crave when you go to the beach. In the town of Pensacola there’s Nom, Pot Roast and Pinot, Jackson’s and Global Grill. They are all just awesome. 40 | Pensacola Magazine
KO: What led to you to your interest in cooking? What moment did you know this was your calling? JB: I knew I wanted to be a chef around 9 years old. My father was paralyzed by a drunk
driver. Through a couple of years of convalescence and bouncing from hospital to hospital, when we would come home I would cook for him. That meal I would make would put a smile on his face and that made him happy. So I equate food with happy. In a nutshell, I found at a young age I could make people happy. About that same time I met Paul Prudomme and I said wait, here’s a guy who’s a lot like me and look at what he’s done. I can be a chef like him someday. And that coupled with great parents that allowed me to pursue my passion led me to this incredible life.
KO: You have a passion for using local ingredients. Where does that passion come from and how does it fit into your overall cooking philosophy? JB: I’m a product of the Gulf Coast. I was raised on Bayou Liberty in Slidell. I still live on the same bayou that I grew up on. Fishing from the waters here and hunting really shaped me into the type of chef I’ve become. It really gave me the love for cooking. I could go out and catch a red fish and bring it home and mom would transform the red fish of a certain size—she always wanted a certain size. She’d braise it whole and make this great stew that we called courtbouillon. Then if you had crab meat, she’d add the crab meat, and if she had some shrimp, she’d add some shrimp. And then we’d have this great fish with Creole tomatoes and onions and garlic. That was so beautiful to watch that transformation take place and at the family table everybody is serving from this one big pot. If I caught a speckled trout, she’d sauté it in brown butter with a little lemon and sprig of parsley and we’d have trout Meniere. If she had almonds, she’d toast those with the brown butter and then you’d have trout almandine. So this idea of honoring what you caught and transforming it into a beautiful meal and sharing it with the people you love is important. Not only did I love the fishing part, but I loved the cooking part. I loved sharing it with people and the idea of southern hospitality. I went to school at Gulf Coast over in Bay St. Louis, Miss. Over there we’d go out gigging for flounder and Pierre would always promise us, ‘If you catch the fish I’ll cook them for ya.’ We’d bring them back to the kitchen and stuff the flounder. Sometimes we’d just
“I’m a product of the Gulf Coast. I was raised on Bayou Liberty in Slidell. I still live on the same bayou that I grew up on. Fishing from the waters here and hunting really shaped me into the type of chef I’ve become. It really gave me the love for cooking.”
“It’s all about a life that should be spent helping others, doing something for others. All that kind of comes together and it has put me where I am today and it’s truly what I love to do.”
fry the flounder. All these great traditions with food and sharing it with others creates a great spiritual vibe and it is very spiritual. So when you think of localism, we were using those procedures long before glossy periodicals told us it was vogue to do so. We never ate crawfish out of season. You make crawfish when you have crawfish. You eat soft shell crabs when they are in season throughout the spring and summer. We know that. It’s in us—how to eat with the seasons. And that’s really what localism is all about.
KO: Tell me a little about your nonprofit, the John Besh Foundation. JB: After Hurricane Katrina I really recognized that if we weren’t careful we were going to lose our culture if we didn’t invest in the food producers that bring us the crabs, the shrimp, all the wonderful vegetables—the Creole tomatoes and the satsumas - all these different things. We had problems with the farming community because they were devastated by the storms. So part of my foundation provides microloans for area food producers. People who couldn’t receive credit from the bank or didn’t have access to financing could come to us and we would lend them money with zero interest. We also started reaching out to sustain this greater culture that we’ve all been participating in. For years we had to bring in highly educated young cooks from suburbs all around the country to come to New Orleans to cook Creole food. I started a scholarship called Chefs Move, which offers culinary scholarships for inner city minority youth in New Orleans. So when you start to offer an opportunity for a great education for the people who have the tenacity and the smarts but just not access to great culinary education, hopefully that sparks a more diverse workforce in the future. So I’m saying all this because it really comes down to doing what we have to do to sustain this great culture. Particularly in New Orleans, but for that matter, that culture can really be seen all across the Gulf Coast. If we don’t sustain what we have then why would people come here to visit. We just become like any other place USA. That’s how deep localism runs in my veins because it’s not just the product but it’s also the culture. We have to work to sus-
tain all of it and pass it on to the next generation.
KO: Speaking of culture, you’re known as an ambassador of Louisiana cooking and I can see why. What makes Louisiana food so unique in your mind? JB: Louisiana food is unique because of the people that came to settle there. Just like Ellis Island, New Orleans was a place of entry to America, to the New World. People came from all over the world with the purpose of assimilating into this Franco, Afro, Spanish culture that existed, we know it now as Creole. Doing so created the truest melting pot--the only indigenous urban cuisine left in America where you can go in any restaurant in New Orleans and you know what city you’re in. That melting pot created a certain style and I could go on and on but what makes it special is the culture. Everybody left their indelible ingredients in this collective gumbo pot if you will. You can trace all these cultures through this gumbo. The Africans, the Spanish, and then you have the French who brought their style of cooking along with the Germans and their smoked meat and the Italians—all these people came together including modern day people from Latin America and people from Vietnam who have made New Orleans what it is today. People who are moving to South Louisiana are doing so because they want to be a part of the culture. So it’s a different place where you have people who want to immerse themselves and assimilate into this great culture and that helps perpetuate it.
KO: You reached an incredible level of fame in your career— you have 12 restaurants, television shows, cookbooks etc…. Do you ever miss just working in the kitchen? The old days of just being a chef? JB: I do, but I don’t. When I got to cook in my own kitchen all the time that was awesome, but also I wasn’t a good father or husband because I was married to that one restaurant. After I had close family members die, I realized that life is short and it’s really not all about me. So back in those days it
was being about winning this or that award or being the very best. So I got too caught up in that and I didn’t realize I was so caught up in it. It took hurricane Katrina, the first time I ever actually fed hungry people, to really wake me up and realize that I need to help people and I need to get out there and do more than what I’m currently doing. So that kind of woke me up and set me on a different path. It took me until restaurant number three before I realized I couldn’t just micromanage everything and I had to start developing the talented people around me. So what happened then was the people who really helped me out, that really came to save me after hurricane Katrina and helped to resurrect my restaurant, are now my partners in all the other restaurants. So I have my dream team - my line cooks are now my partners. So I’m investing in them and giving them heart and soul and giving them opportunity, which allows them to achieve their dreams.
KO: Who inspires you? JB: I was really inspired the most by a mentor of mine that I had when I worked on the border of France, Switzerland and Germany. And he taught me about localism. He taught me about being more than just a cook, being more than just a chef, making an impact in the place that you live by just acting locally. Doing something important where you’re at is the only way to sustain these great traditions. So if it wasn’t for Karl-Josef Fuchs, my mentor, I wouldn’t be where I am today. But I’ve had so many great individuals come into my life. Leah Chase and Paul Prudomme took me under their wing even though I didn’t work for them. They gave me so much and reached out to me and became my mentors in a lot of ways. And then growing up with my parents—I had the best father on earth. I was raised with the idea of being there for others, which is part of the general Jesuit philosophy. It’s all about a life that should be spent helping others, doing something for others. All that kind of comes together and it has put me where I am today and it’s truly what I love to do.
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KO: You talked a lot about helping young kids get into the culinary world. What advice do you have for a young person who thinks they may want to enter that field? JB: I think number one is to have a realistic understanding of what the field is. So go get some experience working in the kitchen. Two, when you’re looking to work in a kitchen, work for someone you might want to emulate. Being a chef can be so beautiful but it’s also so very difficult. Because you’re working when everybody else if off. You’re working the holidays, you’re working nights. I don’t remember my 30s. My friends were getting married. I never went to a wedding because I couldn’t. I was married to the restaurant. It’s very demanding but if you truly enjoy cooking and serving others, then it’s so very rewarding. You need to have just a little experience and go in and see what it’s all about and then go off and get some education. Then find three great mentors and work for these people, understanding that you won’t be making a dime for five years at least. But once you get that experience, then the kitchen is really like going to graduate school. So going to culinary school might be like going to college and you’ll need about a good five years of graduate school after that before you can even think about becoming creative.
KO: I know you mentioned not being so concerned with awards and accolades but you’ve gotten quite a few. JB: I say that now, but I was very concerned with them back in the day.
KO: So what are you most proud of? What accolade or award? JB: I was inducted into the Hall of Fame for James Beard a few years ago. That meant a lot to me because at a young age I get to be recognized by my peers not just as a great chef, but as someone who has truly made a contribution to their field across the entire U.S. That was very humbling. There’s a lot of these things where you know you’re the 44 | Pensacola Magazine
“best of ” this or that, but it’s not often that you’re recognized from the point of view of the whole of your work. And that to me really meant a lot.
KO: What’s your idea of the perfect meal? JB: It just depends on what time of year and where I’m at. Just the other day we had stopped at the farmer’s market and then saw some friends and went to a friend’s garden and collected all purple peas and then I had okra and I had these awesome creole heirloom tomatoes and they had a couple of chickens. I put together this great little southern Sunday supper of roasted chicken and okra and tomatoes that had been stewed down. We had these beautiful field peas that I cooked with ham hock and sweet potatoes. We had whole grain rice that a friend grows out in Crowley. All this together created this scrumptious meal with my grandfather’s cornbread recipe. Taking things from the garden and transforming them in that southern style to me just brings me back to my grandmother’s kitchen table. I love those beautiful memories. It’s really most important to have my family and friends at that table. Put that table outside under the oak tree in my backyard. That, then maybe would constitute the perfect meal.
and that’s our modern Israeli restaurant up on Magazine Street. Then we have our little French County Restaurant, La Provence which is minutes from my house. I didn’t even mention Borgne which is our coastal Louisiana cuisine restaurant. It’s too hard to pinpoint three restaurants. I had to mention a few more.
KO: Do you want to talk about your new cookbook coming out, Besh Big Easy? What will people find in that? JB: Recipes that anybody who loves New Orleans needs to have. Over the years my food has been really complicated. The older I get and the more confident I am in my own skin, the more I really cook like mom and grandmother. I’m not using every ingredient known to mankind to make a dish. So this is simpler. Early people, early Louisianans never knew what Creole spices were. They didn’t have some spice mix. They used salt and pepper. So I feel like the food can become so over spiced, over complex, so over the top that I wanted to peel it back and bring people classic Creole flavors in a very simple high fashion. It’s that style of cooking. I want people to realize that Creole cuisine is really easy and really simple. It’s really just cooking from the heart using great ingredients.
KO: If someone has a day or weekend in New Orleans they’re only going to get a chance to eat at one or two of your restaurants, do you have a recommendation? JB: You could start with Willa Jeans Bakery and Southern Café for breakfast. Then there’s August, which is my flagship, that’s for that romantic meal and refined, threehour experience. But if you don’t want that we also have the more casual Luke, which is fun, bustling, loud, full of energy and life. Then we have this incredible Italian restaurant, Domenica, downtown near the Roosevelt hotel. Then Johnny Sanchez is a modern take on Mexican. It could be the kind of restaurant you’d find in Mexico City. That’s how authentic it is and that’s how refined it is. So the list goes on and on. Certainly Shaya is on everybody’s top list these days
Coutresy of Andrews McMeel Publishing
2015 Taste of the Beach
Sept. 18 - 19 Gulfside Pavilion, Pensacola Beach Award-winning chef and famous TV personality John Besh will spice up the food and crowds at this year’s Eighth Annual Taste of the Beach, Sept. 18-19 at the Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach. Taste of the Beach is Pensacola Beach’s annual foodie festival, presented by the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce, which celebrates the beach’s talented chefs and their unique coastal cuisine. The party gets started Friday night with a special VIP event at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front. Guests can sample contemporary coastal dishes created by six local chefs, followed by an up-close cooking demonstration and special tasting presented by Chef John Besh. Fun for all ages begins bright and early Saturday morning with a Chef Cook-Off beginning at 10 am. Throughout the day, 24 Pensacola Beach restaurants will feature signature dishes for $5 or less. Festival-goers can enjoy watching live chef demonstrations, cooking competitions, dessert contests and award presentations. A free, live concert will close out the festival at 7 pm. Besh will take the Gulfside Pavilion Stage on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 1 pm for a live cooking demonstration. Immediately following will be a short Q-and-A session and then a meet-andgreet where Besh will sign autographs. For more information on this year’s Taste of the Beach, lodging for the event and ticket information for the VIP party, visit tasteofpensacolabeach.com.
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PLAY •LIVE •give Sept. 4 – Nov. 7
Sept. 5 at 8 pm. Ticket prices vary from $37.50, $48, $69 and $81. To purchase tickets visit Rodizio Grill Box at Pensacola Bay Center, go to ticketmaster. com, or call 800-745-3000.
PMA presents Lincoln: Inspiration Through the Ages
This exhibit brings together selections from various private collectors and museum permanent collections to present a selection of American-history inspired artwork as unique as Lincoln himself. This unique celebration of American history within the visual arts will include a wide variety of media and artistic styles from artists such as Salvador Dali, Nathan Sawaya, Norman Rockwell, Bill Mauldin, Wendy Allen and more. Opening reception is on Gallery Night, Sept. 18 from 5:30 to 9 pm. To learn more, visit pensacolamuseum.org.
PLT presents God of Carnage
Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT) Studio 400 Production is bringing to stage the story of a playground altercation between 11-year-old boys, which brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their liberal principles in tatters. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.
Sept. 5
Don’t miss your chance to witness witty dialogue created instantaneously by Improvable Cause, Pensacola’s best (and only) Improv Comedy Troupe at Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT) this month. The Saturday night show will start at 10:30 pm in the M.C. Blanchard Courtroom Theatre at PLT. Tickets may be purchased online at pensacolalittletheatre.com.
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Sept. 17 – 19
FPAN By These Hands Public Workshop The Florida
Sept. 4 – 16 & 10 – 12
PLT presents Improvable Cause
Sept. 18 – 19
Taste of the Beach
Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) is pleased to partner with the University of West Florida and John The Baptist Church on the grant project entitled By These Hands: The Vernacular Markers of Pensacola’s Historic African American Cemeteries. Through a series of professional talks and tours, as well as the development of interpretative materials, the story of Pensacola’s African American cemeteries will begin to emerge. These events are free and open to the public, but because of limited seating, reservations are required. To reserve your spot call UWF Archaeology Institute at 850-474-3015. For more information about the project visit fpan.us/bth. Sept. 17: 9 am – Magnolia Cemetery (A & Brainerd St.) Sept. 18: 8:30 am – John the Baptist Fellowship Hall Sept. 19: 1 pm – John the Baptist Cemetery (8th Ave. & Cross St.)
Sept. 5
Pensacola Historic Preservation Society presents Antique Appraisal Fair
The Pensacola Historic Preservation Society presents its 21st Antique Appraisal Fair at Garth’s Antiques and Auction Gallery (3930 Navy Blvd.) on Saturday, Sept. 5 from 9 am to 2 pm. This will be an opportunity for the public to bring items for area antique dealers and experts to appraise. Tickets are $5 per person, which allows you to have one object appraised. Additional objects may be appraised for $3 a piece. Tickets will be available at the door. The fair is sponsored by the
SEPTEMBER 2015
Pensacola Historic Preservation Society, Inc. to benefit the Society and to support its historical outreach programs and to maintain the 200-year-old Quina House Museum. Visit their website at quinahousemuseum. org. For additional information about the fair, call Beverly Stagg at 393-3091 or Gena Buchanan at 494-9802.
Sept. 5
Gulf Coast Summer Fest presents Gladys Knight, The Whispers & Stephanie Mills
Gulf Coast Summer Fest at Pensacola Bay Center will host Gladys Knight, The Whispers and Stephanie Mills on Saturday,
Join this year’s Taste of the Beach host John Besh along with six of Pensacola Beach’s finest chefs to sample their delicious coastal cuisines. Friday’s VIP event tickets are available $65 per person. Entry is free for the Saturday day-long festival with signature dishes priced at $5 or less. There will be a special cooking demonstration presented by Chef John Besh, chef competitions, live entertainment and kid-friendly activities. Located at Casino Beach from 10 am to 10 pm. To learn more call 850-932-1500.
Sept. 18 – 20 & 24 – 27 PLT presents Once Upon a Mattress
Join PLT for a Treehouse Production of Once Upon a Mattress. The performance follows the story of a kingdom with a speechless king, a wicked queen and an unmarried prince. Join us as their story, the familiar tale of The Princess and The Pea will be told with a wave of melodic, hilarious and romantic songs in this delightful, light-hearted musical. Changes are you’ll never look at fairy tales quite the same way again. Tickets may be purchased online at pensacolalittletheatre.com.
Sept. 19
Perdido Key Pirate Festival
Hop aboard and sail on down to Big Lagoon State Park for a weekend of fun for pirates of all ages. Festival admission is free with paid parking to enter Big Lagoon State Park, which is $6 per vehicle. Activities include
treasure hunts for pirate coins and a grand prize treasure chest loaded with a vacation package that includes lodging, as well as gift certificates to area attractions and restaurants. Other festivities include pirate games, live sea-faring music, storytelling, face painting, arts and crafts, and much more.
Through Sept. 20 PMA presents Out of Light: A Contemporary View
Visit the Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) and explore the experience of light with the photography of 2014 Best of Show award winner Dottie King in her Out of Light exhibition that showcases varied international and national landscapes. Viewers will be taken on an aesthetic journey through variations of dark, light, shadow, reflection, refraction, absorption, diffraction and luminosity. Opening reception is on Gallery Night, Aug. 21 from 5:30 until 9 pm. To learn more about the upcoming exhibition go to pensacolamuseum.org.
Sept. 21
SipSavorTalk
Five Sisters Blues Café is getting ready to serve up some tasty football food and beverages. They are welcoming fall with some of the amazing flavor of the Popcorn King and this month’s guest chef Greg King. If you think all popcorn is created equal, then you haven’t tasted the king’s corn. Be sure to get your popcorn fix at Five Sisters, where they’re popping it like it’s hot! To learn more about events, go to sipsavortalk.com.
Sept. 25 – 27
38th Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival
Join Fiesta of Five Flags for another year of savory, delicious seafood all while enjoying the historic surrounding of Downtown Pensacola during the 38th Annual Seafood Festival. This three-day festival is free to the public and will take place from Sept. 25 to 27 in Seville Square, Fountain Park, and Bartram Park. So bring the entire family for a weekend
Sept. 12
Second Annual Pensacola Dragon Boat Race & Festival Pensacolians prepare to enter
the dragon—the dragon boat, that is. On Sept. 12, Pensacola Dragon Boat Race & Festival is coming to Bayview Park in Downtown Pensacola for its second year. You and 20 friends can sign up to paddle faster than the competition in the dragon boat race, or enjoy professional kite flyers and dragon dancers at the festival. Don’t forget to bring the little ones, too—there will be a children’s area and mini water park. Proceeds will benefit the Gulf Coast Kids’ House. To register for the race, or learn more about the festivities, visit the official Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival Facebook page or pensacoladragonfestival.com.
filled with good food, arts and crafts, and live entertainment. Festival hours for Friday are 11 am to 11 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 11 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. For more information about the festival, visit fiestaoffiveflags.org.
Sept. 25 – Nov. 14
PMA Presents Visions: Through Paintings, Poetry and Prose
Visit the Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) for an exhibition by Margaret Biggs that celebrates and explores Gulf Coast inspired landscapes, seascapes, still life and holistic pieces within a stylized manner, which borders between the elements of abstraction and realism. The oil-on-canvas works are paired with the artist’s poetry to guide viewers toward a sense of peace and connectedness. Opening reception is on Sept. 25 from 5:30 to 7 pm. For more information about the exhibit, visit pensacolamuseum.org. For more information about the artist, visit margaretbiggs.com.
Through Oct. 17
PMA presents Terra Incognita: Photographs of America’s Third Coast
Join PMA for the opening reception of Richard Sexton’s Terra Ingonita: Photographs of America’s Third Coast on Aug. 21 5:30 to 7 pm. Latin for “unknown land,” Terra Incognita contains 57 black-and-white photographs of marsh, scrub lands, dunes, beaches, swamps and forests along the Gulf Coast from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Florida Panhandle. To learn more about the upcoming exhibition go to pensacolamuseum.org.
Bands on the Beach
Sink your toes and chairs into the sand at Pensacola Beach as our talented, local acts perform for you at Bands on the Beach. Pack refreshments and enjoy an evening in the salty, summer air every Tuesday night. Admission is free and all bands will rock out on the Gulfside Pavilion where shows begin at 7 pm.
Sept. 1: True Blue Band Sept. 8: Swamp Dog Honey Sept. 15: Southern Breeze Sept. 22: Dr. Breeze Sept. 29: 13th Hourglass
Vinyl Music Hall Performances
Vinyl Music Hall will be hosting a variety of musical performances throughout August, all beginning at 7 pm. General admission is standing room only. An additional cash surcharge is charged at the door those under 21 and attendees under 16 must be accompanied by an adult guardian who has purchased a ticket. For more information call 607-6758. Sept. 6: JJ Grey & Mofro Sept. 10: Earl Sweatshirt Sept. 11: Grayson Capps Sept. 12: Jelly Roll Sept. 13: Shooter Jennings with Waymore’s Outlaws Sept. 15: One Man Breaking Bad Sept. 18: Blues Traveler Sept. 19: Juvenile Sept. 20: Nate Bargatze Sept. 27: Pat Travers Band Sept. 30: Helmet “Betty” 20th Anniversary Show
SEPTEMBER 2015
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SPECIAL SECTION
SPECIAL SECTION 50
WHATEVER THE WEATHER MAY BE
HOW ONE FLORIDA-BASED ORGANIZATION IS CHANGING METEOROLOGY FOREVER
路 OTHER STORIES 路
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LEADING FLORIDA FORWARD
CLEANING UP
AROUND THE REGION
THREE CITIZENS OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR LEADERSHIP FLORIDA. READ THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE SELECTION AND THE STATE AS A WHOLE.
HOW YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR KRISTEN HADEED TURNED THE NEED FOR A QUICK BUCK INTO A NATIONWIDE COMPANY WITH OVER 400 EMPLOYEES.
FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND CULTURAL NEWS IN THE GREATER PENSACOLA AREA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.
nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 49
WHATEVER THE WEATHER MAY BE Meteorologists: the only people who can be wrong all the time and still get paid. While that old joke may not be entirely true (between 60 and 70 percent of weather predictions are fairly spot-on), it reflects a sentiment that a large portion of the population shares; namely, that you can’t trust the weatherman. But what if there were a way to boost accuracy to north of 90 percent—even 95 percent—with specificity down to the square-mile or square-block?
By Josh Newby Photo by Daniel Rodriguez 50 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com
Business Climate SPECIAL SECTION
One organization in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., is planning to do just that. In late August, the team unveiled for the first time its revolutionary new technology—developed by the military and purchased for exclusive civilian use—that detects every critical characteristic of an impending hailstorm, flood, tornado and hurricane. Using a combination of raw data from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the National Weather Service and more, with a thousandsstrong network of individual data points, meteorologists at the National Storm Center (NSC) can often predict weather for precise addresses and parcels, and alert homeowners about the incoming storm crisis. “What we developed is a 24/7/365 nextgeneration forensic weather-reporting monitoring system featuring geo-targeted coordinates with more than 95 percent accuracy,” said Trevor Leeds, NSC’s CEO. “We can monitor any home or property in the world, right down to its exact address.” Instead of using algorithms that often lump data together and miss smaller, more individual storms, the NSC collects critical storm information and weather-mapping reports (over three million a day) so its staff can scan all storm data in real time. This means that a highly trained human eye can detect a minor tornado that may be missed by a National Weather Service algorithm, and that individual can then issue a precise warning. No more countywide thunderstorm warnings. No more mass alerts. Instead, this targeted, highly accurate system can say with confidence who will be affected. More accurate alerts mean that more people will pay attention. With our current weather-prediction system, people will generally ignore warnings because they have not grown accustomed to having faith in reports. But now, individuals will be able to
understand exactly when and where severe weather will strike, leading to better precautions and possibly saved lives. Dave Carlson is the founder of the NSC and has spent the past 18 months procuring the software, recruiting top PhD meteorologists and building partnerships with future customers like insurance companies, alarm and home-monitoring organizations and contractors. “This technology has so many uses and we’re excited to roll it out and really change how weather prediction happens,” said Carlson. “We want to make sure your family members will not be in danger.” The military program that Carlson purchased is a browser-based computer system, meaning meteorologists can even access it from the road or when a storm takes out one of their three central hubs in Ft. Walton, Fla., Texas or Colorado. “Anyone can perform functions in the program,” said Josh Cahall, a lead facilitator with the NSC. “You can select different attributes that you want to look for and set different thresholds for warnings. Some consumers may want a warning for a minor hailstorm, others may only want to be alerted of a tornado or hurricane. You can export that information to Google Earth for specific locations and make predictions in real time.” This emphasis on accuracy above all else comes from the group’s military background, where troop formations and infantry movement is often dependent on only the most precise weather information. “When you’re doing this for the military, you can’t be wrong,” said Jay Southerland, CEO of international operations. One of Carlson’s first hires was Roco Calaci, a meteorologist who has worked with NASA and the White House and helped develop the technology for the NSC based on the military’s
skeletal computer system framework. “We bring in raw data such as satellite information, weather information, and weather stations reports, and using militarytrained weather forecasters, we look at the data and make smart predictions,” said Calaci. But why are public organizations not better at predicting the weather? The National Weather Service, for example, is not able to provide this level of accuracy because their charter does not allow for site-specific alerts. They also deal with budget constraints and simply do not have the manpower to track all severe weather events. In addition, many hailstorms, high winds and tornados fly under the radar, so to speak, and are too small to be picked up by their algorithms. “And a lot of weather organizations won’t issue a warning until they have some sort of visual confirmation,” said Carlson. “By then it’s too late. We save lives by more accurately predicting severe weather, instead of telling you a tornado has touched down after the fact.” The NSC technology, however, has no such constraints, and Southerland sees endless possibilities for the technology. “Right now, we’re going to be a mainly business-to-business company, but in the next six months we’re going to begin marketing to individual consumers and even release a mobile phone application,” said Southerland. “We’re also starting a pilot program in Australia soon to take this worldwide.” The NSC recently announced a partnership with SkyBell, a company of WiFi video doorbells that will come equipped with temperature, pressure and humidity monitors. This of course means increasing the number of national data points from a few thousand to a few million. “This partnership will provide more accurate weather to all,” said Desiree Mejia, CEO
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of SkyBell. They also launched a public-adjustor partnership, which will be a liaison between the homeowner, contractor and insurance carrier, a first-of-its-kind program. The public adjustor will go toe to toe with insurance carriers to maximize a claim for the homeowner. “The NSC brings a level of education, information and resources to a property owner after a storm, and it connects them to licensed and certified contractors so they’re not being taken advantage of by storm chasers or an insurance carrier who attempts to reduce the amount of their claim or deny it altogether,” said Leeds. Also part of the NSC’s plan for reinventing the meteorological game is coordinating with response teams to more quickly mobilize help and alert building material suppliers of what will be in demand when. So how much is this all going to cost? The NSC is a for-profit company, after all. They have a lot of costs to cover, including the recruitment of more than 70 meteorologists over the next six months, the construction of three prediction hubs throughout the nation, and the military program they had to purchase for presumably several million dollars. As the NSC is primarily business-to-business at the moment, Leeds said that the cost to 52| |Business BusinessClimate Climate| |nwflbusinessclimate.com nwflbusinessclimate.com 52
some consumers might be nothing at all. “Some insurance companies will buy from us and include that in their policy plans,” said Leeds. “Same with home security and home automation subscriptions.” For customers who do decide to shell out money for a traditional subscription, Carlson promised the fee would be nominal. “We haven’t worked out a specific pricing structure yet, but we’re thinking $2 or $3 a month,” said Carlson. “We don’t want this to be a thing just for the elite. We want everyone to be in the know and be able to protect his or her families. We’re also planning to give the service to school districts for free.” As one might expect, there are lots of differences in outcome between some of the NSC’s predictive models and the more traditional weather outlets. One weather system that was sampled showed heavy hail according to more traditional outlets, but absolutely zero hail in the NSC’s models. The NSC claims their models are far more accurate, but what happens with the five percent of time they are wrong? What if, for example, an insurance company has contracted with the NSC to give the service to their customers? Seeing the NSC report that there is no expected hail, the customers decide not to move their car under an
overhang. However, the NSC model ends up being wrong and the car is severely damaged. Who is liable? The NSC’s lawyer, Brad Hakala, said they have worked out liability arrangements with their customers and that they are fairly certain through beta testing that the organization will not be on the hook to pay. “We simply provide information; we don’t tell people what to do,” said Hakala. “We clearly outline our liability in our terms and are certain it shouldn’t be a problem. That’s one of the reasons the accuracy of this model is so exciting.” Carlson hopes to change the meteorological industry by recruiting the best and offering pinpoint accuracy for large and small systems alike. He promises more rollouts in the next few months that will further change predictive weather. “It is highly probable that we will save lives and be able to mitigate storm-related damage,” said Carlson. “By being highly accurate, we can stop the wolf-crying tendency of modern weather news organizations and deliver information that you can bet on.”
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Leading Florida Forward
Three members of Northwest Florida’s business community have been selected as members of the prestigious Leadership Florida class of 2016. We asked each of them about themselves and about issues facing our state. By Josh Newby & Dawn Gresko Photos by Guy Stevens 54 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com
Meghan McCarthy’s office is as bright and cheery as her buoyant personality.
Meghan McCarthy Director of Community Health & Wellness, Baptist Hospital
What is it about living in Northwest Florida that has prepared you for this position? My husband is in the military and we lived in San Diego until we got orders to move to Pensacola three years ago. I met with Darlene Stone, vice president of human resources at Baptist, and she told me there was a new CEO named Mark Faulkner, who had some amazing goals for community, public, and population health management. I was able to hit the ground running with the support of Baptist, who gave me the building to start the Healthy Lives Wellness Center. Then my sister told me to join the Junior League and now, three years later, I’m the president. I’m also on the board for the Institute of Women in Politics. A lot of the individuals for Leadership Florida serve on different boards and committees, because the goal is to work together and form connections that help us go back to our communities and make great things happen in Florida. I always say San Diego was a great place to live because it’s one of those places where you are accidentally healthy. Since Escambia County is one of the least healthy counties in the state, my vision is that Pensacola will become the “San Diego” of the south.
What are you hoping to contribute to LeaF? What most leaders do is bring to the table their unique area of expertise. For me, I always try to be the voice at the table for health. People are our most valuable asset and we cannot have a strong economy without a strong, healthy workforce. When we get a copy machine it comes with a maintenance plan, but we don’t always do that with our own bodies. However, health care can be expensive and a lot of small businesses cannot afford to give employees the best care, and some workers make too much money to be covered by our federal safety net. My job at Healthy Lives is to minimize financial risk by increasing productivity for the individual and business without increasing cost, so health care works on a very practical level. The idea with Leadership Florida is while individual leaders like myself operate locally, we continue to think globally, too.
What is the biggest issue facing the state? Health care will continue to be a huge discussion across the board. The American Dream shouldn’t be stifled by health care. You can’t work hard to get great health insurance, because if you’re an entrepreneur and you start your own business by working hard you aren’t guaranteed good health insurance. Unfortunately, that’s not how our system works. As the system is now, you either work for a big company to get good insurance, or fall below the poverty line to be covered by a state health program. So, I firmly believe we need to make sure health care supports the American Dream.
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Grover Robsinson in his office overlooking downtown Pensacola.
Grover Robinson Escambia Board of County Commissioners, District IV
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What are you hoping to contribute to LeaF? Being a private citizen but also having experience in the public sector gives me the ability to contribute. I want to also show the people we have in Northwest Florida. We have great leaders and I’m so excited to be sharing this with two other classmates in Northwest Florida. That, more than anything else, is important. We need to show the rest of Florida that we are an important part of the state.
What is the biggest issue facing the state? I think Florida’s challenges are like anybody else’s. It’s more fluid in Florida. That’s the one of the things we run into. We’re a huge state, the third-largest state, and one of the fastest growing. All those things add up to tremendous success. The problem is sustainability. How do you make all this work? The model for Florida prior to the Recession was different than it is now. We’ve had to change and think of ourselves differently. We’ve been trying to do that for a while. I think there are lots of good days ahead for Florida. It’s positive, it’s come into its own. Anytime you have success, you always challenges. We can’t let our success become our problems.
What is it about living in Northwest Florida that has prepared you for this position? That’s the interesting part about the group. It’s so different. You have public and private sector represented. You have to work together. All the regions of Florida are different. And I’ve always said, in order for Florida to work, all the regions have to work together. For Northwest Floridians it’s critical that we take time to understand the other regions. They’ve done a lot of things that we haven’t gotten to yet, so we can learn the good and the bad. I think we also have some things to teach the rest of the state. I’ve really enjoyed in my work getting to know people and seeing how we work together. I’m very excited.
Christina Doss Managing Director, Saltmarsh Financial Advisors, LLC
Christina Doss stands outside the beautiful and spacious Saltmarsh offices in East Hill, Pensacola
What is it about living in Northwest Florida that has prepared you for this position? My life here has not only been here in Pensacola but I have also boomeranged all over the place. The groundwork for me has been military. I am the daughter, spouse and mother of war veterans. I’ve spent my whole life, in one capacity or another, representing the military community. As a result, so much of my life has been dependent on growth and adaptation. You learn how to get along with people. Same with my career. It has been about adopting and changing. I’ve worked in the financial sector for over 22 years, through numerous economic expansions and contractions. I’ve had to work with boards of directors and clients, helping them to right-size their situations. It brings a unique perspective to my role with Leadership Florida.
What are you hoping to contribute to LeaF? Well, I have a passion for financial literacy. You could argue that financial literacy is the greatest socioeconomic equalizer that we have, yet it is noticeably lacking from our national and state curriculum. Instead, we rely on the private sector to provide that level of education. In the companies I’ve worked for, we’ve initiated “money matters” programs and other small business education programs for startup businesses. If we were to apply this on a larger scale and help people as well as businesses understand money and finances, the trickle down effect would be huge for helping our economy.
What is the biggest issue facing the state? I think education. When you look at how we rank, we’ve got room for improvement. On the plus side, we attract a very diverse work force. When you look at the zero tax base, low income taxes and a business friendly climate, we really attract a great workforce, including a very highly educated military workforce. The opportunity to leverage those individuals and integrate them into our education is a great one. They would bring a level of real-world experience and knowledge into our educational system that we otherwise wouldn’t have. Use what’s in our backyard to build our education system.
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Business Climate SPECIAL SECTION
Cleaning up
THE STUDENT MAID
ENTREPRENEUR BY JEFF WEEKS How young entrepreneur Kristen Hadeed turned the need for a quick buck into a regional company with over 400 employees.
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S
o, Kristen, tell me, how did a finance major with the goal of becoming an investment banker become the owner of a maid service? Well, I was a junior in college at the University of Florida and I didn’t have a job because my classes were really tough, but I went to the mall one day and fell in love with a pair of jeans that I absolutely could not afford. They were $99 plus tax and I asked my parents if I could pay for them on the emergency credit card they gave me for college, knowing they would say no, and of course they did. And the response was, “Get a job. If you want to buy jeans then you know you gotta get a job.” But the thought of going out and applying for one never crossed my mind and I think as a kid I was pretty entrepreneurial even though my parents didn’t own companies. So I just put an ad on Craigslist to clean one house to buy the jeans. But I don’t even like cleaning. To be honest, I don’t know how I even thought to do that; it was just an instinct. I thought, okay, I’ll clean one house it’ll probably be pretty easy, buy the jeans and that’ll be it. And I cleaned a house and bought the jeans, but the woman who hired me asked me to come back every week, and before I knew it I was cleaning three or four houses a day and things just grew from there. How large is the company now? During our peak seasons, we have over 500 employees, two locations—Gainesville and Pensacola—and we hope to expand to college towns all over the country. What type of people do you hire? What are the requirements to work for Student Maid? Well, we only hire students and they can be from high school, college, or they can be in a professional school. It doesn’t really matter to us what they’re studying as long as they are a student, and we ask that they meet a 3.5 GPA requirement. The reason for this is because with a 3.5 they are likely to be dependable, responsible and show up on time. And clients feel good about giving their money to a hard working student. But we do have students who have lower than a 3.5 GPA and we hire them because they fit our culture and some of them have really hard majors and really hard classes.
What is your culture? How would you describe your culture? Our culture is very different than most cleaning companies. I would describe it as when you walk into our office there is music playing; it’s very bright and colorful and we always have snacks. Those are things that this age group really cares about. We have a PlayStation and we have Netflix on the TV. On a deeper level, it’s one where we really are a family. We care about one another, we really are leaders, we try to create meaningful relationships with each employee and there aren’t any barriers. It’s a very comfortable, very open culture. And I like to describe it as a Google for the cleaning industry. It feels very much like that. What is the key to being successful either as an employer or actually trying to attract a customer? What’s the secret to working with millennials? I think there are a lot of secrets. I think that number one it’s important that you build a culture that allows for failure. A lot of times millennials seem to be paralyzed in their jobs, they are afraid to make a decision because they haven’t really failed before, because they’ve been protected by their parents and you know they’ve been living in a safety bubble. We try to create a culture that really encourages them to just make a decision even if it’s the wrong one as long as it’s in line with our values; they don’t ever have to worry about losing their job. So when they feel really safe in a culture, they make decisions, they have ownership and that’s how you really get them to release their potential. When it comes to customers, this age group really needs to identify with the brand. Whether it’s a service or a product they need to feel like they’re making a difference by buying this product or service, and that it’s a brand they believe in. If you
don’t treat your employees well, millennials aren’t buying your product. If you know a millennial cares about giving back and they know that your company doesn’t really give back, they’re probably not paying for your service or product. So the best part is when they believe in your brand, they become the best brand ambassadors for you because they tell all of their friends to buy from you. Same as employees, if millennials are happy at work they will tell all of their friends. We don’t actually have any recruiting strategy, it’s just our employees telling their friends they should work at Student Maid and that’s how we find employees. Tell me about your speaking career. Well, I started speaking on campus at the University of Florida when my entrepreneurship professor from college asked me to speak for his class. The first time I spoke I just talked about how I started my company. Then I realized, no, I need to tell a different story, I need to share all the times I failed. I need to create a talk that is so brutally honest and transparent and that’s what I did. When I gave that I realized the impact it was making. These young people saw themselves in me. She makes mistakes and so do I and if she can learn from them and grow from them then so can I. So I think that made me realize you have a job to do here and you can make a really big impact. So I started speaking on college campuses all over the country but then once I got really involved in that world there was a need in the corporate world for somebody who could really bridge the gap between other generations and the millennial generation because in a few years they will be half of our work force. And so I split my time between corporate, which is bridging the gap and helping one understand the other, and college, which is really just boosting
“It’s hard to sit back and watch others make decisions.
But that to me is true leadership. It’s believing in people, empowering people, and sitting back and watching them accomplish things without you.
”
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Business Climate SPECIAL SECTION them do these things and making them uncomfortable. Once they start growing and learning and realizing that you’re actually making them better. And then they start really respecting and loving you as a leader.
confidence and empowering young people. How do you define leadership? I think leadership is the hardest thing for anyone to learn because you can always be a better leader. I’ve realized that the best leaders sit on the sidelines; they’re never in the game. They’re always cheering their people on. It’s hard, especially when you own a company and you’ve put everything into this company. It’s hard to sit back and watch others make decisions. But that to me is true leadership. It’s believing in people, empowering people, and sitting back and watching them accomplish things without you. What do you think employees want in a leader? For this millennial age group they really want a leader who pushes them to be a better person and forces them outside of their comfort zone. At first they don’t like that. They’re upset and uncomfortable and they don’t think you’re a good leader because you’re making
In your view, what are the keys to a successful life and career? I think balance is really important and that’s how I define success. It’s not just the number of clients that I have or the number of employees that I have, it’s also on the personal end how close am I to my friends and family? What are my relationships like outside of work? I focus on those just as much as I do the ones with my employees and clients. And I only feel successful when I’m doing well in both areas. How is the millennial generation different from previous generations? We define success differently. We don’t care so much about the corner office or the large salary. Of course we want to be paid for the work we’re doing but we would probably take a lower salary if it meant that we had time off and a flexible scheduling so we could have more time to balance our life. Who are some of your business heroes? Well, I love the company Zappos because when I was in college I read the book Delivering Happiness and I had just started Student Maid. It was in that book that I learned all about creating core values in a company and what it meant to really hold people accountable to values and that was a turning point in my company. We initiated a value system and things
grew tremendously after that. What are your long-term goals? Well, I really love the speaking right now and I think the next few years I really have a great opportunity to make a difference, not just in the college world, but in the corporate world by helping these organizations understand their new workforce and customers. But I really want to grow the Student Maid brand to other college towns and not because we want more clients, but because we want to touch lives. We believe our culture really impacts the lives of the students who walk through our doors and that they leave better because they worked with Student Maid . What advice do you have for parents of high school students and early college students? The best thing you can do is pop the bubble and let us fall down. Let us fall down by ourselves and don’t stand there with your hand helping us up because if you do that we won’t ever learn and we also won’t become confident. The only way you become self-confident is when you go through things by yourself. I think creating more realistic expectations for what actually happens after school and encouraging your children to just take an opportunity that will cause learning.
About the Author Jeff Weeks is a First Vice PresidentInvestment Officer with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC in Pensacola, Florida. He is also the host of “Conversations with Jeff Weeks” on WSRE-TV PBS.
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A Q&A with Rudy Ruettiger
You got to think positive and deal with it in a positive way instead of dwelling on it or blaming people. I don’t know if you want to call that motivational; I call it teaching a skill set.
Josh Newby speaks with the famous football player and inspiration for the movie Rudy about the foundations in his life and his upcoming talk in September.
What do you think it is about your story that captured the national attention? The adversity we all go through. When things don’t go your way, you have to have faith in the foundation you have. Whether they’re going through a marital or personal or financial problem, they’re identifying with that struggle. They look at a guy like me who just didn’t give up and kept moving forward. So that connects them to that idea that you can be anybody. Maybe they’ve given up on that, but this reignites that flame.
Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, the inspiration for the 1993 movie about an underdog Notre Dame football player, is coming to the Hilton Sandestin Resort on Sept. 24 to speak at the second annual Boys and Girls Club Steak & Stake Dinner. Rudy has been an inspiration speaker for years, imparting a message of courage and optimism even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. He sat down with Northwest Florida Business Climate in anticipation of the event to talk faith, family and football.
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Tell me about your motivational speaking. We’re all motivational. Anytime you inspire people or tell stories to allow people to face adversity even though they make mistakes, you’re helping them along. You’re like a coach. You coach them along to get through their tough times or make better decisions. You help their working relationships and their personal lives, too. I’m a coach. I’ve always been a coach. Maybe my story helps a lot of people because we all have challenges and adversity that we need to face head on with accountability and responsibility. When I speak, that’s how it all comes together. I’ve been through a lot of things and I can address those things in a positive way.
Was that gumption a product of your upbringing, the people you surrounded yourself with, or was it something more internal? Remember I mentioned the word foundation. My parents taught me that only some people can have this and only some people can have that. That’s there they were wrong, and they settled for the mediocrity of life. Well, what’s stopping me? “Well, Rudy, you’re not smart enough or big enough.” Okay, and that’s all true. Maybe they’re right, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do that. So I stepped out of the box, and that’s what people see. People telling me that I couldn’t do something put a chip on my shoulder. What role did luck play in that? I think luck has a lot to do with it. But I was lucky because I was in the right spot, because I prepared. You bet I got lucky. I’m lucky I’m not hanging around people who bring you down. I remove myself from that negative
Business Climate SPECIAL SECTION energy. That’s luck. But that’s also patience and understanding and defining your purpose. A man makes his own luck. But relationships are very important, and that was a foundational thing my parents did teach me. Character and teamwork and leadership are just as important as luck. What do you find best motivates people to overcome challenges? A mindset. You have to have a mindset that is positive and let that dominate the negative. Move forward in a positive way. Reset your mind. Otherwise, you’re just going to have a pity party. Do your family members find that insistent positivity annoying? Oh yeah. I’m always motivating my son, and he’ll tell me I’m annoying. I get it. They’re too young to realize the value in it. Tell me more about teamwork, because I know that was crucial to your famous Notre Dame game. I don’t agree with the top guy getting a trophy. Give everybody a trophy, because the top guy wouldn’t be there without his team. The only reason he got there was because of me, because I
helped him get there, and I didn’t get anything. I went to practice and helped him be great. That’s where it’s out of whack. How about if I give one trophy out, I give one to everybody who helped him become what he is? Participation and teamwork are good and should be recognized. It’s important for that kid to have that recognition. So I know your son plays football. Is it an interesting dynamic between you and the coach and the fans when you’re at the games? You know, it’s interesting, when you’re a dad, it’s a whole different dynamic. You’re just one of the dads. I mean, they know who you are because of that, not because of the movie or anything. I’m not active on the team; just a father. You’re speaking at a Boys and Girls Club function this month. Are there any other non-profits that are close to your heart? I speak to a lot of children’s foundations. Whether it’s for cancer, abuse, or anything that is a disadvantage for children. A lot of kids go to Boys and Girls Club for leadership and skills that they don’t get at home. I like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts too. I go wherever.
Did your passion for helping kids start when you had your own? I think before that. But when you have your own, you can really figure out what you need to do. You understand the sacrifice. Do you find it’s best to lead them or let them lead themselves? I let them be themselves. Whatever they do, we let them. We guide and embrace them, of course. We help them with their decisions. But they have to do what fulfills them. It’s their decision,; not our decision. What can people expect from your discussion down here? If they need a purpose, they’ll get a purpose. They’ll find out that there are different ways of looking at life in a positive way.
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around the region
IMS ExpertServices honored by Inc. Magazine for ninth straight year For the ninth year in a row, IMS ExpertServices has been named one of America’s 5,000 fastestgrowing private companies. IMS ExpertServices is listed as number 3,772 on the 2015 list. Since it was founded in 1992, IMS ExpertServices has experienced continued growth, which President Bill Wein attributes to the company’s dedication to providing quality service.
University of West Florida to offer 100% online MBAs and graduate nursing degrees The University of West Florida is expanding its offerings of 100-percent online graduate degree programs with the addition of an advanced nursing degree with two specializations, and an MBA program with four areas of emphasis to choose from. UWF has contracted with Academic Partnerships to provide broadbased services in support of the university’s new online degree programs. The Department of NursingUWF will offer: • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with an emphasis in Nursing Leadership and Management • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with an emphasis in Nursing Education The next application deadline for online MSN classes is Sept. 14, 2015, with classes starting on Oct. 14, 2015. The UWF College of Business will offer: • A general Master of Business Administration (MBA) • MBA with an emphasis in Accounting • MBA with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship • MBA with an emphasis in Supply Chain Logistics Management The first application deadline for online MBA programs is Sept. 14, 2015, with classes starting on Oct. 14, 2015.
FSBDC at UWF presents “Steps to Starting a Business” The FL Small Business Development Center at the University of West Florida is presenting “Steps to Starting a Business” on Tuesday, Sept. 15th, from 9:00 a.m. - Noon. Take the first step in starting your small business! Attendees will learn the essentials for getting started in business including: idea evaluation, legal business structures, regulations & licensing, taxation, finding capital and more. Location: Greater Pensacola Chamber, 117 W. Garden St. Attendance fee is $35 for the public and free for students and employees of the University of West Florida who present a Nautilus card. To register: 850-474-2528 or visit our website at www.sbdc.uwf. edu and click on “Training Opportunities.”
PSC awarded $2.69 million in grants for student support services from DOE Pensacola State College has been awarded two highly competitive U.S. Department of Education TRiO Student Support Services grants totaling $2.69 million over five years. TRiO Student Support Services is a federally funded program to assist students who are first generation in college, low income, or have a documented disability. Student veterans are a new focus for the TRiO program, and PSC has been awarded one of the first of only 14 Veterans Student Support Services grants that were awarded nationally, and the only one awarded in Florida. The grant will be funded at $220,000/year. The five-year project totals $1,100,000 and will serve 120 eligible student veterans each year. The second grant provides $318,545/year for the college’s re-funded Regular Student Support Services project to serve 225 students each year. The five-year project totals $1,592,725.
ARC of Baldwin County gets a helping hand from Pen Air FCU and its staff Pen Air Federal Credit Union presented the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC) of Baldwin County, Alabama with a check for $4,000 from funds raised through Pen Air FCU employee Jeans for Generosity fund raising days and other fund raising efforts. A check for $4,000 was presented by Pen Air staff to the ARC Director, Kathy Fleet. Fleet commented, “On behalf of the ARC of Baldwin County, I am overwhelmed with the generosity from Pen Air Federal Credit Union, and I can’t thank them enough. This is definitely the kind of helping hand that will help us achieve our mission.”
Ever’man rewarded with local and national awards Ever’man Cooperative Grocery and Cafe is pleased to announce that the remodel of their downtown store, located at 315 West Garden St., has been recognized with prestigious local and national awards. In January, Ever’man General Manager William Rolfs proudly accepted the local Commercial Real Estate Development Association’s distinguished “Rehab/Re-purpose Development of the Year” award. This local award was followed by national recognition. nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 65
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
Friday, October 16 Sponsored in part by
Grand Southern Tasting 6pm–9pm Hilton Pensacola Beach
Honorary Event Chairs: Will and Jane Merrill
Savor an ocean of signature dishes and fine wines featuring the area’s top chefs and special guests.
Sunday, October 25 Sponsored in part by
Celebrity Chef John Besh! Meet and Greet & Book Signing 1pm–2:30pm So Gourmet Featuring Besh Big Easy, the revered PBS chef’s highly anticipated cookbook showcasing his hometown cuisine in simple recipes.
For ticket information and event details, visit wsre.org/wineandfood or call (850) 484-1054 to learn more.
All proceeds benefit the mission of WSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast.
Thank You Sponsors!
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