850 Business Magazine- June/July 2017

ALSO: FOCUS ON OKALOOSA AND WALTON COUNTIES $4.95

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JUN-JUL 2017

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BAY COUNTY: MECCA FOR CATARACT SURGEONS

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NO CEILINGS. NO BOUNDARIES .

Sachs DP/LS [page 3 or 4]

Photo Credit Josh McLawhorn

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Cleared for landing GKN Aerospace lands on one of Gulf Power’s Florida First Sites

We welcome GKN Aerospace and 170 new jobs to Panama City.

Gulf Power is proud to be part of the regional effort alongside Bay Economic Development Alliance and others to introduce GKN Aerospace to Panama City and The St. Joe Company’s VentureCrossings™ site. This location is a Florida First Site — a program Gulf Power developed to attract new business and jobs to the region — and one of nine project-ready industrial sites that are certified and ready for development across Northwest Florida.

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850 Magazine June – July 2017

IN THIS ISSUE GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM Canoeists take in their surroundings while navigating a stretch of the Wakulla River.

Paddling while seated in a canoe or kayak or standing on a SUP are intimate and increasingly popular ways to experience the Sunshine State’s great outdoors.

T:10.875”

B:11.125”

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PHOTO COURTESY LEON COUNTY TOURISM/VISIT TALLAHASSEE

S:10”

850 FEATURES Kim Rivers As an attorney in

Atlanta, Kim Rivers discovered an appetite for forging big deals that she found to be in relatively short supply upon moving back to Tallahassee, where she had served as a student body president at FSU. She thought about trading Florida’s capital city for a metropolitan environment, but saw Tallahassee as an ideal place to raise her son. Today, she is still making deals while working to make Tallahassee an even better place to live. By Steve Bornhoft

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The Promise of Ecotourism

Tourism remains Florida’s No. 1 economic driver, and the number of visitors who visit each year continues to grow.

So, too, does the number of the ecotourists who want to get a glimpse of Florida’s natural features. To enhance visitor experiences, Northwest Florida tourism agencies are promoting the region’s natural, historical and cultural resources. By Lazaro Aleman

36

orkin’ on the W Railroad It’s going to be

an uphill battle, but hopes remain high that Amtrak will resume its passenger rail service between New Orleans and Orlando.

Although fans are hoping to see some of the service return within two years, the major hurdle that remains is funding for the project and who will pay what. By Jason Dehart

On the Cover: Presiding as CEO over Florida’s first medical cannabis dispensary is but one chapter in the life of entrepreneur, businesswoman and community promoter Kim Rivers, who maintains a diverse portfolio of projects and involvements. Photo by Lawrence Davidson

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850 Magazine June – July 2017

IN THIS ISSUE

40 OKALOOSA/WALTON COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Because of their military bases and associated defense-related industries and the world famous whitesand beaches that lure growing numbers of tourists each year, the economies of Okaloosa and Walton counties are booming. But both counties are also pushing to establish a third leg of the economy that can benefit from a trained local workforce and the availability of strategically placed industrial parks.

In This Issue 12 16 64 66

From the Publisher Business Arena Sound Bytes The Last Word from the Editor

56 Departments

Corridors

WI-FILES

CAPITAL

18 Businesses like the idea of promoting their services and wares through social media outlets. Here are some tips to help you avoid pitfalls and costly mistakes.

56 Honoring old traditions while embracing new strategies is a key to the success of the largest locally owned hardware store in Tallahassee — J.H. Dowling, which recently celebrated its 70th continuous year of being in business.

HUMAN ELEMENT 22 Your company can gain a strategic and competitive advantage by hiring people who think differently. Find out why a diverse staff is important and how to accomplish it.

GUEST COLUMN 25 Al Latimer gives a glimpse into Tallahassee and Leon County’s long-term economic development plan and the surge in growth it’s likely to bring.

Special Section DEAL ESTATE 54 What’s trending, what’s selling and what’s hot to buy in the 850? Find out here.

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BAY 60 Panama City has some of the finest cataract surgeons around, drawing in doctors from around the country to learn new techniques. And to think it all happened because Dr. Bret Fisher had the desire for a climate change.

EMERALD COAST 62 TripShock owner Greg Fisher was named

by Pensacola’s Studer Institute as its 2016 “Entrepreneur of the Year” — with good reason.

His entrepreneurial spirit hasn’t waned since he was 16 years old.

BRUCE PALMER (56) AND U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/SAMUEL KING JR. (40)

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President and Chief Executive Officer | Brown Bottling Group, Inc.

James N. Compton

President and Chief Executive Officer | Cooperative Energy

Tracy T. Conerly

Partner Emeritus | Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC | Destin, FL

Toni D. Cooley

Chief Executive Officer | Systems Electro Coating

J. Clay Hays, Jr., M.D.

Cardiologist, Partner and President | Jackson Heart Clinic, PA

Gerard R. Host

President and Chief Executive Officer | Trustmark Corporation & Trustmark National Bank

John M. McCullouch

Associate Dean - Metro Jackson | University of Mississippi School of Law (Retired) President | AT&T Mississippi (Retired)

Harris V. Morrissette

President | China Doll Rice & Beans, Inc. / Dixie Lily Foods | Mobile, AL

Richard H. Puckett

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | Puckett Machinery Company

R. Michael Summerford

Chairman | Trustmark Corporation & Trustmark National Bank Chief Operating Officer | ChemFirst, Inc. (Former)

Harry M. Walker

President | Mississippi Business and Community Relations | Trustmark National Bank (Retired)

LeRoy G. Walker, Jr.

President | LTM Enterprises, Inc.

William G. Yates III

President and Chief Executive Officer | W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company

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Back Row: Harry M. Walker, Tracy T. Conerly, Adolphus B. Baker, William A. Brown, LeRoy G. Walker, Jr., James N. Compton, J. Clay Hays, Jr., M.D.; Front Row: Toni D. Cooley, William G. Yates III, Gerard R. Host, John M. McCullouch, R. Michael Summerford, Richard H. Puckett, Harris V. Morrissette 850 Business Magazine | JUNE – JULY 2017 |

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Vol. 9, No. 5

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Steve Bornhoft MANAGING EDITOR Laura Cassels EDITOR Linda Kleindienst SENIOR STAFF WRITER Jason Dehart EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Rebecca Padgett STAFF WRITER Hannah Burke ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES Kim Harris Thacker CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lazaro Aleman, Tony Bridges, Tisha Crews Keller, Rochelle Koff, Al Latimer, Alexandre Pachulski, Scott Steinberg, Tabitha Yang EDITORIAL INTERN Kirstin Redfield COPY EDITOR Barry Ray CREATIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lawrence Davidson DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Saige Roberts ART DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Charles Bakofsky, Shruti Shah GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Meredith Brooks, Sarah Mitchell CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Booini, Lawrence Davidson, Scott Holstein, Cade Martin, Kay Meyer, Bruce Palmer, Terri Smith Photo, Tim Skipper Photography SALES, MARKETING & EVENTS VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh Lohbeck DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS Daniel Parisi AD SERVICES COORDINATORS Tracy Mulligan, Lisa Sostre ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Julie Door, Darla Harrison, Rhonda Lynn Murray, Dan Parker, Linda Powell, Sarah Scott, Lori Magee Yeaton EVENTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR Mandy Chapman INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Bria Blossom SALES AND EVENTS ASSOCIATE Mackenzie Ligas OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES/HUMAN RESOURCE COORDINATOR Marah Rhone CORPORATE CLIENT LIAISON Sara Goldfarb CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE/PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan STAFF ACCOUNTANT Jackie Burns ACCOUNTANTING ASSISTANT Daphne Laurie ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Lisa Snell RECEPTIONIST Alyssa Cunningham

DIGITAL SERVICES 850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE 850businessmagazine.com, facebook.com/850bizmag, twitter.com/850bizmag, linkedin.com/company/850-business-magazine ROWLAND PUBLISHING rowlandpublishing.com

Tallahassee Community College offers conference and event solutions to fit your budget while meeting your unique event planning needs. With first-rate support services, professional amenities and a variety of venue options, TCC is the ideal choice to host your conference, seminar, banquet, trade show or event.

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SUBSCRIPTIONS A one-year (6 issues) subscription is $30. To purchase, call (850) 878-0554 or go online to 850businessmagazine.com. Single copies are $4.95 and may be purchased at Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million in Tallahassee, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City, Pensacola and at our Tallahassee office.

850 Magazine is published bi-monthly by Rowland Publishing, Inc. 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308.

850/878-0554. 850 Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned. 850 Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Copyright June 2017 850 Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Member of three Chambers of Commerce throughout the region.

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From the Publisher

WOMEN OF INFLUENCE Speakers inform and entertain

Collectively, these outstanding women contribute to bettering our community, furthering the interests of businesses and serving as transformational influences in the lives of individuals who are fortunate enough to get to know them. Individually, each offered takeaways as part of their Day of Dialogue presentations that I found memorable, amusing or helpful.

The Class of 2017 speakers were:  Erin O’Hara O’Connor, the dean of the Florida State University Law School and a McKenzie Professor.  Marion Hammer, a lobbyist and the former president of the National Rifle Assocation.  Elizabeth Barbour, a business coach and much sought-after speaker.  Dr. Susan Forito, the director of the new Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship at the FSU School of Business.  Carrie Englert Zimmerman, the CEO and co-founder of the Zimmerman Agency.

Here, for me, are some of the remarks I will remember.

Erin O’Hara O’Conner impressed me when she said her upbringing prepared her to approach as an equal any man in any professional setting or circumstance. Never, she said, did she consider that she was at a disadvantage because she was a woman.

Marion Hammer may be short in stature, but she has commanded respect for many years in male-dominated arenas including the worlds of firearms politics. I gained an appreciation for where she comes from when she described the grandfather who raised her in a rural setting at a time when students routinely carried guns to school and did some plinking on the way home. I asked her at the conclusion of her remarks whether she was packing. Her reply: “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Elizabeth Barbour has a big heart and limitless compassion for others. She was adopted as a child and would become an adoptive

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parent as a product, she said, of the power of “networking.” Her story about receiving a phone call and being instructed to pick up her new daughter 18 hours later was powerfully moving.

Dr. Susan Forito fascinated me when she spoke about the need to get comfortable with not knowing precisely what the future may hold. At some point, she had to recognize that she could not plot all the steps in the future of the Jim Moran Institute and the School of Entrepreneurship and would instead have to figure things out as she went along. The best outcomes, she suggested, result from genuine collaboration and effective, honest, transparent communication.

Carrie Englert Zimmerman and her husband, Curtis, have built a global public relations and advertising firm that recently turned 30. A fierce competitor, she qualified for the 1976 Olympics as a gymnast and was the first American ever to score a perfect 10 in competition in floor exercise. There is an “F-word” she never uses. “Never say you are ‘fine,’” Zimmerman advised. “Say you are awesome and carry yourself like you are the smartest person in the room.”

For the insights they provided, the lessons they shared and the wisdom they imparted, I thank all of our Day of Dialogue speakers.

As to the business of 850, permit me a few announcements. Linda Kleindienst will be retiring as editor of the magazine, effective midJuly. 850 has been her baby from its conception, and Linda has been indispensable in making it the highly respected and influential publication it is today. I am pleased to say that she will maintain a relationship with 850 as its editor emeritus and as an occasional contributor.

With her departure, Steve Bornhoft will take over as 850’s executive editor, a role he also plays in connection with Emerald Coast and Tallahassee magazines. Steve is about to be joined in Rowland Publishing’s editorial department by a strong second, Laura Cassels, who will serve our publications as managing editor. And Larry Davidson, for many years our creative director, is advancing to a new role as Rowland’s Chief Content Officer.

All of us are committed to furnishing you, the reader, with publications that are vital, engaging and looked forward to.

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Over the past three years, 15 prominent women, all leaders in their fields of endeavor, have honored my wife, Cherie, by agreeing to participate as speakers in the “Day of Dialogue: Women of Interest” series supported by 850 Magazine, hosted by the Capital City Country Club and presented by Florida Cancer Specialists.

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When it comes to business, it’s best to...

850businessmagazine.com INTRODUCING

LEGAL INSIGHTS SPONSORED BY

Businesses face challenges that may include some with legal ramifications. At 850 Business Magazine, we regularly explore legal issues affecting businesses while drawing upon the experience and knowledge of expert sources. Now, as we embark on our 10th year of publication, we are pleased to announce a partnership with Matthews & Jones, LLP, that will result in exclusive new online coverage of legal topics and insights from top attorneys in the region.

Immediately accessible, too, will be our archives of past stories on legal matters. To stay informed, go to: 850businessmagazine.com/Legal-Insights

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES » Flip Books: View issues in a digital book format.

Keep It Simple Somehow That’s what we’ve been doing for 15 years!

We “keep it simple” by having subject matter experts on staff to support your business.

When people know what they’re doing.

Life gets A LOT simpler.

How can we make things Simple for you?

Email: KeepItSimple@SimpleHR.com or call (850) 650-9935

» Archived Stories: Peruse our entire archive of articles. » Deal Estate: Browse the latest real estate deals and listings. » Blog: Read about local business events, happenings and gatherings through our up-to-date blog section.

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Want to know the latest from 850 Business Magazine? Sign up for our e-newsletter and get updates about our website, video previews and additional offers.

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Have all the latest business stories at your fingertips by following us on Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram. No matter what device or social medium, we want to be a top-of-mind resource for business professionals.

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Twitter: @850BizMag; Facebook: 850 – The Business Magazine of Northwest Florida; Instagram: @850bizmag; LinkedIn: 850 Business Magazine

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Executive Mindset

Business Arena NEWS AND NUMBERS

FLORIDA RANKS 4TH ON TAX COMPETITIVENESS

F

lorida has the 4th most competitive tax code in the nation, according to the 13th annual State Business Tax Climate Index, released by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation. The report measures how well-structured each state’s tax code is by analyzing over 100 tax variables in five different tax categories: corporate, individual income, sales, property and unemployment insurance.

States are penalized for overly complex, burdensome and economically harmful tax codes and are rewarded for transparent and neutral tax codes that do not distort business decisions. A state’s ranking can rise or fall significantly, not only because of its own actions, but also because of reforms made in other states.

“Our goal is to start a conversation between taxpayers and policymakers about how their states fare against the rest of the country,” said Tax Foundation Policy Analyst Jared Walczak. “While there are many ways to show how much a state collects in taxes, the Index is designed to show how well states structure their tax systems and to provide a roadmap for improvement.”

Individual income tax structure: #1

Sales tax structure: #28

THE BREAKDOWN OF FLORIDA’S 2017 RANKINGS

Corporate tax structure: #19

THIS YEAR’S MOST COMPETITIVE STATES INCLUDE

(1st is best, 50th is worst):

Overall tax climate: #4

1. Wyoming 2. South Dakota 3. Alaska 4. Florida 5. Nevada

Unemployment insurance tax structure: #2

Property tax structure: #10

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6. Montana 7. New Hampshire 8. Indiana 9. Utah 10. Oregon

THIS YEAR’S LEAST COMPETITIVE STATES INCLUDE 41. Louisiana 42. Maryland 43. Connecticut 44. Rhode Island 45. Ohio 46. Minnesota

47. Vermont and D.C. 48. California 49. New York 50. New Jersey

FLORIDA GETS D+ GRADE ON ADULT FINANCIAL LITERACY Florida is one of seven states that received a D+ on the 2016 National Report Card on Adult Financial Literacy released by Champlain College’s Center for Financial Literacy.

No state received an A grade.

“Our report shows that our nation has dramatic room for improvement, so one should not be misled by grades,” notes John Pelletier, director of the center. “For example, while adults in Florida perform well in important areas like students graduating with student loan debt, they can improve in other areas, like financial knowledge, housing credit and retirement readiness.”

The report card assesses the problem of adult financial illiteracy nationally and gives grades to each state based on data gleaned from national organizations that track Americans’ financial knowledge, credit, saving and spending, retirement readiness, investing and levels of insurance.

Seventy-two percent of Florida’s grades were C, D or F (51 out of 71 financial literacy grades).

FLORIDA’S GRADE DATA POINTS

Financial Knowledge — D Credit — D Saving and Spending — C+ Retirement Readiness — DProtect and Insure — D-

TOP STATES FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY

BOTTOM STATES

1. Minnesota 2. North Dakota 3. Utah 4. Hawaii

41. New Mexico 42. West Virginia 43. Texas 44. Georgia

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5. Wyoming 6. New Hampshire 7. Iowa 8. South Dakota

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9. Vermont 10. Alaska 11. Massachusetts 12. Wisconsin

45. Florida 49. Louisiana 46. Alabama 50. Mississippi 47. Oklahoma 48. Arkansas

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Growing the Panhandle from (below) the Ground Up

James McConnell, Branch Manager, Pensacola

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, Panama City

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Brandon Tarr, Branch Manager, Panama City

Most companies map their success from the ground up.

Universal Engineering Sciences can literally measure its growth from below the ground up. This family-owned geotechnical engineering firm began 54 years ago digging test holes in Florida’s soil and has been growing in size and reputation ever since.

Universal, whose office in Pensacola is managed by James McConnell (jmcconnell@universalengineering.com) and in Panama City by Brandon Tarr (btarr@universalengineering. com) specializes in all phases of construction engineering services including plans review, geotechnical, construction materials testing, environmental sciences, threshold inspection and construction inspection.

Headquartered in Orlando, with 18 offices in Florida and Georgia, Universal is ranked number 210 in the current Engineering News Record’s Top 500 Design Firms.

As leaders of a family-centered company, Brandon and James and their Universal Engineering staffs are enthusiastically committed to the economic growth and civic well-being of the Panhandle communities where they live and work.

Pensacola: 1985 Cope Lane | Panama City: 1712 Airport Road 850-944-5555 | 850-215-2060 universalengineering.com

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Executive Mindset

Wi-Files THINK BEFORE YOU POST

SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES They can be costly, so here are some tips to help you avoid them BY SCOTT STEINBERG

I

f you’ve ever wondered what a particular business, brand or individual was thinking before they stuck their foot in their mouth on social media channels, here’s the quick answer: They probably weren’t thinking twice about what they were doing, and weren’t thinking nearly enough about the message that they might be sending to others.

Fortunately, as common as these types of online mishaps have become (and as much as they can cost an organization or working professional), they’re easily avoided with a little more poise and forethought. As Damon Brown and I note in our new book, “Netiquette Essentials: New Rules for Minding Your Manners in a Digital World,” avoiding costly social media mistakes is easy when you follow a few hints and tips, each of which can help you mind your digital manners and put your best foot forward online.

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FOR BUSINESSES  Make it clear to employees what’s OK to share online, how and when to do so, and the most appropriate manner in which to conduct outreach efforts. Every employee is a brand ambassador, so training should begin the first day on the job to reinforce and instill the importance of these corporate values. Establishing formal rules of engagement, clearly communicating them to workers, and explaining what’s expected are crucial.  Guidelines are only the beginning, however: Establish an internal program

designed to teach social media literacy and aptitude, provide continued education efforts and reward employees for successfully practicing these skills.

You may wish to consider regular skills refreshers, training sessions, certification courses and gamification-based programs to reinforce these maxims.  Be straightforward and specific about what’s expected in terms of tone, attitude, end results and output from your social media pros, and regularly monitor and assess how well they’re aligning with and meeting these goals. Providing running feedback and

representatives of your organization who do post are courteous, respectful and customer-focused, as well as cognizant of brand and style guidelines.  Make sure you or your employees have allocated and scheduled enough workday time to respond and engage within various social media communities. If you can’t post content or respond to incoming queries in a timely manner, your fans or customers may come to believe that you aren’t listening to them. Not responding to a tweet or a Facebook post can be seen by some as the equivalent of not returning a phone call or email.

GARAGESTOCK / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

commentary to help them grow and improve is a vital way to bolster performance in these areas. To this extent, you may wish to have team leaders provide sample tweets, posts or updates to provide a sense of how to better shape these communications efforts.  For the sake of clarity and assurance of appropriate conduct, also post formal guidelines for communication within your own blogs, communities and online venues, public-facing or otherwise. Having established guidelines in place helps set expectations up front, provides a level playing field

and helps you address any issues that may arise, such as having to ban argumentative users or remove inappropriate posts.  Posts from a business or brand do not have to be made by the same individual every time, or by an officer of the organization. However, all should maintain a consistent personality, tone and level of value creation.

Always be thinking of how you can contribute positively to public dialogue and add information or insights of worth to social network connections. In every case, be sure that all

 Remember that each social network has its own features, personality and community. Study the outlets you participate in and understand the different nuances so that your message is not simply carbon-copied across each forum in the exact same way. Audiences differ, as do consumption models across social media vehicles; a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work here. However, while social vehicles may vary, make sure your message and brand are consistent and cross-promoted across channels. Establishing a style guide and dedicated social team or member can be tremendously helpful to helping maintain consistency of tone, image and overall user impression and takeaway.

FOR INDIVIDUALS  Social networks may seem like informal settings, but they should be treated with the same respect as any public place of business. Professionalism is imperative; if you wouldn’t say it in a social or work setting, don’t say it online, in the most public of forums.

Don’t forget to maintain a positive tone and attitude, too: Negativity, complaints and condescending messages often reflect poorly on the poster.

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WI-FILES

 Be advised that conversational nuances and subtle shifts in tone or personality may be lost in translation, and that individual users may interpret messages differently. Consider how posts will be read and interpreted before sending. A note to outspoken individuals: Sharing extremely opinionated viewpoints (e.g. political leanings or thoughts on controversial topics) can be a lightning rod online. Think twice before liking supporting status updates or posting such opinions, which can incite and aggravate others (and live on in perpetuity).  Before connecting with your colleagues on social networks, consider if you’d still want to be connected to them if they weren’t your coworkers, i.e. if you ever leave the position. Prior to requesting or accepting connections from coworkers, think about material you’re apt to share as well — is it appropriate for their consumption? Consider that connecting with colleagues and supervisors may expose you or them to information and influences that may make either party uncomfortable; be certain to understand the risk you’re taking in doing so.  Note that images can easily be taken out of context online. Posting embarrassing, revealing or negative photos of yourself should be

avoided at all costs. Remember: Pictures you share may be taken at face value, and/or viewed as representative of your character — not to mention live on forever on the internet. What seems cute in high school or college may not seem quite so endearing to potential employers.  Avoid posting on social networks unless you have a tight grasp on your privacy settings and are completely comfortable with the group of online friends that your updates will be shared with. Also note that anything shared online, although designated as private and confidential, has the potential to become public at any time. If it’s best left unsaid, don’t say it.  Understand that various online forums (social networks, blogs, digital communities) have their own rules of conduct, social norms and methods of interaction. Before utilizing one, take a moment to step back and observe how interactions take place, so you can discern appropriate rules of posting, sharing and behavior. Never forget, either, that despite their seeming intimacy, social networks and online forums are among the most public of spaces; it’s important to conduct yourself on them as you would in any shared setting.

Award-winning professional speaker Scott Steinberg is the bestselling author of “Netiquette Essentials: New Rules for Minding Your Manners in a Digital World,” “Make Change Work for You: 10 Ways to Future-Proof Yourself, Fearlessly Innovate and Succeed Despite Uncertainty” and “Millennial Marketing: Bridging the Generation Gap.” The founder of Select nightlife magazine and host of Next Up on NewsWatch, his website is AKeynoteSpeaker.com.

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FOOTBALL LOVE IT. LIVE IT. BUILD YOUR TICKET AND TAILGATING PLAN FOR THE 2017 SEASON. One game, 3 games, 6 games.

East & West Sideline Stadium Seats. Club level seating.

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Executive Mindset

Human Element BREAKING THE MOLD

HIRING A DIVERSE TEAM Businesses gain competitive advantage with employees who think differently

BY ALEXANDRE PACHULSKI

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t’s natural to gravitate toward people who think the way you do, who you share things in common with and who come from a similar background. It’s a human inclination that can serve you well in social situations yet can also undermine your talent management strategy.

When it comes to hiring and building successful teams, seek diversity instead of similarity. Look for individuals who think differently, who do not have so much in common and who come from a variety of backgrounds. Their unique perspectives may or may not have anything to do with their gender, race, ethnicity or

sexual orientation. It would be a disservice to define “diversity” simply in terms of demographics.

Instead, pay attention to hiring and fostering a diverse talent pool who can do something together that is greater than what they can do on their own. When you assemble a team of people who think very differently

TOP 5

THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUILDING A DIVERSE TEAM: 1. Avoid clones.

2. L ook for A-players.

3. I ntegrate people with uncommon hobbies and interests.

4. C hoose individuals with unique thinking processes.

5. M ake sure you share the same vision.

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and who don’t see the world in the same way, much more becomes visible. When you hire people with opposite but complementary skill sets, much more becomes possible. In addition, you gain these competitive advantages:

A greater ability to solve complex problems

With advancements in technology and globalization, most any problem in your business is complex. As an example: In my own company, our team of more than 500 live in 15 countries. We have many different teams, each of which have their own areas of responsibility, such as sales, R&D, product, marketing and finance.

So if a complex problem occurs with a customer, it affects multiple areas: billing, implementation, product marketing, customer service, etc.

If we want to solve the problem well (which of course we do), we have to provide individuals from all relevant areas a seat at the table. The last thing we need to solve complex problems is a group of people who think the same way.

An environment ripe for innovation

IGOR KISSELEV / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Innovation often comes accidentally, as a result of experimentation. To create a dynamic that provokes such

desirable accidents, you need a team that can effectively contribute conflicting points of view.

Assembled well, this will bring about a useful kind of friction in which opposition is actually constructive. If everyone were to agree with one another, nothing new would come from it. But when you get a disparate group of people around a table who would not otherwise meet, let alone spend time problem-solving together, you create an environment with inevitable conflict that is also ripe for innovation.

If you are not intentionally seeking a wide range of personalities, backgrounds and skill sets, then you are greatly reducing the opportunities for your company to innovate.

Instead of fostering an environment of challenging dialogue, you’re creating an echo chamber.

The collective skills needed to fulfill your mission

We’ve seen many companies make a major shift in their talent management strategy where those hiring are not thinking in terms of roles and positions, but rather the collective skills required to achieve their company mission.

To source those collective skills, you need different people doing different things in different ways. You

need people who are highly empathetic and have great soft skills. They are essential for communication and building relationships. You also need people who are less inclined to be driven or affected by emotion, for they can be more effective in negotiations. You need people to dream about what is impossible, and you need people who are relentlessly practical.

As one of three founders of my company, I can tell you: Each of us is extremely different. My strengths are a bit weird in that I have a fascination with HR and a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence. My co-founders’ strengths are in technology and business development, respectively. This has been key to the growth of our business over the past 10 years. None of us sees problems from the same angle. And none of us could have achieved what we have without the other two.

The goal of talent management should be to seek diversity, not because it looks good but because it brings business advantages. Be mindful of selecting talent based on similarities and instead seek the differences. It’s natural to want to work with those we like and who we resonate with. But hiring by comfort could put your business at risk.

Hiring for diverse skills could very well give your company a tremendous advantage.

Alexandre Pachulski is a co-founder of Talentsoft and serves as its chief product officer, designing innovative software and incorporating HR know-how into strategic HR decision support. He has authored several books on HR and has a blog dedicated to talent management.

Pachulski holds a doctorate in IT with a thesis on the identification of key competencies within a company.

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Full Service Community Banking Since 1904, Being United Has Its Advantages

With three branches in Northwest Florida, we are dedicated to serving the communities surrounding our branches in Jay, Milton and Pace. At United Bank, we provide the latest conveniences alongside hometown customer service that generations before would be proud of.

Krystal Anaston

Milton Branch 850-981-3352 krystal.anaston@unitedbank.com

• Traditional Checking and Savings Options • Small Business Solutions • Residential and Construction Lending1 • Commercial & Small Business Lending1 • Financial Services • Retirement Planning • Trust Services2

Anna Weaver

Pace Branch 850-994-2301 anna.weaver@unitedbank.com

www.unitedbank.com Russell Barnes

Jay Branch 850-675-6000 russell.barnes@unitedbank.com

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United Bank NMLS # 494759 1 Loans, lines of credit, credit cards subject to credit approval.

2 Trust Services provided by The Trust Company of Sterne Agee.

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Jerry Burden

Milton Branch 850-981-3352 jerry.burden@unitedbank.com

Executive Mindset

Business Speak

R EVITALIZING ECONOMY

Expanding Economic Opportunities The Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality brings together public and private partners to help grow the economy in Florida’s capital community BY AL LATIMER

COURTESY OF TALLAHASSEE-LEON COUNTY OFFICE OF ECONOMIC VITALITY

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allahassee-Leon County is primed for a surge in economic growth as its first long-term Economic Development Strategic Plan is implemented. One year ago, the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) was designated as the new lead agency for economic development in the community by the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency.

The OEV actively creates opportunities to coordinate and connect the private and public sectors across the economic development spectrum. And, when gaps in the ecosystem are identified, the OEV leads the effort to seek out and create new partnership opportunities as well as augment successful initiatives by providing additional resources to bridge that gap.

This new collaborative approach to economic development focuses on leveraging resources and the strengths of the business community and other key stakeholders. The OEV serves as the fulcrum for fulfilling the strategic plan, whose goals include developing a collaborative program of work, promoting our community as a business generator and aligning all available resources, while at the same time being fully accountable and transparent.

The fact that our community has committed to a unified vision for the future and rallied behind this collaborative program, which fosters idea generation, business formation and sustainable growth, is exciting. Even more exciting is the knowledge that the greatest opportunities lie ahead. In preparing our area for economic ascendency, what better place to start than with an effort to keep and grow the businesses that are already here?

Recognizing the importance of Tallahassee-Leon County’s existing business environment, the OEV has created a business retention and expansion program that fulfills a key cornerstone of the strategic plan and augments the investments the community has already made to keep local companies strong.

Through the Capital Local Outreach Opportunity Program (CapitalLOOP), the OEV will conduct one-on-one site consultations with local businesses and industries, learn their needs and concerns, then formulate ideas on how we can work together to help advance opportunities and remove hindrances.

CapitalLOOP recognizes the vast knowledge and experiences of the community’s economic development partners and leverages it by including them on the problem-solving team. In addition, it helps to further stimulate the Tallahassee-Leon County economy and private-sector job growth by activating multiple channels of outreach that facilitate the development of solutions in a holistic manner. A key component of CapitalLOOP is the inclusion of the goals and objectives of the OEV’s Minority Women Small Business Enterprises program, which provides crucial guidance and assistance to help further unleash the job-creation potential across all levels of our economy.

This truly seamless public-private approach to economy building through direct business outreach is just one example of the OEV’s efforts to establish an economic development program that will be the best-practices model that other communities seek to emulate. Business retention and expansion programs such as CapitalLOOP are vital

Al Latimer is the director of the TallahasseeLeon County Office of Economic Vitality.

to the success of any economic development effort. What’s more, companies such as CapitalLOOP that participate in comprehensive outreach programs that are offered by their local economic development organizations are statistically more likely to grow and expand.

Building a collaborative network to expand economic opportunities is central to what we do at the OEV. We are the first stop for a company looking to grow or relocate in Florida’s capital community. To that end, CapitalLOOP focuses on local business growth, retention and expansion, then identifies opportunities and solves challenges within the ecosystem which, in turn, helps stimulate the local economy and private-sector job growth. The health of a community’s existing industry has long been a leading indicator of the health of its foundation for sustainable economic growth, and the CapitalLOOP program will help evaluate and assess the business environment. It will also serve as the backbone for more aggressive economic development activities, such as business recruitment.

Connect with our team, schedule a consultation or join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter (@capital_LOOP) and tell us why you know doing business in Tallahassee-Leon County is a #smartchoiceTLC.

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VISIONARY As an attorney, entrepreneur, businesswoman and community servant, Kim Rivers, in all that she does, is about assessing possibilities.

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DEALMAKER PIVOTS AWAY FROM QUICK-TURN INVESTMENTS

BY STEVE BORNHOFT // PHOTO BY LAWRENCE DAVIDSON

DAJANAE IS 14. Her mother works in the call center at the Department of Revenue. There, she earns enough money to make her ineligible for food stamps, but scarcely enough to pay the rent, feed and clothe her children and keep the lights on.

She does her job well and earns accolades, but that means only that she is treated to lunch from time to time. There is no path to advancement for her. She is trapped and so, too, are Dajanae’s siblings.

Kim Rivers would like to change the community conversation.

An attorney, businesswoman, entrepreneur and dealmaker whose projects change the face of neighborhoods and may even shape societal mores, Rivers has become closely familiar with the problem of generational poverty.

She lives it. That is, Dajanae lives with her and Rivers’ 7-year-old son. Dajanae’s grandmother is close by; she works for Rivers as a nanny.

“A huge section of our population in Tallahassee is stuck,” Rivers said. “As a community, we are becoming more and more bifurcated. We have the elite and well-educated, and we have the poor. The number of people living below the poverty line in Tallahassee is increasing.”

Rivers concedes that the problem is a stubborn one not amenable to short-term solutions.

“That’s part of the reason we don’t talk about it more than we do,” she said. “We’d rather talk about shiny new developments.

But if we don’t tackle this issue, we are destined to become a tale of two cities.”

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COURTESY OF TRULIEVE

Rivers comes by her desire to help others honestly. She was born in Jacksonville to a police officer and a public school teacher, both of whom, like Rivers, are Florida State University graduates.

As a high-schooler, Rivers submitted just one application for admission to a college or university. She was inclined to consider the University of Florida in addition to FSU, “but Dad told me at the time that there was no way he was going to write a check to Steve Spurrier.”

preceding her enrollment at Gainesville. Uhlfelder saw to it that she had an in-person meeting with the dean of the law school before starting classes.

As a law student, Rivers completed a legislative fellowship in Tallahassee, thinking that she might become a lobbyist. But she abandoned that idea upon discovering that she had limited patience for the “good-old-boyism” that prevailed at the Capitol. She went on to clerk at the large Troutman Sanders law firm in Atlanta, where she would start her law career and find a liking for transactions versus litigation. As part of a 12-member team that specialized in putting deals together, Rivers found her niche among 400 Troutman attorneys and acquired a taste for the “big-deal high.”

Rivers married a fellow attorney she met in Atlanta and the couple moved to Tallahassee, his hometown. Rivers worked for her in-laws’ real estate firm and had a child. But neither home-selling nor marriage would prove to be long-term ventures. She departed both

I was like, ‘No, this is the worst deal ever.’ Everything was screaming, ‘No, No, No.’” — Kim Rivers Rivers was student body president at FSU before straying to Florida for law school.

Fittingly, she worked for Tallahassee attorney and Florida grad Steve Uhlfelder during the summer immediately

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amicably and, poised to reinvent herself, she considered becoming a major-gifts procurement specialist with the FSU Foundation.

Rivers consulted an acquaintance, J.T. Burnette, in hopes that he could get her a meeting with Steve Evans, then the interim president of the Foundation. Burnette, however, upon studying her resumé, told Rivers, “You need to come to work for me.”

Burnette and colleague Chad Kittrell soon took Rivers on a trip to size up foreclosure property “in the middle of nowhere” as a possible investment.

“It was a random RV park, and the guy who developed it was one of these doom-andgloom, world’s-coming-toan-end, kind of guys,” Rivers smilingly recalled. “He had built a compound with his house underground, and it was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen in my life.

There was a little train that traveled the property.

“I was like, ‘No, this is the worst deal ever.’ Everything was screaming, ‘No, No, No.’” Rivers feared that she might lose out on a chance to join Burnette in business, but when asked over lunch for her assessment of the RV park, she was frank.

COURTESY OF DOUBLETREE / TERRI SMITH PHOTO

LOW PROFILE “You won’t find any Jerry Garcia posters or incense burners here,” says CEO Kim Rivers of Trulieve, whose stores include one on Capital Circle SE in Tallahassee. “Our emphasis is on compassion and product quality.”

Good answer. The Rivers/ Burnette partnership had its genesis. They would work for a time together with Kittrell under the Hunter & Harp Holdings umbrella before striking out to co-found Inkbridge, Inc., a “financial engineering firm.”

Its activities have included the acquisition of distressed hotels and the refurbishing and repositioning of them.

Today, its most high-profile project that way is the wholesale renovation of the Doubletree Hotel.

“Whenever we do something in Tallahassee, we recognize that we are going to have to live with it and the community’s outlook on it,”

NEW LIFE Efforts by Inkbridge Inc. to revivify the Doubletree Hotel have involved daunting challenges.

The building’s concrete construction has complicated remodeling work as has the decision to keep the business open while the project proceeds.

Rivers said. “The Doubletree is in the core of our community.

We take it very seriously. It’s like our front door.”

Work on the roof began in May and will be followed by a focus on the restaurant and streetscape improvements.

Renovations will be complete in two years throughout which the hotel will remain open.

Rivers has figured most prominently in headlines lately as the CEO of Trulieve, Florida’s first medical marijuana dispensary. She devoted, she said, six months of her life to completing the application process for a license created by passage of the “Charlotte’s Web” bill

by the 2014 Legislature. The bill drew up five regions in which dispensaries could be sited and established licensure requirements. The application totaled 2,000 pages in length.

Rivers was notified in November 2015 that she had been successful, a big-deal, uh, moment that set a bunch of deadlines in motion. Trulieve built a cultivation facility of more than 70,000 square feet in size in 63 days. It plans to operate 12 stores statewide, including the one open on Capital Circle SE in Tallahassee.

Profitability will have to wait a couple of years, in large part because only about 5,000 people in Florida have prescriptions for medical

cannabis. Marketing Trulieve, for Rivers, primarily involves educating physicians.

Trulieve is committed to giving its customers the “relief you need in a product you can trust.” Product quality is important to customers who favor marijuana as a natural remedy. “We have to be like Whole Foods,” Rivers said.

Unlike the quick-turn investment that Rivers typically trades in, Trulieve is an operating business and one that has captivated the CEO. “It’s exciting to be at the table along with physicians and advocacy groups,” Rivers said.

“Together, we are truly doing things to improve quality of life for people.”

Too, Rivers hopes to improve the quality of life for all in Tallahassee.

She is the chair of the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority and a champion of its efforts to make the central city more walkable, dynamic and diverse.

She is looking for opportunities to serve aspiring female entrepreneurs as a mentor.

She encourages successful women to make their stories heard. (“We’ve got a ways to go,” she said, “before women will be able to stand on their own and be recognized for what they have achieved.”)

And, let it be said, she will bust Dajanae out of the cycle of poverty.

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ECOTOURISM THE PROMISE AND CHALLENGE

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ourism, hands-down Florida’s No. 1 industry, has been on a steady climb since 2011, with 2016’s count expected to top 2015’s recordbreaking 105 million visitors when the final numbers are determined. It follows, then, that ecotourism, a vital component of tourism, would also be on the rise. And in fact, the anecdotal and statistical evidence bear this out.

Although Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism-promoting agency, doesn’t distinguish, per se, between tourism and ecotourism, its data profiles offer a glimpse into visitors’ participation in activities generally regarded as ecotourism-related.

Granted, the number of travelers who visit state and national parks or engage in camping, hiking, wildlife viewing and other nature-based activities is nowhere near the number of those who prefer shopping, sightseeing, theme parks and similar pursuits; still, they represent a significant and growing segment. » 30

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COURTESY SANTA ROSA COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

BY LAZARO ALEMAN

TAKE IT OUTSIDE “Katie’s Kaboose,” a restored 1928 Frisco caboose, is the latest in rustic accommodations at the Adventures Unlimited Outdoor Center near Milton. The center offers activities including ziplining, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, camping and group outings.

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Vicki Allen, senior manager of research for Visit Florida, notes that while the percentage of visitors engaging in nature-based activities hasn’t changed much, the number of participants has increased.

“The share of visitors who participated in these activities has remained relatively the same,” Allen says. “However, the number of visitors to Florida from 2011 to 2015 has increased. So yes, the number of visitors who have participated in nature activities has grown The Florida Park proportionately.”

Service reports Data from other sources support her that 31.8 million point. The Florida Park Service reports people visited state that 31.8 million people visited state parks in 2016, up parks in 2016, up 732,413 from the pre732,413 from the vious year, with 4.1 million of them faprevious year, with voring Northwest Florida parks and St. 4.1 million of them Andrews in Panama City Beach ranking favoring Northwest among the 10 most popular. Meanwhile, Florida parks and a five-year study by the Florida Fish and St. Andrews in Wildlife Conservation Commission, Panama City Beach “2011 Economic Benefits of Wildlife ranking among the Viewing in Florida” (the next study won’t 10 most popular. come out until spring 2017), ranked Florida first among states for wildlife viewing by out-of-state residents and found wildlife viewing second only to beach-going as the most popular outdoor activity.

Representatives of North Florida’s various tourist development councils, moreover, vouch for ecotourism’s viability in their respective markets.

“For us, tourism and ecotourism are interconnected,” says David Demarest, public relations manager for Visit Panama City Beach. “I would say 100 percent of our visitors enjoy some level of ecotourism, given how much our model is geared around outdoor activities.”

Jackson County Tourist Development Council Executive Director Christy Andreasen says, “Ecotourism is huge for us,” while citing her area’s wealth of cultural, historical and natural resources.

Taylor County Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Development President Dawn Taylor echoes the sentiment.

“For us, ecotourism is primarily our tourism, because that’s basically what we have to offer,” she says.

Taylor also chairs Visit Natural North Florida (VNNF), a 14-county coalition whose members include Jefferson, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla counties, and whose singular mission is to promote ecotourism by showcasing members’ cultural, historical and natural assets.

“The great thing about the VNNF region is that every member county has its own little extra something to offer in its ecotourism package,” Taylor says.

COMING OF AGE Depending on how one defines the word, ecotourism has not only come of age in the past 20 or so years but is arguably in its heyday, if not sometimes at risk of being used merely as a buzzword or marketing ploy. Indeed, critics accuse some of the bigger players and even governments of increasingly and cynically employing the term as a money-making promotional tool with little or no consideration for benefits to local communities or conservation. Certainly, the word is much bandied about and its meaning interpreted differently by environmentalists, entrepreneurs and tourism professionals, among others.

Even within the tourism industry, ecotourism encompasses a continuum of activities that can range from genuine to “lite” to pseudo.

Fishing and hunting, for example, come to mind as activities that purists would argue are not ecotourism in the strictest sense because they are consumptive.

Too, Ecotourism is not infrequently confused or used interchangeably with ethical tourism, green tourism, nature-based tourism, responsible tourism and sustainable tourism, each of which carries a slightly different meaning. Then there are the niches or subsets of tourism that are integral to, or intersect with, ecotourism, such as adventure tourism, agri-tourism, culinary tourism, cultural tourism, heritage tourism, spiritual tourism and wellness tourism — to name just a few.

Indeed, there appear to be as many types of tourisms as human interests, making it easy for one to get lost in the welter of definitions and interpretations.

Historically, the word, “ecotourism,” was coined in

Fishing and hunting, for example, come to mind as activities that purists would argue are not ecotourism in the strictest sense because they are consumptive.

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“Fishing, while you’re in nature, is not ecotourism. And fishing’s a big part of the nature-based tourism product that Tallahassee and Northwest Florida offers. Hunting also, by strict ecotourism definition, wouldn’t work because it’s consumptive.” — Visit Tallahassee Executive Director Kerri Post

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BOOINI (ST. ANDREWS STATE PARK) AND COURTESY PANAMA CITY BEACH CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU (FISHING)

the late 20th century, although there is some dispute as to who coined it: Mexican architect Hector Ceballos-Lascurain in 1983 or Californian academic and adventurer Claus-Dieter Hetzer in 1965.

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” TIES recognizes six abiding ecotourism principles. These include travel that impacts minimally, builds cultural and environmental awareness, provides direct financial benefits for conservation, and provides financial benefit and empowerment for the local people. Ecotourism typically is associated with relatively unspoiled natural places rich in flora, fauna and cultural heritage.

Today, ecotourism is embraced to one degree or another by businesses, governments, world organizations, environmental groups and the tourism industry, as well as being taught in colleges — its acceptance and popularity growing in tandem with the Green Movement and greater public awareness of the environment and sustainability. Integral to ecotourism is the idea of recycling, energy efficiency and water conservation. The Green Lodging Program exemplifies the latter concept. A voluntary initiative launched by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2004, it recognizes lodging facilities that commit to conserve and protect the state’s natural resources.

Increasingly, studies suggest, consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable brands that make a commitment to social or environmental values.

Visit the websites or speak with representatives of the various tourist development councils and others who promote ecotourism in one fashion or another, and the word’s varied interpretations becomes readily evident — with its definition ranging from recognition of the core principles to simply “anything outdoors.” Under its banner, too, are activities ranging from hiking, kayaking, snorkeling and wildlife viewing to boating, fishing and hunting.

Visit Tallahassee Executive Director Kerri Post, who has long familiarity with the concept of ecotourism and describes herself as more of a traditionalist or purist, prefers nature-based or sustainable tourism.

“Ecotourism, in its purest sense, is non-consumptive,” Post says. “Fishing, while you’re in nature, is not ecotourism. And fishing’s a big part of the nature-based tourism product that Tallahassee and Northwest Florida offers. Hunting also, by strict ecotourism definition, wouldn’t work because it’s consumptive. Yet some schools of thought say hunters, if you’re talking species management, are actually very conservation-minded.

But I think sustainable tourism or nature-based tourism is a more accurate reflection of the product we offer.”

Post, in fact, sees ecotourism, with its strictly defined

principles, as a niche or vertical subset within the larger umbrella of nature-based or sustainable tourism.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH St. Andrews State She cautions, however, that one can get “hung up on Park provides plenty labeling” and too much into slicing and dicing tourists. of enjoyment for water Vacationers don’t necessarily self-identify as ecotourists lovers and land dwellers alike. Swim, snorkel, or nature-based tourists when they’re traveling, Post fish, canoe and kayak says. Rather, they typically engage in multiple activities, the emerald waters. some nature-based, others not.

Hike, bike, picnic and camp on the sand.

“I caution about labels, because labels can mean different things to different people,” she says.

Steve Hayes, president of Visit Pensacola, agrees.

“The great thing about the tourism industry is there are lots of ways to classify visitors,” Hayes says. “The bad thing about the tourism industry is some of us classify visitors differently.”

Even so, consensus exists among tourism professionals as to a few industry trends that touch on ecotourism.

BY THE NUMBERS One trend is this region’s increasing number of visitors, attested to by the different tourism-development representatives. Part of it, undoubtedly, stems from Florida’s overall tourism growth. But another factor may be operating here — one given credence by Visit Florida: It’s a belief that other parts of the state have reached capacity, and tourism’s future growth in Florida lies in this region.

This idea — explicitly outlined in Destination 2020, a Visit Pensacola study that looks at tourism trends relevant to Escambia County — is one Hayes embraces. Not only have Central and South Florida reached capacity, but travelers are wearying of their offerings, Hayes poses.

“We’re reaching more international visitors who are tired of doing Central or South Florida,” he says. “They want to see something new and different, and guess what — it’s up here in Northwest Florida.”

Andreasen agrees.

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“A lot of people go to South Florida because it’s what everybody does,” she says. “But after a while, people run out of things to do and look for something new. We get a good bit of international visitors — people who come from all over to dive in the caves at Merritt’s Mill Pond, which is world-known.”

Demarest expands on the theme.

“I can tell you, our part of Florida is generally seen as undiscovered on an international scale,” he says. “It’s a blank spot on their maps. And when they find it, they feel as if they’ve really discovered something.”

Whatever the cause or origins of the increase, Post sees the trend as boding well for ecotourism in this region, given its rich biodiversity and cultural and historical richness.

“We’re certainly known for our great beaches, and that’s our cash cow, if you will, in the coastal communities,” she says. “But we have an opportunity to broaden the narrative in terms of the nature-based product we offer. We have first-class paddling and biking trails, our topography is unique from the rest of Florida, and we have a lot of history, too.”

She makes the point that people today are more attuned to conservation and sustainability and often are seeking off-the-beaten-path experiences, especially as cities and their urban jungles grow more intense and take a greater toll on people’s psyches.

“I think that’s only going to increase as the pace of our world gets busier and more connected,” Post says, offering that nature-based activities can provide a mind/body/ soul healing experience. “And what’s nice about Northwest Florida and Tallahassee is you can have world-class nature-based experiences and then sleep in the comfort of a hotel and dine in a nice restaurant. You can rough it or have the creature comforts.”

The off-the-beaten-path theme is one Visit Natural North Florida specifically highlights, given the region’s many springs, rivers, woodlands and biking/hiking trails. Through Visit Florida, the organization has received funding that allows its representatives to travel to national and international outdoors shows to market the region. Indications are that the publicity is paying off. A recently released report

NO SWEAT A quartet of tubers lazes along in the gin-clear waters of Coldwater Creek.

The forest around the campground at the Coldwater Recreation Area is burned back frequently to promote habitat for quail, redcockaded woodpeckers, gopher tortoises and other native species. As a result, beautiful vistas are located throughout the area.

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shows that bed-tax revenues increased 15.9 percent last year in the region over the previous year, compared with 10 percent statewide. The report attributes the increased visitations in large part to the travel shows, which are drawing domestic and international visitors.

REACHING A NEW MARKET Millennials’ coming of age as a vital economic force in the tourism industry is another trend with implications, given that the group has reportedly replaced baby boomers as the largest generational demographic. And millennials, the research suggests, support sustainability; prefer unique, interactive experiences; seek authenticity and are extremely technology-savvy.

A state-sponsored study found traveling and vacation-taking to be “core aspirations” of millennials. It also found that Florida, which has largely built its tourism industry on boomers, is getting a smaller share of millennials. The study noted that many millennials had “done” Florida in their youth, particularly the better-known spots, and they were looking for new experiences. It suggested that for Florida to capture its share of this group it would have to, among other things, provide millennials with “a passport to experience” and highlight nature, local features and cultures.

Whether because of this or other reports, tourist development councils are heeding the word and employing strategies to attract millennials.

“We’re trying to target millennials by creating experiences,” Taylor says. “Studies tell us millennials don’t just want to see things, they want experiences. So we, for example, are putting together packages where you show up, get kayaks, get taken to a location for kayak fishing, get lunch provided, and camp here.”

Visit Pensacola is likewise eyeing millennials.

“We’re still learning about them and how to reach them,” Hayes says. “For us, previously, it was all about the beach; we didn’t really address the other experiences you can have here, whether it’s kayaking in the bayous, or going on the biking or hiking trails or the cultural or historic trails. So now we’re talking about these other things. People are going to come here for the beaches because they’re absolutely stunning, but then you look at the other things that will make you a standout destination.”

Visit Panama City Beach offers a different perspective.

“Millennials, deep down, aren’t different from other travelers,” Demarest says. “They like to experience a destination, have fun and seek activities that have been overlooked or are considered undiscovered. But in the end, your grandparents may have come here to spend time on the beach and enjoy themselves, and millennials are happy to do that, too. These are timeless traits.”

Rather than categorizing groups by age, Demarest prefers to distinguish them by interests. People choose different activities based on interests, and ecotourism can accommodate those choices, he says.

“Within the umbrella of ecotourism, there is a fairly wide spread,” Demarest says. “Maybe you prefer a leisurely boat tour with a captain taking care of all your needs, or you’d rather cruise the same waterways on a kayak. I would say it’s more determined by your interests and your comfort level than by age.”

COURTESY SANTA ROSA COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

THE POWER OF SHARING Social media’s impact on ecotourism is an undeniable trend that allows for the instant sharing of photos and stories, creating an appetite for “like” experiences. It’s telling that The International Ecotourism Society promotes social media as a means of marketing sustainable locations, and The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference in 2015 highlighted the medium as a marketing tool.

“I think the trend in tourism is to share experiences,” Hayes agrees, citing, as example, a recent family trip to New York City and his family’s posting of their doings on Facebook and Instagram. “You’re sharing what you’re doing instantaneously; it’s a form of advertisement.”

Taylor affirms social media’s efficacy, which she discovered accidentally. A kayaking enthusiast, friends convinced her to hashtag her experiences on Instagram. The results were amazing, she says.

“I’ve gotten all kinds of people, from out of state and out of the country, who are interested in coming here because they saw these huge fish and beautiful coastline,” Taylor says. “It’s created a bit of a marketing campaign for this area.”

Demarest, too, touts the power of social media.

“It’s absolutely having an impact,” he says. “You’d be surprised how many people, even in this country, don’t know about the Panhandle. So if their friend posts a picture they took while here, that speaks powerfully.”

LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCE Surprisingly, a post-recession-driven frugality seemingly continues trending, with tourists prizing meaningful experiences over materialism.

“Absolutely,” Demarest says. “Experiential travel and experiential gift-giving are gaining ground. People don’t need as much stuff as before. We’re not in collecting mode anymore, except when it comes to collecting memories and photographs. I see that as a trend even in my own family. Our favorite gift to my parents last year was tickets to a sunset sail and dolphin viewing. They had a good time, and afterward there was no extra package to carry or stuff to try to find a spot for in the closet or on a shelf.”

The sentiment resonates with Taylor.

“Oh, absolutely!” she says. “I find it’s my own preference. So whenever we’re looking at how to attract people, we look at what we can offer as a memorable experience that they will cherish, not what souvenirs they’re going to take with them. It’s what they do when they’re here that matters. It goes back to social media. They want to share their experiences instead of bringing back a T-shirt or other souvenir.”

This ethos, she avows, dovetails nicely with ecotourism.

Putting aside trends, which by their very nature are ephemeral and transitory, the issues of conservation and preservation are central and abiding tenets of ecotourism. The question for ecotourism promoters is (or should be) how far to promote a site and attract visitors without, as it were, killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Even principled ecotourism over time affects cultures, ecosystems and wildlife habitats, however subtly.

Post perfectly frames the dilemma.

“We can love something to death,” she says, noting that overcrowding or overdevelopment can degrade a destination or experience. “Obviously, you need good monitoring and site management. It’s all about balance, because there is also a belief that there is no hope for preservation without visitation. The visitors bring in the dollars.”

Interpretation and education are key, she says.

“Take our carnivorous pitcher plant,” Post says.

“People think it’s cool and want to poach it. They have to understand through interpretation that it’s an endangered species, and taking them affects their sustainability. Interpretation is an essential element in both ecotourism and sustainable or nature-based tourism.”

Hayes agrees.

“More people aren’t always the answer,” he says.

“You can have the same number of people, but coming at different times of the year. You don’t want problems with traffic issues and long lines at attractions.

The other part is making visitors aware of what we have and the need to protect it.”

For Taylor, the dilemma is existential.

“Our biggest attraction is that we’re not saturated with theme parks, restaurants, fast food joints and things like that,” she says. “Our attraction is we’re undeveloped. So in a sense, you don’t want to see it get more developed. Then again, we’d like to see more amenities along the coastline. So there are the two sides. We want tourism to grow, but we don’t want to lose what’s attracting people here.”

How to maintain that fine balance? That’s always the tension. The question is, is North Florida up to the challenge?

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Social media’s impact on ecotourism is an undeniable trend that allows for the instant sharing of photos and stories, creating an appetite for “like” experiences.

It’s telling that The International Ecotourism Society promotes social media as a means of marketing sustainable locations, and The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference in 2015 highlighted the medium as a marketing tool.

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ON TRACK? 36

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TRAIN: NEXT-GENERATION TRAINSET / DESIGN CREDIT: ALSTOM AND COURTESY OF THE SOUTHERN RAIL COMMISSION (WHITE)

PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE IS CLOSER TO MAKING A COMEBACK ALONG THE GULF COAST BY JASON DEHART

MTRAK FANS MIGHT have to wait up to two more years before daily, round-trip passenger rail service can be restored between New Orleans and Orlando.

“We believe this service can be reality within 18 to 24 months,” said Greg White, chairman of the Southern Rail Commission. “And, on the not-too-distant horizon, I believe we can see passenger service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, between Mobile and Birmingham, and along the I-20 Corridor between Fort Worth/Dallas and Jackson, Mississippi. All of these services will enhance ridership on the Gulf Coast route, further reducing the supplement required.”

By “supplement,” White is referring to the money needed to return passenger service to the Gulf Coast. He said that Congress, the freight rail companies, Amtrak and the four affected states — Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana — will all be asked to help pay for some of the infrastructure. However, who pays for what and how much has not yet been determined.

“The operating shortfall (for the longdistance and the commuter train) approaches $9.5 million annually,” White said. “However, there are a number of possible revenue streams that have not been factored into this number. My hope is that advertising, and packaging of travel opportunities, will cut into this shortGREG WHITE, fall. And, of course, increased ridership CHAIRMAN OF will reduce the deficit. Many recently THE SOUTHERN created routes in the Southeast are selfRAIL COMMISSION sustaining, and our hope is that this ser“The operating vice will be as successful over time.” shortfall (for the The use of taxpayer money to pay for long-distance and the commuter Amtrak passenger service has been a train) approaches sore spot for fiscal conservatives in the $9.5 million anpast, but this recent effort in the South nually. However, there are a numseems to have garnered support from ber of possible both sides of the political spectrum. revenue streams “I believe it’s got some pretty fair that have not been bipartisan support,” said Andy Johnfactored into this number.” son, a state and local legislative affairs liaison in Leon County. “Historically, Leon County has made it a priority on the community level, and we continue to advocate for it. It was a great benefit to the community, and we will support anything in that effort.”

White said that the new passenger service ought to fit in well with President Trump’s plans to invest in nationwide infrastructure.

“We have taken steps to submit our project to the administration as a ‘shovel-ready’ project,” White said. “There is no doubt that the Gulf Coast project has enjoyed enthusiastic bipartisan support.

From GOP Gov. Bryant in Mississippi to Democratic Gov. Edwards in Louisiana, to state and local leadership across the route, folks

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Estimated annual operating assistance for long-distance trains from New Orleans to Orlando

$5.48

MILLION

+ Adding a state-supported route from New Orleans to Mobile

$4

MILLION

➧

of every ‘denomination’ have signed on publicly in support of the project. All of us want to see our region prepared for the surge in population that is predicted, and to see us well positioned for the economic growth potential that we anticipate. Transportation alternatives are vital to being prepared.”

According to the Southern Rail Commission — a committee of Gulf states that promotes and supports rail initiatives in the Southeast — Amtrak launched its Gulf Coast service with the Gulf Coast Limited, a train that ran between Mobile and New Orleans during the 1984 World’s Fair, and again in 1996-1997. Amtrak operated an extension of the Sunset Limited through the region between 1993 and 2005. This was part of a transcontinental Los Angeles-to-Florida run, but the on-time performance wasn’t entirely successful. Ridership suffered, as well as financial performance.

Hurricane Katrina’s destruction caused service east of New Orleans to be stopped altogether after 2005, but now it may be resurrected. Officials said there’s just too much at stake, economically, to keep it down for much longer. The Gulf Coast is home to many different tourist destinations, convention venues, sports teams, cruise terminals and resorts. And a new passenger rail service would cut through the heart of that region. The new rail service would be an alternate mode of transportation for more than 5 million people who come to southern Alabama each year, with similar numbers visiting the beaches of Northwest Florida and southern Mississippi.

In addition to the New Orleans-to-Orlando route, White said the Southern Rail Commission would like to see a daily round-trip “commuter”-style service between Atmore, Alabama (on the Florida-Alabama line) and New Orleans. It’s a distance of about 200 miles.

“The estimated annual ridership — set forth in a December 2015 study performed by Amtrak — is almost 150,000 people,” he said. “Amtrak ridership has been steadily increasing in recent years, so I suspect we may experience better ridership than this.”

A law passed in late 2015 helped move the process along. The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act became law that December. It authorized $305 billion over five years to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s rail, highway, public transportation, safety, research and technology projects and programs. A provision of this law gave the Federal Rail Administration half a million dollars to establish a “working group” to study the possibility of restoring the old New Orleans-Orlando passenger service.

The Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Working Group used an Amtrak feasibility study that found the estimated annual operating assistance for long-distance trains from New Orleans to Orlando to be $5.48 million.

Adding a state-supported route from New Orleans to Mobile would cost an additional $4 million per year. White said the infrastructure costs have not yet

SO WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP? Identifying who is going to pay for it.

ANDY JOHNSON, A STATE AND LOCAL LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS LIAISON IN LEON COUNTY

“Once all of that is done, the working group is going to anticipate a final report to Congress this spring, (including) infrastructure needs, expected costs, expected route, etc.”

been delivered to Congress but that the Southern Rail Commission, the Federal Railroad Administration, CSX and Amtrak are all putting their heads together to figure out what those numbers might be. Whatever the cost ultimately is, the restored infrastructure will benefit more than just Amtrak.

“CSX will be the host railroad over most of this route, and they are projecting growth in freight traffic in addition to the passenger train daily,” White said.

Johnson said that regional stakeholders have narrowed a list of five route options down to one preferred option, which involves expanding an existing route from Chicago to New Orleans and from there to Orlando. In addition, he said, there would be the daily state-supported train between Atmore and the Big Easy.

“They’re just zeroing in based on infrastructure needs, projected ridership and operations and maintenance costs — those sorts of things,” Johnson said. “Now, they’re finalizing assessments and stations, what needs to be renovated, are there any special requirements, (including) what tracks and signals and crossings need to be repaired and updated, and what it is going to cost to make it safe for a train to do this and pick up passengers.”

So what’s the next step? Identifying who is going to pay for it. The 2015 federal transportation bill requires an economic study or cost-benefit analysis.

“Once all of that is done, the working group is going to anticipate a final report to Congress this spring, (including) infrastructure needs, expected costs, expected route, etc.,” Johnson said.

The final draft of the cost estimate report might reach Congress before the end of April, White said.

Key components of restoring passenger rail service in the Gulf Coast are the necessary infrastructure upgrades in the areas of safety and signalization. White said the Southern Rail Commission supports installing Positive Train Control (PTC) along the Florida Panhandle portion of the route.

This is a set of safety technologies designed to automatically stop a train before certain accidents can occur. According to the Association of American Railroads, the federal government in 2008 required privately owned railroads to finance, develop and install PTC along some 60,000 miles of U.S. railroad by 2015. That deadline was extended to 2018 by the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2015.

“CSX has or is in the process of installing PTC through the Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana portions of the route,” White said. “This safety feature will benefit the freight rail and the traveling public — not just passenger rail. Similarly, gradecrossing signalization will need to be enhanced.

Obviously, this will also benefit freight rail and the public. So certain infrastructure investments will be made over time regardless of passenger service.

Segregating those needs and allocating them according to project is part of the complication.”

New York

South Dakota Wisconsin

Wyoming

Michigan Pennsylvania

Iowa

Nebraska

New Jersey

Illinois Kansas City Topeka

St. Louis

Colorado

Ohio

Indiana

To Chicago

Maryland

West Virginia

Louisville

Kansas

Virginia

Missouri

Wichita

Kentucky To Washington

Nashville

Charlotte

Tulsa

Oklahoma City

Tennessee

Memphis

North Carolina

Chattanooga

Little Rock

Oklahoma

South Carolina

Atlanta

New Mexico

Birmingham

Arkansas

Texarkana

Dallas

Fort Worth

Macon

Mississippi

Columbia Montgomery

Longview Shreveport

El Paso

Savannah

Jackson

Alabama

Georgia

Texas

Jacksonville Baton Rouge

Austin

San Antonio

Louisiana

New Orleans

Houston

Connecting the entire Gulf Coast with comprehensive passenger rail

Orlando

Tampa

Passenger and Freight Rail Lines Laredo

Corpus Christi

SDP/NEPA* IN PROGRESS

Mexico Monterrey

Florida

SDP/NEPA* COMPLETE

Miami

FEASIBILITY STUDY COMPLETE Brownsville

FEASIBILITY STUDY IN PROGRESS OTHER POTENTIAL CORRIDORS EXISTING PASSENGER RAIL

CONNECTING THE DOTS Restoring passenger rail service along the Gulf Coast has the full support of rail advocates and Amtrak. But time will tell if the funding is there to return the service to its pre-Katrina form.

In 2016, the Southern Rail Commission ran a special whistle-stop train tour from New Orleans to Jacksonville as part of a plan to stir up some excitement for the new service. State and municipal elected officials, industry representatives, federal stakeholders and community leaders were all involved in the trip, which took a look at existing facilities in each town along the route. Also examined were the economic, cultural and mobility opportunities that such a rail service provides.

To date, the rail commission has collected resolutions of support from cities in the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. In Florida, resolutions of support came from the Apalachee Regional Planning Council, Northwest Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization, Bay County Transportation Planning Organization, West Florida Regional Planning Commission, Okaloosa-

➧

COURTESY OF LEON COUNTY (JOHNSON) AND MAP INFORMATION COURTESY OF THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION

*SDP/NEPA - Service Development Plan/National Environmental Policy Act Procedures

Amtrak launched its Gulf Coast service with the Gulf Coast Limited, a train that ran between Mobile and New Orleans during the 1984 World’s Fair, and again in 19961997. Amtrak operated an extension of the Sunset Limited through the region between 1993 and 2005.

Walton Transportation Planning Organization and Suwanee Valley Transit Authority. The cities of Chipley, Crestview, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola, Tallahassee, DeFuniak Springs and Panama City have also showed their support.

Meanwhile, C.W. Moorman, Amtrak’s president and C.E.O, expressed his strong support for the project in a letter to White and the SRC in early March.

“Amtrak has supported this project throughout, and will continue to do so as we move through the final process to inaugurate the service together,” Moorman said.

The project will apparently need every vote it can muster in Congress. The Trump Administration’s first budget, released on March 16, “eliminates all federal funding for Amtrak’s national network trains, which provide service to 23 states,” according to the National Association of Railroad Passengers.

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OKALOOSA / WALTON COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Robert Foster, director of Venture Hive Accelerator, instructs entrepreneurs-in-training Holly Cope and Gretchen Haney on ways to improve and grow their respective start-up companies. The Business Accelerator Session is open to veterans or the dependents of veterans.

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Looking beyond beaches and the military to boost economic development

O

kaloosa and Walton counties are home to some of Florida’s most pristine beaches and the Department of Defense’s largest military installation — Eglin Air Force Base. But even with booming economies boosted by a strong military presence and ever-increasing tourism, the counties are on a mission to seek diversity in the region’s economy.

A push to encourage entrepreneurship and lure manufacturing and aviation-related companies is aided by the availability of industrial and aviation park space, along with the presence of a skilled workforce — many of them retired military.

“We realized from the BP oil spill that we needed to be diversified. We need to be growing other avenues of employment 40

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and revenue,” said Bill Imfield, interim executive director of the Walton County Economic Development Alliance. The county is also actively seeking development of affordable worker housing, something that businesses looking to set up shop in the area will need.

“The federal government has a form of tax credits for developers who do workforce housing, and we’re working with the county to make lands available for sale or for lease, or in the form of a partnership,” Imfield said.

“We want to have people able to live and work close to their business.”

In Okaloosa County, home to the bulk of the Eglin reservation and where seven of the nation’s 10 top military contractors have a presence, there is a drive to educate those serving at Eglin and nearby Hurlburt Field

about the opportunities available locally as they prepare to separate from the military.

“Many of these retirees are in their 40s with great skill sets,” said Nathan Sparks, executive director of the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County. “I think we’re going to see our defense sector experience noteworthy growth. Our defense contractors are all optimistic that military priorities are going to be on the front burner. And that bodes well for us.”

Meanwhile, Venture Hive in Fort Walton Beach is helping members of the military and their dependents delve into the world of entrepreneurship.

“Because of Eglin being a test facility, we have a lot of technologically bright individuals, and many have chosen to build a business in our community,” Sparks said.

A Miami-based small-business accelerator,

COURTESY OF VENTURE HIVE

BY LINDA KLEINDIENST

WHERE PULLING TOGETHER TURNED INTO A PUSH OF IDEAS.

THERE IS

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GETTING THERE

“The service out of VPS is unlike anything else in the region. We have more routes than any other airport in the Panhandle.”

— Tracy Stage, Okaloosa County’s airports director

Venture Hive opened the Okaloosa program three years ago to focus on veteran entrepreneurship. Sparks said the intense boot camp has been compared to a mini-MBA. Only recently, USAA ranked Fort Walton Beach as one of the top 10 communities for veteran entrepreneurship.

WALTON COUNTY TOURISM

BY THE NUMBERS

$7.9M DESTINATION IMPROVEMENTS (in progress & planned)

Total Economic Impact Annually of Tourism to Walton County For every $1 of tourism advertising, Visit Florida calculates that $390 is generated in tourism spending and $23 in new sales taxes.

Including parking, bike paths, beach boardwalks, signs, bathrooms, beach safety and more

20,700 JOBS DIRECTLY RELATED TO TOURISM IN WALTON COUNTY

137%

SHOULDER SEASON GROWTH Out pacing peak season, over 10 years

11,000+

ACCOMMODATIONS 90% being luxury homes, cottages and guest houses

+

3,692,200

ANNUAL VISITORS came to South Walton in 2016

$599M+ Spent on Accommodations in 2016

21% GROWTH IN RENTAL REVENUE $600M

$599M

$495M

$400M

$200M

178

VISITORS TO WALTON COUNTY

1

Walton County Jobs

$0

FY2015

CY2016

Sources: VisitSouthWalton.com, Walton County Tourist Development Council

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COURTESY OF OKALOOSA COUNTY AIRPORTS

Among airlines at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. Allegiant has become increasingly popular, with their low fares and nonstop flights to destinations such as Las Vegas, Austin, Nashville, St. Louis and New York City.

Growth in tourism and business are dependent on reliable transportation, and much has been done to improve the ability for visitors and locals to get around — as well as into — both counties.

In 2016, the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) had the highest passenger count in its 60-year history — 915,650 — amounting to an 18 percent increase over 2015. It is expected to break the 1 million mark in 2017.

“The service out of VPS is unlike anything else in the region. We have more routes than any other airport in the Panhandle,” said Tracy Stage, Okaloosa County’s airports director. “In January (2017), we picked up 11 additional cities, and now we’re flying to some of the largest metro areas in the country, including New York, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Las Vegas and Indianapolis.” A good deal of the passenger traffic is related to business associated with Eglin, which shares its runway with the civilian airport, and the myriad defense contractors that surround the base. But, Stage adds, “In 2016, we brought in roughly $13 million worth of economic impact to the region from tourist spending alone.”

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And several major highways used by visitors and local residents are getting a makeover to ease traffic congestion, which gets particularly troublesome at the height of the summer tourist season. U.S. Highway 98, the major east-west artery that hugs the coast, is in the midst of a widening project.

U.S. Highway 331, a primary north-south corridor for Walton County, is also adding extra lanes to help ease traffic traveling to and from Interstate 10, an effort that will facilitate the flow of tourists in season and act as a major evacuation route for natural emergencies, such as hurricanes.

“We need to have expansion to accommodate the growth,” Imfield said of the transportation projects.

And to make both corridors more attractive

OKALOOSA COUNTY TOURISM

BY THE NUMBERS

TOURISM GROWTH Tourism numbers continue to jump in Walton and Okaloosa counties — and those visitors are making a big impact on the local economy.

“In 2016, the economic impact of Walton County tourism was $3.211 billion,” said PJ Loughman, the Tourist Development Council’s director of tourism marketing. “In 2016, Walton welcomed 3.7 million visitors, up from 3.2 million in 2015.”

That economic impact total includes $2.17 billion in direct visitor spending, $492 million in “induced” spending (increased business spending resulting from tourism dollars, including creation of new jobs and supply purchases) and $492 million in “indirect”

spending, which includes increased spending by local residents.

In Walton, there are 20,700 tourismrelated jobs; wages total $598 million.

“This is a tourism dependent economy,” Loughman said. “For every 178 visitors, one job is created. And visitors account for more than $77 million of Walton’s government revenue. The actual cost of servicing those visitors (road maintenance, law enforcement, beach maintenance) is more than $56 million, so our net benefit is nearly $21 million.”

“Tourism is Okaloosa County’s largest private industry, and we are happy to report that we continue to grow as a county,” said Maureen Morgenthien, deputy director for sales and marketing of the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We are excited for what 2017 will bring, including enhanced marketing and communications efforts to support the county.”

In 2015, the latest year for which Okaloosa statistics are available, more than 32,000 jobs were supported by tourism. Out-of-state direct visitor spending amounted to $2.9 billion that year. Including indirect and induced impacts, tourism generated $4.8 billion in total business sales, $1.2 billion in income and $600 million in state and local tax revenues.

$2.9 BILLION Direct Visitor Spending

Hotel Lodging Occupancy

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OUT-OF-STATE VISITORS

2015 Okaloosa County Analysis

32,405 JOBS generated by TOURISM IN Okaloosa COUNTY

61.52% $124.62

Total Business Sales Generated from Tourism

AVG

Daily Hotel Lodging Rate

Tourism Generated

$1.2 BILLION IN INCOME

Daily Lodging Rate

Sources: Tourism Economics and Smith Travel Research, Inc. Republication or other re-use of this data without the express written permission of STR is strictly prohibited.

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COURTESY OF SCENICCORRIDORFOUNDATION.ORG

In addition to two grants from the Florida Department of Transportation, over 20 companies and 40 individuals donated funds and services to plant the landscaping along U.S. Highway 98 from Mack Bayou Road to the western intersection of C.R. 30A.

to those who travel it — while boosting local property values and the business atmosphere — the Scenic Corridor Foundation, founded in 1994, continues to encourage projects and programs that promote good development and design in Walton County. The community recently celebrated completion of the first phase of The East Corridor Improvement Project to provide multi-use paths, median landscaping and other safety improvements in the Inlet Beach area, which is considered the eastern “gateway” into Walton County on U.S. 98.

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Out of Office: We’re your excuse for having limited access to email.

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Offering accomodations for groups, meetings and weddings along Northwest Florida beaches.

YourRQEvent.com | NWFloridaGroups@ResortQuest.com Groups and Meetings: 866-666-1283 | Weddings: 866-267-1008 Fla. Seller of Travel Reg. No. ST-38182. Washington Seller of Travel Reg. No. 603118961. Wyndham Vacation Rentals and related marks are registered trademarks and/or service marks in the United States and internationally. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. 14 Sylvan Way, Parsippany, NJ 07054 / Š2017 Wyndham Vacation Rentals North America, LLC.

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OKALOOSA / WALTON COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

COASTAL HOME BASE Military presence keeps Okaloosa’s economy fit

BY TABITHA YANG AND TONY BRIDGES and direct defense expenditures in the state total $34.7 billion, according to the Florida Defense Handbook, released in September 2015. In Northwest Florida, the economic impact of the military is felt strongly in Okaloosa County. There, the military presence has resulted both directly and indirectly in the creation of about 72,000 jobs, according to Nathan Sparks of the Okaloosa Economic Development Council.

The total economic impact of the military in Okaloosa County amounts to a staggering $8.8 billion, the Florida Defense Factbook states. Direct defense spending in Okaloosa County accounts for approximately $3.1 billion, with about $770 million going toward procurement, about $1.7 billion toward

salaries, and about $682 million toward pensions and transfers.

These defense dollars pour into the county through Eglin Air Force Base and the complex of defense contractors that surround it, as well as nearby military installations and a community of military retirees who call the area home.

THOUSANDS OF AIRMEN, SOLDIERS AND SAILORS The military has a huge presence in the Florida Panhandle, and nowhere more so than in Okaloosa County.

Eglin Air Force Base is the largest military installation in the United States and is home to about 10,000 combined service

An F-35C Lightning II taxis down the flight line from the Strike Fighter Squadron 101 at Eglin Air Force Base. The F-35C is a multi-role fighter aircraft, designed to provide superior airborne power projection from the sea. The Navy’s joint strike fighter features structural modifications, necessitated by carriers.

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COURTESY U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/KRISTIN STEWART

I

n March of this year, several dozen Florida fishing captains had a taste of adventure when they were contracted by the U.S. Air Force to play the role of Iranian missile boats in attack exercises.

A-10 Warthogs swooped down from above Choctawhatchee Bay in mock strafing runs, lining up to attack the fishing vessels, and Canadian F-18 fighter jets and attack helicopters also joined in the fray.

While this was an unusual instance of civilians being paid to contribute to military activities, most people in Florida derive either direct or indirect economic benefit from the presence of the military.

Statewide, Florida’s 20 military installations account for nearly 775,000 jobs,

At McCullar & Company we strive to meet each client’s specific needs in planning for the future and achieving their goals in an ever-changing financial and regulatory environment.

Robert McCullar

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members and civilian employees, as well as nearly 3,000 contractors. The base covers 720 square miles, according to Jasmine Porterfield, public affairs specialist with the 96th Test Wing at Eglin.

Among the units at Eglin are the Air Force’s 96th Test Wing and 33rd Fighter Wing (Joint Strike Fighter training), the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group and 6th Ranger Training Battalion, and the Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal School.

Next door to Eglin is Hurlburt Field, where the 1st Special Operations Wing is based.

According to the Department of Defense, there are another 8,000 service members and 2,000 civilian employees at Hurlburt.

In addition to the two major Air Force installations, Okaloosa serves as a base for the 870th Engineering Company of the Florida National Guard and U.S. Coast Guard Station Destin.

Spreading out from either side of Okaloosa, there are Navy installations in Escambia County just to the west and Air Force and Navy bases in Bay County to the east.

Air Commandos with the 8th Special Operations Squadron conduct a training mission in a CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft over Northwest Florida. Aircrew with the 8th SOS undergo training to prepare for global special operations.

BRINGING IN BUSINESS Thanks to the close proximity to Eglin Air Force base, Hurlburt Field and other military installations, seven of the largest defense contractors have a presence in Okaloosa County, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin

and Northrup Grumman, Sparks said. Military defense contractors working for Eglin Air Force Base account for 3,000 jobs, according to Porterfield. Public Affairs Officer Jaclyn Pinkowski at Hurlburt Field said Hurlburt employs close to 2,300 contractors.

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In addition, members of the armed forces who separate or retire from the military provide a skilled workforce for area employers to draw from.

“The men and women in uniform are known for having a great commitment to the mission, whatever that mission may be, (and) a great work ethic, and many of them have made the decision to remain here in their post-military years because of their affinity for the quality of life that they’ve found on the Emerald Coast,” Sparks said.

He mentioned several successful businesses in Okaloosa County that have been started over the past two or three years by former military employees living in the area. On-Point Defense Technologies, for example, was started three-and-a-half years ago by four men who all completed some military service prior to starting their company. On-Point supplies TOW missile launchers and other defense-related products both directly to the Department of Defense and indirectly by selling to other, larger defense contractors.

Fred Schor is one of the founders of On-Point. He had a career in the Air Force as an electronic warfare officer and later worked for Textron Defense Technologies testing smart weapons before joining forces with Randall Hull, John Diesel and Peter Driver, the company’s current president, to start On-Point.

“Okaloosa County is a major defense employer,” Schor said.

“Eglin Air Force Base employs somewhere around 13,000 people.

So it’s a good location for a defense business.”

Neighboring Walton County experiences some of the benefits of being close to the military installations, but the economic impact there is significantly less than in Okaloosa because Eglin and Hurlburt are headquartered in Okaloosa. Still, militaryrelated spending accounts for about nine percent of the local economy in Walton County, according to a 2011 study by the Haas Center at the University of West Florida.

“We have a number of people that live in Walton County and that report daily to the bases over there for jobs, and from time to time we get spinoff companies that form in order to provide services for new endeavors that are coming into Okaloosa and Walton County from the military,” noted Bill Imfield, interim executive director of the Walton County Economic Development Council.

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‘CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM’ Although government sequestration and budget cuts have lessened Department of Defense spending in recent years, Sparks said the mood is shifting with the change in presidential administrations.

“The last few years have been tough,” he said. “But I can tell you that right now, there is a level of optimism that I would call cautious optimism, mind you, but a level of optimism nonetheless. There seems to be a growing priority on giving attention to our nation’s defense and making certain that the ‘war fighter,’ as it’s called, has the resources to complete the mission effectively.”

It looks likely that the military’s needs for technology, goods and services will be given “top billing and top priority” over the next several years, Sparks said, which would mean an economic outlook for Okaloosa County that is as bright as the Florida sunshine.

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An eye-catching, 55,000-square-foot office building located in the Chancellorsville development recently celebrated a $7.1 million sale. The buyer was a group of Tallahasseebased insurance companies that included Southern Fidelity Insurance Company, Inc., Capitol Preferred Insurance Company, Inc. and Southern Fidelity Property & Casualty.

Joe Rossi, CCIM, managing director of investment services with Colliers International Central Florida, represented the seller, and the buyer was represented by Jeff Billingsley, commercial realtor/broker associate with Craig Commercial Realty of Tallahassee.

“This office building is top-of-the-line and offers a variety of features, such as a classroom for training and conferences and spacious executive offices, that make it desirable to an owner-user buyer,” said Rossi. “While it’s uncommon for a single tenant to occupy a building of this size, the buyer’s situation as a group of insurance companies with over 200 employees made it a great fit.”

This three-story building occupies 4.96 acres and features floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a desirable location close to I-10.

“It is not often that you see a local company that has had the growth and success that this group has had, and this facility should meet their growth-needs well into the future,” said Billingsley. “Additionally, the number of employees they will bring to that area will be good news to retailers and restaurants on the north side of town.”

Address: 2750 Chancellorsville Drive | List Price: $7.95 million Sale Price: $7.1 million | Square Feet: 55,000 Contact: Jeff Billingsley, Craig Commercial Realty, (850) 668-3333, jbillingsley@johnnybluerealty.com 850 Business Magazine

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CAPITAL CORRIDOR

Gadsden, Jefferson + Leon Counties

Making Room for More Good Ol’ Days

J.H. Dowling Inc. has thrived in trying times by honoring old traditions and embracing new strategies By Tisha Crews Keller

J

im Dowling is nostalgic about the Tallahassee lumberyard where his grandfather started the family business. Pieces of the original metal siding, a single door and old-style single-pane windows from the original structure hang on display in his new facility.

As he ushers in a new era in the history of the 70-year-old J.H. Dowling Inc., the thirdgeneration owner reflects on the hard work — and heart — that he has learned is necessary to thrive in an ever-leaner marketplace.

“Riding in the big ol’ delivery truck was my favorite part of the job,” Dowling says about his time working in the lumberyard and warehouse at the tender age of 12.

From his vantage point, working his way up in the family construction-supply business, he learned a lot.

From their 800-square-foot contractor/ hardware store on Madison Street on the southwest side of Tallahassee, the Dowlings have seen many things come and go.

“Madison Street was a mecca of commercial business, back in the day,” Dowling remembers. “Between Woodward, Gaines and Macomb streets, there were at one time seven lumberyards.”

But it was an era of gentlemen’s business, where neighboring companies shared equipment, products and friendships. All the

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businesses in the district worked hard — and fairly — to serve their customers’ needs.

It is this work ethic that the Dowling men passed along to each other — and a commitment to treating people right.

If You Help Them Build It Dowling’s grandfather, J.H. “Ham” Dowling Sr., retired from the Florida Highway Department as chief highway engineer in 1946 and became a materials broker for the road-building industry.

In 1956, he started J.H. Dowling Inc. Soon enough, Ham Dowling Jr. was working alongside him, and the father-son company expanded into commercial construction to gird up its transportation-contractor supply business.

By the 1990s — and at the youngest Dowling’s insistence — the company made the leap into residential hardware supplies.

It may just have been what allowed the company to ride out the tumultuous mid-2000s.

“My grandfather, who died in 1984, always came to work in a gray suit, top hat and pocket watch,” Jim Dowling recalls. “He came to the office every single day, up until just a month before he died.”

Now his own father, Ham Dowling Jr., is the senior executive who, at 84, still makes it into the office to read The Wall Street Journal a few times per week.

From their most recognized location at 75 W. Madison St., the company sustained its workforce and weathered significant economic downturns without a single layoff or pay cut — all while friendly competitors were shutting doors all around them.

Dowling says the secret to the business’ survival was diversification. While other businesses stayed in essentially the same silo and became ever more specialized or never changed, J.H. Dowling Inc. expanded to different segments of the construction industry.

With a product offering that encompasses guard rail, silt fencing and other materials for the road- and bridge-building industry statewide, as well as commercial construction supplies, such as contractor-size loads of wood and steel and framing packages for residential houses, J.H. Dowling supplies a wide swath of contractors and thus diversified its customer base.

While others were closing, Jim Dowling says his family’s business “outgrew their

Photo by BRUCE PALMER

BUILD IT UP From road to business to home, Jim Dowling suggests J.H. Dowling Inc. as your go-to for construction supplies for road, bridge, commercial and residential projects.

original location 25 years ago, but nostalgia kept Dad from letting me expand.”

In October 2016, J.H. Dowling opened the doors to its new facility just 3 miles from its former home. The sprawling, 6-acre complex includes 4,535 square feet of office space, 8,049 square feet of retail storefront and an enormous “DOT warehouse,” plus seven lumber storage “barns” onsite.

“We are the largest locally owned hardware store in Tallahassee,” Dowling says proudly. He also likes to point out that his business is the oldest supplier in the area with the newest lumberyard.

But it almost didn’t happen.

Up, Up and Away Dowling gets a little soft-hearted when he talks about the decision to relocate the business. For years, he says, rumors were flying fast and furious about J.H. Dowling closing its doors … and it just wasn’t true.

He could have just sold out and walked away

to a comfortable life. But as his competitors closed one by one around him, Dowling felt a strong need to keep the loyal staff of more than 20 employees he’d worked with for a lifetime.

He couldn’t imagine telling them to go.

So instead, he began looking for a bigger parcel to expand the business — but he knew he wanted to keep his customer base and his employees close to home.

Through the long process of evaluating three major properties in the area, Dowling waited for the right opportunity. It came in the form of Shawn McIntyre, partner at North American Properties in Fort Myers.

North American Properties has developed much of the College Town area near FSU, and it offered Dowling a deal he couldn’t refuse.

Using a 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchange, North American Properties essentially offered Dowling a land swap and developed the new site for a revitalized J.H. Dowling lumberyard and retail store.

In just 82 days — from demolition to rebuild — Dowling’s $3.5 million project was completed, a feat he simply could not have accomplished on his own.

North American Properties offered him a turnkey operation and helped Dowling revamp two old buildings and a vacant lot for the expansion. The 200 offices in one of the buildings alone was overwhelming at first, he says. But in the end, Dowling’s staff and the North American Properties professionals upgraded the site with new elevations, HVAC, plumbing, stormwater mitigation and more.

Taking a thriving business from a 1.7acre site to a redeveloped 6-acre expansion is an undertaking in itself, but the compressed timeline was another stress factor for Dowling.

“Shawn (McIntyre, partner, North American Properties) needed to get to work on the old Dowling site as soon as possible,” he explains. “We had only 82 days, because

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CAPITAL CORRIDOR

STOCK UP The J.H. Dowling warehouse is a builder’s dream.

It’s chock full of supplies, tools and gadgets useable for all construction needs.

he’s got to build a five-story student housing complex and parking garage on my old lot … and he has a deadline of June 2018.”

As a nod to the place’s history, McIntyre is calling the new 115-unit, 414-bed development, “The Lumberyard.”

Into the Fire Once North American Properties got the new J.H. Dowling site in play, Dowling had to figure out how to site the business and plan his new digs.

The new retail expansion would allow many exciting opportunities for the company, and he turned to Orgill, the world’s largest independently owned hardlines distributor, which provides retailers across North America with access to more than 75,000 products and retail services.

For his warehousing layout, Dowling relied on Scotty’s Builder Supply alum and longtime employee Rob Stefanick to supervise the move and meticulously plan the merchandise layout.

Efficiency was one of the first returns on investment that Dowling realized.

“We are so much more efficient, fluid and

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fast,” he says. For instance, pulling a framing package for a house used to take half to threequarters of a day in the smaller warehouse.

Now, that task takes just about an hour.

The expansion also allowed Dowling to bring in more retail-friendly product lines, such as electrical and plumbing supplies and fasteners. He has also added a lawn and garden section to the store.

“We want to be the go-to place for everything hardware, from commercial to residential needs,” he explains.

Looking Forward Dowling has learned a lot through this process, but mainly he has learned that it pays to trust your gut — and listen to your heart.

“Let God do His work,” he says. Bad times are necessary to help you appreciate the good ones.

He also believes that being selfless is a major ingredient in his success. Doing what’s best for others — employees and customers — means very little turnover and very loyal shoppers.

With the prime location near one of the fastest-growing parts of Tallahassee and Leon

County, and being situated near the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee Community College and Florida A&M University, J.H. Dowling is at the nexus of several growing institutions.

Dowling prides himself in offering the best products at a fair price. He also strives to keep his family of employees happy and productive. Add to that the constant battle of fighting negativity and overcoming adversity — and diversifying your business, customers and products — and you have the Dowling recipe for success.

As for the return on investment of his $3.5 million, Dowling is sure that what you sow is what you reap. It will take time, he knows.

“But what wins my heart is more important than money, and that’s keeping those 22 jobs and not letting my employees down,” he says. “My motto is ‘Go Big or Go Home,’ but also to stay true to my roots and my family’s legacy. We haven’t been in this business for 71 years by treating people badly.”

See the new J.H. Dowling Inc. at 3019 Jackson Bluff Road, Tallahassee.

Photo by BRUCE PALMER

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BAY CORRIDOR

Panama City, Panama City Beach + Bay County

CUTTING EDGE Dr. Bret Fisher, an eye surgeon and medical director of the Eye Center of North Florida, regularly hosts observation sessions for doctors from around the country who have an interest in learning about technologies and techniques employed in Panama City.

Looking to the Future H Regional eye center is an innovator and educator By Steve Bornhoft ad it not been for Dr. Bret Fisher’s desire for climate change, Panama City likely would not be the center of excellence for cataract surgery that it is today.

Fisher is the medical director of the Eye Center of North Florida, with offices in Bay, Gulf and Washington counties, and the Laser and Surgery Center, located in Panama City.

Upon completing his residency in ophthalmology at the renowned Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia (after earning

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his medical degree at Duke University), Fisher joined the staff at the Anderson Eye Institute in San Diego in 1990. Two years later, the ambitious Fisher founded the Comprehensive Eye Care Center, also in San Diego.

But Fisher, Southern California’s blissful weather notwithstanding, was dogged by a desire to return to his home state of Florida and to escape what he found to be an oppressive regulatory climate.

He traded the left coast for the Gulf Coast, accepting a position with the Newberry

Eye Clinic in Panama City. And, despite landing in a small city, Fisher’s ambition arrived intact.

“There was not a lot of managed care in Northwest Florida,” Fisher noted. “In the case of most patients, it was traditional feefor-service, and it’s easier when there’s no layer between the patient and the doctor.

In California, pre-approval was required for everything, and I spent a lot of time and effort pleasing people who were in charge of looking after an insurance company’s bottom line instead of what was best for the patient.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE EYE CENTER OF NORTH FLORIDA / CADE MARTIN (FISHER)

The Eye Center represents the vision of several doctors who got together to discuss the efficiencies and advantages that a large, consolidated business would bring.

The Newberry and Gulf Coast eye clinics merged and moved into the Eye Center’s large headquarters facility on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Panama City in 2000.

As a medical student at Duke, Fisher participated in research headed up by Diane Hatchell and Einar Stefansson, two people who got him “started on the eye track.”

Their focus was diabetic retinopathy — a condition that results from damage to blood vessels at the back of the eye — and laser treatments for it. Then, at Wills, Fisher was among residents who combined to produce the first edition of the Wills Eye Manual, regarded as the most widely published work in ophthalmology.

These days, Fisher tends to be a mentor rather than a mentee in areas including cataract surgeries, some 3,000 of which are conducted at the Eye Center each year.

“We host a physician or group of physicians at our surgery center typically every month or so,” Fisher said. “These are generally established surgeons from all over the United States who are interested in the technology we are using here at the Eye Center and how it helps improve cataract surgery for our patients.”

It is the Eye Center’s status as an industry leader and innovator that puts its physicians in a position to educate others. For example, Fisher and an Eye Center colleague, Dr. Paul Garland, combined to perform the first laser-assisted cataract surgery in Florida in 2011.

“Physicians at the Eye Center of North Florida not only stay abreast of the latest advancements in cataract surgery, they are also at the forefront of driving technological advances in the specialty,” Fisher emphasized.

“We participate in many FDA studies of the latest models of lens implants for cataKEEPING PACE ract surgery, allowing To ensure they are practicing top-of-theus to offer the latest line procedures, the technologies to our Eye Center of North Florida takes part in patients. I frequently FDA studies on the teach physicians latest in implants.

about cataract surgery and report the results of our studies at national meetings of cataract surgeons, as well as in peer-reviewed publications.”

Indeed, the past decade has seen the development of new multifocal and astigmatismcorrecting lens implants, which allow most people to get along without glasses for most activities after cataract surgery.

The precision of laser-assisted surgery, Fisher said, has enabled doctors to maximize the potential of lens implants.

He added that “other technologies, such as the optiwave refractive analysis system for measuring the eye during surgery, have allowed us to achieve accuracy in cataract surgery comparable to what we achieve in LASIK,” the now familiar procedure used to correct common vision problems such as nearsightedness.

The inevitable aging process ensures that Fisher et al. will be in the cataract business for the long haul.

Fisher finds that people with cataracts usually notice a gradual onset of blurred vision and begin to experience difficulty reading, problems with glare or bright lights and diminished night vision. A cataract, which is simply a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, is a normal part of getting older. Almost 100 percent of people will develop cataracts to some degree by age 70.

For most patients today, there are few restrictions following cataract surgery.

Patients are asked not to drive the day of their surgery because they do receive mild sedation.

It’s important, too, that they not rub their eyes, go swimming, wear eye makeup, or get dust or dirt in their eye for the first week after surgery. There are no restrictions for most patients on stooping, lifting or bending.

“With most of our patients, we are performing dropless or one-drop-a-day cataract surgery,” Fisher said. “We’re able to do this because we use a special combination of antibiotics and steroid medication given in the eye at the time of surgery. This saves patients from the expense and inconvenience of using postoperative drops, and it’s more effective.”

Throughout the experience, of course, it is helpful to have a caring doctor.

Fisher seeks a number of qualities in addition to experience and knowledge when he recruits physicians.

“I want doctors who have a good bedside manner and who will interact with staff and work well as a member of a team,” Fisher said. “We want doctors who are competent but not arrogant and who are good listeners and communicators and are compassionate. We care. We’ve never turned a cataract patient away for financial reasons.”

Low-tech considerations, perhaps, but ones that apply universally, all the way to California.

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EMERALD COAST CORRIDOR

Coastal Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa + Walton Counties

Get Booking Young entrepreneur Greg Fisher has overcome challenges to turn TripShock, a travel booking company, into a success By Rochelle Koff

G

reg Fisher says he “never was an entrepreneurial person” until he turned 16 and became interested in the stock trade. Since then, he hasn’t slowed down.

In his junior year at Orlando’s University of Central Florida, Fisher became “fascinated with the internet” and spent $7,000 — his life’s savings — to launch a restaurant site called DinersNation.com (a Yelp-type venture). He sold it at age 25 for $40,000.

“I knew I had to go full speed or not at all,” he now says of his initial startup. “It opened up a new world to me.”

At age 32, Fisher is now an entrepreneurial powerhouse. In 2009, he co-founded the Santa Rosa Beach-based company TripShock, which he built into a business that grossed more than $4 million in 2016. His spirit, success and sweat equity are just some of the reasons the Pensacola-based Studer Community Institute named the exuberant CEO Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016.

The award recognizes the achievements and economic impact that entrepreneurs and businesses have on a community.

“In seven years, Greg Fisher’s TripShock. com grew into the Northern Gulf’s largest online travel agent for family-friendly tours and activities,” the Studer Community Institute stated when announcing the award. “By focusing on a specific category of the leisure travel industry, TripShock saw 703 percent growth in four years.”

The firm “stood out as exemplifying

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business success through investing in their people and having excellent customer service,” says Pensacola entrepreneur Quint Studer, founder and CEO of the Studer institute. “The company’s call center is 100 percent staffed with local customer service representatives and was named as one of the top 500 fastest-growing companies in America by Inc.com, which is a great accomplishment.”

The Studer award touted TripShock as the “go-to booking site in the region and a voice for the small businesses the company sells.”

TripShock books tours and activities, for a commission, working with 175 providers from Panama City Beach to New Orleans, including purveyors of fishing trips, sailing, parasailing, magic shows, helicopter tours, swamp tours and dolphin cruises on the coast. New Orleans providers also include river cruises and walking and pub crawl tours.

TripShock books an average annual gross of $30,000 per provider and receives a percentage of those sales.

Fisher said he was “blown away” by the Studer institute award, adding, “I have worked so hard and I’m so passionate about what I do. In a way, I felt like this award validated all my hard work.”

That hard work began when he was building his DinersNation.com website while pursuing a degree in hospitality management. After graduation, a driven Fisher continued to grow the business, which enabled him, at age 23, to buy a house in 2009 when prices were still lower from the recession. In 2010, five years after starting the site, he sold DinersNation.com to Swedish investors.

Fisher was also working as director of sales and assistant manager at the Candlewood Suites hotel in Miramar Beach when a family friend asked him to work with her on an online concierge service.

TIME TRAVEL Greg Fisher is the CEO of TripShock, which allows users to book tours and activities in coastal regions from Panama City Beach to New Orleans. No need to waste time on multiple sites when you can book all of your activities on one.

Not long after launching the site, the BP oil spill began on April 20, 2010.

“Nobody wanted to go in the water, and 90 percent of our activities were waterrelated,” he says. Despite finally receiving a “decent settlement from BP,” it wasn’t enough of a boost for the business. In desperation, Fisher and his partner began diversifying to other markets, such as Hawaii, Miami and New York City, without much success.

“It’s very hard to go into other markets if you don’t know the right people and the logistics,” Fisher concedes.

So TripShock renewed its focus on the Emerald Coast. Then, in 2013, two Indiana girls were seriously injured in a parasailing accident in Panama City, affecting that business, and there were more challenges, such as lots of bad weather.

Fisher was a young father paying a mortgage and trying to make ends meet.

Photo by TIM SKIPPER PHOTOGRAPHY

“I was always looking for ways to make an income when business challenges arose,” he says, noting that there were times when he sought personal loans.

“It was really tough on us. My wife deserves a lot of the credit because she stuck around and she believed in me,” says Fisher, who has a daughter and son, ages 5 and 2, with his wife, Christine. “You don’t see a lot of entrepreneurs with young kids. I kept promising my wife it would get better, that I would give everything I had to make it work.”

And he did.

“If I needed to, I’d do consulting work, freelancing, building websites,” Fisher says.

“I wrote content.” TripShock also provided reservation software to tour and activity companies.

In 2014, he acquired TripShock from his partner and brought on new associates, including new partner Alex Benko, his chief technology officer, to help accelerate and grow the company.

That proved to be a big year for the company, with annual sales totaling $2.4 million — representing 2,386 percent growth since 2011. Annual sales in 2015 were $2.9 million. In 2016, TripShock had $4.2 million in annual sales.

In 2014, TripShock also garnered national attention, ranking 173rd on the Inc.com list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies. The annual list represents a large portion of America’s top privately owned businesses, including Yelp, Pandora and Zillow.

TripShock is up 150 percent for the first quarter of 2017 compared to the same time last year, Fisher says.

A small but growing segment of TripShock’s business is destination sites.

It has purchased NavarreBeach.com, PensacolaBeach.com, OkaloosaIsland.com, DestinBoardwalk.com and, most recently, CoastalAlabama.com.

Buying domain names is a big deal for the firm.

“It’s why advertisers are coming to the table,” Fisher says. “They know we put a great deal of money and resources into buying the names, so we must be pretty serious about promoting them.”

TripShock also has a deal with the popular

site 30a.com and now works with VRBO, which links visitors to tours and attractions.

Fisher says that one key to growing his companies has been a willingness “to take the risks associated with big gains. When businesses fail to evolve or change, that’s when they start regressing. We’re always putting something new out. You have to know your industry.”

He also credits his knowledgeable team, all tasked with building personal relationships with their clients.

“Every one of my clients is an entrepreneur,” Fisher says. “We talk with them every week.

We want to know about their challenges.”

Those challenges can be technological.

Some of his clients “have been working with pen and paper since they can remember. It’s difficult to change.” So TripShock steps in to help navigate the system and enhance bookings.

In turn, Fisher isn’t afraid to ask for help.

He also works with consultant and mentor, Martin Owen.

“I’m 32, but I look like I’m 22; so when I go into meetings, people write me off, or when I call them, they write me off because I sound young,” Fisher says. Owen “helps me get in the door. And once I’m in the door, I can sell.

I’m passionate about what I do, and I know the industry really well. I’m obsessed with it.”

And that’s an ingredient to success and growing your companies, he says.

“You have to be obsessed if you want to be a power entrepreneur and you want to be successful,” he says. “I’m constantly reading industry news, researching competitors to see what’s new.”

Fisher says he enjoys talking to budding entrepreneurs because he understands their challenges.

“Sometimes you’re going to be at the bottom and you’re going to have to figure out ways to get yourself out,” he says. “I’ve been there plenty of times. There are going to be tough days, but realize that a lot of big companies start in garages. You need a lot of sweat equity to keep it going.”

And, perhaps, you need joy.

“To me, it’s fun,” he says. “And if you’re an entrepreneur and it’s not fun, you have to get out.”

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BUSINESS NEWS

SOUNDBYTES

CAPITAL

» Broker Bert Pope, founder and

APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

»

Four prominent Tallahassee individuals were recently appointed to the Florida Constitution Revision Commission: Timothy Cerio, an accomplished attorney who had previously served as general counsel to the governor and in 2013 was appointed to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the First District Court of Appeal; Emery Gainey, a member of the attorney general’s senior executive management team and currently the director for law enforcement; Brecht Heuchan, founder and CEO of ContributionLink LLC, a leading political intelligence, data analytics and fundraising company; and Florida Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, who has served as an educator and administrator for 37 years. The 37-member commission convenes every 20 years to review Florida’s Constitution and propose potential changes to be approved by Florida voters.

» Megan Fay has been appointed

director of policy. She has worked in the governor’s office since 2013 and has served as a chief analyst in the Office of Policy and Budget, as deputy director of Cabinet affairs and most recently as deputy director of legislative affairs. Fay fills the position left vacant by Jeff Woodburn, who is now the executive director of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission.

»

Tallahassee Realtor Patti Ketcham, owner of Ketcham Realty Group, was recently appointed to the Florida Real Es- KETCHAM tate Commission. She succeeds Darla Furst and is appointed for a term ending Oct. 31, 2020.

LOCAL HONORS

»

Retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Major Harding has received the 2017 Faith and Profession Award from HARDING Tallahassee Christian College and Training Center.

Harding has been a shareholder with the Ausley McMullen law firm since retiring from the court in 2002 and today is a member of St. Peter’s Anglican Church.

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owner of Bert Pope & Associates LLC, recently marked a 28-year milestone selling the largest homes in Tallahassee. He has sold more than a dozen million-dollar homes.

» Tallahassee City Commissioner

Gil Ziffer recently received the 2016 Silver Medal Award from the American Advertising Federation Tallahassee, which annually recognizes the best and the brightest in the industry. The Silver Medal Award is AAFT’s highest honor.

» Aegis Business Technologies

is on the 2017 Tech Elite 250 list of CRN, a brand of the Channel Company. This annual list honors an exclusive group of North American IT solution providers that have earned the highest number of advanced technical certifications from leading technology vendors, scaled to their company size.

» Hancock

Bank and Whitney Bank have earned an impressive 18 national and regional 2016 Greenwich Excellence Awards for small-business banking and middle-market banking. The Whitney Bank organization, which does business under the Hancock Bank and Whitney Bank brands, has won a total of 115 Greenwich Award designations — eight Best Brand awards since 2013 and 107 Excellence awards since 2005.

BEGINNINGS

» Hillary Haythorn has been named trust officer at Capital City Trust Company.

HAYTHORN

»

Phil Focaracci and Nick Gilpin of Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. recently passed all FOCARACCI four parts of the CPA Exam and received their CPA license. Focaracci is a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and GILPIN Gilpin is a senior in Thomas Howell Ferguson’s tax services department.

»

Wendover Housing Partners, a privately held real-estate

850businessmagazine.com

development, investment and management company, recently announced the opening of its senior apartment community, Kenwood Place. According to a market brief from the American Seniors Housing Association, the demand for senior housing will grow from 1.4 million units in 2015 to 3.2 million units by the year 2040.

» Jason Zaborske, founder of Capital Events Inc., has joined Legal Services of North Florida as the organization’s new resource developer.

For nearly 20 years, Zaborske has planned and executed events as well as raised funds for various nonprofit organizations in the area, including Capital City Youth Services, United Way, Children’s Week and the FICPA Educational Foundation. » Tallahassee native Dr. John Ratowski has joined the staff of Chaney, Couch & Associates Family Dentistry. » Veteran Tallahassee banker Matt Brown is joining Thomas County (Ga.) Federal as Tallahassee market president. Brown is joined by commercial banker Nat Higdon in serving the North Florida market.

BROWN

HIGDON

» Local CPA firm James D.A. Holley & Co. has merged with Top 25 CPA and advisory firm Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC. All personnel of James D.A. Holley & Co. will now operate under the CRI name, and the team will set up shop in CRI’s new Tallahassee office on Centennial Boulevard. » Synovus Bank has announced that Bill Moore has been named president of Tallahassee State Bank.

MOORE Moore is a Leon County native and has been with Tallahassee State Bank for more than 20 years. » Steven LOHBECK

Lohbeck has been promoted to senior vice president, commercial banking manager, at

Ameris Bank. He will be in charge of oversight of the commercial banking team in the Tallahassee market along with his duties as a commercial loan officer.

» John Medina has been promoted to senior vice president/chief experience officer at First Commerce Credit MEDINA Union. Medina will provide leadership to First Commerce’s operations teams and member delivery channels. » BumbleBee Waxing and More recently celebrated the grand opening of its ultra-modern day spa in downtown Tallahassee. The newly finished spa blends unique services with a healing atmosphere that creates a new flavor of indulgence in the area. » Jon Edwards is the new president of Florida-based marketing firm The Taproot Agency. Edwards will oversee the day-today operations of the EDWARDS business, as well as continue to provide creative direction on all client campaigns. Agency founder Sean Doughtie will continue to serve as chief executive officer. » Fuzzy’s Taco Shop will open in Tallahassee this summer. Located at 1600 W. Call St., the Tallahassee location will be the first Fuzzy’s built, owned and operated by franchisees Torry Brand and Brian Watson.

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» MoLab Inc. and Tallahassee’s Think About Personal Pollution program are going to join forces this summer to teach kids how they can reduce the amount of “nonpoint source pollution” around them. For eight weeks, MoLab will visit several community centers in the Lake Munson Drainage Basin to talk about this kind of pollution and how to mitigate its impact on the environment.

EMERALD COAST APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» Herman White of Pensacola, a barber at Esquire Barber Shop, was recently appointed to the

Florida Building Code Administrators and Inspectors Board.

» Mark Harden of Pensacola, the

Military Aid director for the NavyMarine Corps Relief Society, was appointed to Florida Is for Veterans Inc.

» Bobby

L. Whitney Jr. of Fort Walton Beach and Louis A. Maygarden III of Pensacola have been appointed to the First Circuit Judicial Nomination Commission. Whitney is an attorney with Seymour Whitney and Maygarden is a partner with Shell, Fleming, Davis & Menge, P.A.

LOCAL HONORS

» University of West Florida ac-

counting students ranked third in the nation in 2016 for first-time pass rate on the Certified Public Accountant Examination. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy released its 2016 University Edition of Candidate Performance on the Uniform CPA Examination which showed that UWF candidates passed sections taken at an 87.1 percent clip.

»

Local organization-development and branding firm idgroup recently took home two coveted Best of Show awards at the American Advertising Federation’s local ADDY Awards competition. This marks the ninth consecutive year the Pensacola-based firm has been honored with the award.

» Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville has earned the 2016 Unit of Distinction Award for exemplary medical-surgical units at Hospital Corporation of America facilities.

»

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PROFILED INDIVIDUALS

Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and Twin Cities Hospital received spring 2017 “A” grades for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization that monitors the quality and safety of American health care.

» Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward announced that the city will honor one of Pensacola’s favorite sons with the dedication of the Reubin O’Donovan Askew Terminal at Pensacola International Airport.

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

» The Pointe grand opening was

held recently to celebrate its mark

on the east end of County Road 30A in Inlet Beach. The event was hosted by ResortQuest, the exclusive rental management company.

» Asset Insurance, a leading in-

dependent insurance agency in Northwest Florida, has moved its headquarters to Grand Boulevard at Sandestin. Asset Insurance is a full-service insurance company specializing in services for homes, businesses, condominium associations and homeowner’s associations as well as short-term rental coverage for properties from Panama City Beach to Pensacola.

»

Niceville’s North Light Yacht Club and Emerald Coast Marine recently announced a merger to form the Emerald Coast Marine Center.

The new company is led by three boating industry veterans: Shawn Talpey, president and chief operating officer; Keri Doscher, vice president; and Jeff Orbin, vice president of marketing and development.

BEGINNINGS

»

Dr. John Chiles has joined the White-Wilson Pediatric Clinic in Fort Walton Beach. Chiles has more than 35 CHILES years of experience in providing pediatric care and is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

» Retired U.S. Navy

flight officer Dan Schebler is now the assistant county administrator for Santa Rosa County. He formerly served as SCHEBLER a deputy program director/project manager for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Economic Adjustment.

being built in front of the existing Children’s Hospital.

» The University of West Florida’s Center for Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with Gulf Power Company and FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, has developed the Northwest Florida Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Assets Portal to assist entrepreneurs in Northwest Florida. » Destin Commons announced the opening of four new retail centers at the outdoor lifestyle center. Coastal Outfitters, Extreme Sports Fan and Munika Karim are now open, and Sea & Sand Jewelry was scheduled to open in mid-April. Destin Boutique, a store offering a wide range of ladies’ and teen clothing, also recently opened in Destin Commons. » Accounting firm Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund has announced that Reingruber & Company, P.A. of St. Petersburg and its Nashville, Tennessee-based affiliate have merged with the firm. » VITAS Healthcare, a leading national provider of end-of-life care, has opened its newest program in Pensacola.

BAY APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» William A. Lewis of Panama City

has been reappointed to the 14th Circuit Judicial Nomination Commission. Lewis is an attorney with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

» Panama City’s Jimmy Patronis, currently a commissioner on the Florida Public Service Commission, was recently appointed to the Florida Constitution Revision Commission.

LOCAL HONORS

» Construction of the new Studer Family Children’s Hospital has begun on the Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola campus and is expected to continue for two years.

The new, four-story hospital is

» The Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce was recently presented with four awards at the local ADDYs Gala, American Advertising Federation Awards Dinner. Credits were awarded to the chamber’s director of communications, Katelyn French, and president/CEO, Kristopher McLane, as well as to CYber SYtes, The Hartley Press, Miller Audio-Visual and Farmer’s Marketing.

BEGINNINGS

» TurnKey Vacation Rentals, the third-largest vacation rental/ property management company in the United States, is opening a vacation destination office in Panama City. General manager Jessica Walkoski is a business development and sales professional with more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality and travel industry.

FORGOTTEN COAST APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» J.C. Stoutamire has been appointed to the Apalachee Regional Planning Council, Region Two. Stoutamire, of Hosford in Liberty County, is a former papermaker for St. Joe Paper Co. and served on the Liberty County Commission for eight years.

LOCAL HONORS

» The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released its nationwide quality scorecard for 2016 through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. Among hospitals surveyed, Sacred Heart Hospital received the highest score for Hospital Environment, ranking it No. 1 in Florida and in the United States.

INTERSTATE 10 APPOINTED

BY GOV. SCOTT

» The following Marianna residents were recently appointed to the Jackson County Hospital District: John Milton is a local business owner and real estate investor. He succeeds William Floyd and is appointed for a term beginning March 23, 2017 and ending Sept. 5, 2019.

Shareta Wright is the director of The Wright Foundation. She fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning March 23, 2017 and ending July 31, 2020. Kelly Connolly is the vice president of finance for Tri State Automotive Warehouse.

She succeeds Sandra Helms and is appointed for a term beginning March 23, 2017 and ending July 20, 2020. Dr. Robert “Bob” Hoff is a retired family practitioner. He succeeds David Carrel and is appointed for a term beginning March 23, 2017 and ending July 19, 2018.

—COMPILED BY JASON DEHART

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Northwest Florida can breathe a collective sigh of relief.

The eight Panhandle counties hardest hit by the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill are going to get the damage reimbursement dollars from BP they have been waiting on.

But it’s been a long period of breathholding. The first $300 million check was delivered last July and had to be held until the Florida Legislature agreed to release it. And that’s where the worries came in. Would a potentially cashstrapped state let go of that money or keep it? The prospect of losing those dollars was on everyone’s mind, but no one wanted to publicly voice concerns for fear of alienating the wrong person(s) in Tallahassee.

There was arm wrestling over the cash — who should control it and how it should be spent. But in the final days of its 2017 regular session, the Florida Legislature did agree on a measure that guarantees the counties will get the money, which will be distributed by a group set up by the Legislature — Triumph Gulf Coast, a panel of five esteemed business leaders from the region. Over a 17-year period, the legislation guarantees the eight counties — Wakulla, Franklin, Gulf, Bay, Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Escambia — will get a total of $1.5 billion.

Hopes have run high for what these dollars can accomplish for the region, which took a multi-billion dollar hit to its economy from the 200 million gallons of oil that gushed into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The money is above and sepa2010 DEEPWATER HORIZON rate from the Restore Act funds appropriated by Congress to local governments and is supposed to be used to promote economic recovery and diversity in the region.

Tourism and the military remain primary economic drivers in these counties and there has long been a need to build what is often referred to as the third leg of the economic stool. Local

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officials know that these new dollars have the power to do great things. Last year, Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward told 850 that these BP dollars will give the region a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get it right.”

The money can be used for things like career development, infrastructure projects, educational opportunities, tourism ads and reducing property taxes.

But the Legislature made sure the dollars can’t be used for economic incentives to lure new business to the area or help existing businesses expand. That’s because House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s war against incentives he views as “corporate welfare” — a reason he led the Legislature to kill the statewide incentive program administered by Enterprise Florida, too.

And that’s a shame.

Northwest Florida needs to expand its economic base.

Right now the military and Department of Defense spending seem to be protected, but that could change. Visitor interest in the region is going strong and growing. But a string of hurricanes or another oil spill could have a devastating impact on the region’s tourism economy. Events have shown us how easily the area can be brought to its economic knees.

Incentives have worked in our region — Navy Federal Credit Union’s incredible expansion program, which will eventually lead to 10,000 jobs in Escambia County, is a primary example.

And state programs have worked elsewhere, helping especially to bring in large manufacturers: Boeing in Washington and South Carolina; Kia Motors in Georgia; Toyota and Ford in Kentucky.

The biggest problem with incentive programs has been the lack of transparency and accountability. Taxpayer money was handed out and, in some cases statewide or locally, no one was watching to see what the results would be.

And that, too, is a darned shame.

LINDA KLEINDIENST, EDITOR lkleindienst@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTOS BY KAY MEYER AND COURTESY UNITED STATES COAST GUARD / COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

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