january 2019 official publication of the greater fort … · 2019-01-10 · riggs & ingram to...

JANUARY 2019 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GREATER FORT WALTON BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Welcome 2019 Chair Matt Turpin from Bank of England Mortgage.

Greater Fort Walton BeachChamber of Commerce Taking Charrrge!

Matt & Kacy Turpin

It is always amazing how quickly a year goes by! Just about the time you get in the habit of writing 2018, 2019 pulls Lee Corso’s “not so fast, my friend!” I am Matt Turpin, and I am your 2019 Chair of the Board for the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce. Native to Bir-mingham, Alabama, I grew up loving to play baseball. I just knew I was going to make it to the big leagues! I just didn’t know big leagues meant going to Auburn Uni-versity, graduating with a degree in Accounting, and be-coming a CPA. Hey, Clark Kent was a news reporter, so there’s that.

After college, I worked in Public Accounting and owned my own accounting firm, which led me to focus on busi-ness valuation. In 2010, I moved to FWB to work for Carr, Riggs & Ingram to value business losses as a result of the BP oil spill. While 2010 was not a good year for the Gulf of

Mexico, it was a very good year for me. I moved to the area, Auburn became National Champs, and I married the love of my life, Kacy Turpin. The perfect trifecta!

Kacy is a very talented interior designer and home stager with an eye for class and style. She graduated from, ahem, the University of Alabama, which makes college football season fun around our house. More specifically, fun for her... I have two children: Vir-ginia, 16, is an “old soul” with a heart of gold, an artist with a love for vintage, an aspiring entrepreneur, and the only teenager in this world that doesn’t want a cell phone and Win, 14, who is all boy, who loves to shoot guns and hunt, play video games, and is “so over” the Fortnite craze, thankfully.

Upon moving here, one of my first meetings was with Ted Corcoran. He suggested I get involved with the Chamber, so I did. In 2014, I was elected to the Chamber Board, in 2015 became the Board Treasurer, and in 2018 became the Incoming Chair.

In April of 2018, I was hired as the local CFO for Bank of England Mortgage. Michael Castleberry, its local CEO, has been instrumental in its success and has assembled a talented team to realize the company’s mission. I am honored to be a part of this and look forward to integrating the Bank of England into the FWB Chamber, as well. Additionally, I spend my time as a Bowlegger within the Krewe of Bowlegs and serve as its Treasurer. I also serve on other boards including The ARC of the Emerald Coast, The Horizon’s Foundation, William Augustus Bowles Historical Society and Pirate Museum and last, but not least, enjoying good bourbon with the Bourbon Society of Camp Walton.

In my love for the Preservation of Piracy, the theme for 2019 is Taking Charrrge! We have taken charrrge of important decisions for the betterment of our community and we will continue to do so for 2019.

Matt TurpinYour 2019 ChairTaking Charrrge!

Matt TurpinChair of the Board

CoasTlines is a publication of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce located at 34 SE Miracle Strip Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32548. Ph 850.244.8191 Fax 850.244.1935. Submit information to Eppi Azzaretto at [email protected]

2 | JANUARY 2019 | www.fwbchAmbeR.com | the GReAteR foRt wAltoN beAch chAmbeR of commeRce

A Message From The Chair Of The Board

1 | Tuesday | Chamber Closed

Happy New Year 2019!

4 | Friday 7:00 a.m.

Annual Installation & Awards BreakfastSponsored by Vensure Employer ServicesFirst Baptist Church Christian Life Center 21 First Street, NE, FWB Buy tickets at FWBChamber.com.

10 | Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Nothing But NetworkingRockin’ Tacos, 1450 Miracle Strip Pkwy, FWBBuy tickets at FWBChamber.com | $15

17 | Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 12 noon

Winter Guest Fest Presented by ResortQuestEmerald Coast Convention Center 1250 Miracle Strip Pkwy, FWB

17 | Thursday 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Business After HoursEmerald Coast Science Center31 Memorial Drive, FWB

on THe CoVeR: Welcome to new Chair of the Board, Matt Turpin from Bank of England. He is ready to"Take Charrrge" in 2019 working for the growth and betterment of our community.

JANUARY 2019 HIGHLIGHTSSee a complete September events calendar on page 15. Find all Chamber events at www.FWBChamber.com

Chamber StaffTED CORCORAN, IOM

SETH LUTTRELLEPPI AzzARETTO

RaCHEllE GRaVES, IOMDAYNA STINEBISER

CHRISSY FLANIGANDEBBIE DODGE CAMILLE WEBSTER

PATRICIA PAYNE

President/CEO Director of OperationsDirector of Marketing/PRDirector of Special EventsInformation SpecialistDirector of AccountingMembership Specialist Retention SpecialistInvaluable Volunteer

Hello 2019!

Greater Fort Walton BeachChamber of Commerce

It may be a New Year, but we have the same Chamber philosophy:

No matter whether you are:

• an existing Chamber member who would like to learn how to maximize your membership benefits;

• a new business, or existing business, who has not yet joined our chamber—and would like to know how we “Guarantee YOUR Success”;

• a social or civic organization who needs a guest speaker to tell you all the wonderful things happening in our community;

• an amateur home baker looking to have someone try your new dessert creation; or perhaps home brewer searching for a

suitable audience to sample your home beer brew;

We are here for you!The Greater Fort Walton Chamber of Commerce, “Okaloosa County’s Most Influential Organization,” readies ourselves to serve our community in 2019 and beyond. Please contact us when you need us-because WE ARE HERE FOR [email protected] 850-244-8191

Ted CorcoranPresident/CEO

Ted Corcoran, ioMPresident/Ceo

A Message From The FWBC President

STEVE BaxTERKIM DENMAN

MARK HAMRICKVINCE MayFIEld

HEATHER RUIzVICkI TaRRO

DONNA TASHIK

2019 CHAMBER LEADERSHIP TEAM

MATT TURPIN | Bank of England MortgageChair of the Board

VINCE MayFIEld | Bit-Wizards2020 Chair of the Board-Elect

BILL ROBERTS | Barnes Insurance & Financial Service Immediate Past Chair

STEPHEN PERKINS | Warren Averett Treasurer

HEATHER RUIz | Destin CommonsSection Chair - Professional Development

MARK HAMRICK | Center Line Associates Section Chair – Community

JASON FLOYD | JDF ArchitectureSection Chair – Special Events

STEVE BaxTER | Baxter InsuranceSection Chair – Business to Business

OxaNa SOlOVIEVa | OxanaSol Commercial Real Estate Section Chair – Networking

C. LEDON ANCHORSCHARLES D. BURGESS

JIM GLENNKATHY HOUCHINS

C. H. LONGBRUCE MARSHALL

JEANNE RIEF JOYCE SANDERS

H. GENE SMITH LISA JO SPENCER

KENNETH WILLIAMSON

(Deceased)

(Deceased)

(Deceased)

(Deceased)

MELISSA ALLEGRETTOJASON FLOYDOLEN HOLSTONLESLIE MOLANDPATRICIA PAYNEOxaNa SOlOVIEVaTRACY STAGE

BARBARA BRITTLISA CAPTAINDIANE FRASER

daVId PRESNEll

ExECUTIVE COMMITTEE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS TERM 2019-2021

LIFE DIRECTORS

TERM 2017-2019

EDDIE SPRINGLEPAUL STINEBISERGUS GUSOFF

We Are Here for You!

JANUARY 2019 | www.fwbchAmbeR.com | the GReAteR foRt wAltoN beAch chAmbeR of commeRce | 3

TERM 2018-2020

One of Chair Nick Chubb’s last official duties was pre-senting Leslie Moland of White-Wilson Medical Center with her prize for winning the “Find Chandler” contest in last month’s Coastlines. What’s that cool item he’s giving her? It’s a great print of a custom drawing of Fort Walton Beach done especially for the Chamber by Mississippi artist Linda Theobald. Ask to see one the next time you’re at the Chamber offices – they’re available for sale!

"Where's Chandler"Winner!


On Saturday, November 10th, over 400 people attended a Hurricane Michael fundraiser hosted by The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island. The community rallied together to cheers with over 120 wines, craft beers, and spirits, all in the name of charity.

Cheers for Charity, A Hurricane Mi-chael Fundraiser raised $22,260 with 100% of the proceeds benefitting Panhandle Prayers and Pawsitive Love Foundation, two reputable or-ganizations whose efforts are assist-ing those affected by the storm.

The event was pulled together in just two weeks, as a few commu-nity members and team members from Saltwater Restaurants Inc., management company of The Boardwalk, saw an opportunity to do something with more long-term

objectives for Hurricane Michael victims.

“Like most of the community, we immediately felt the need to assist those affected by the storm with hot meals and supplies, but felt a strong urge to make an even big-ger impact utilizing our resources. When the opportunity came to pull together this event in such a short amount of time, we knew it was going to be a lot of work, but absolutely worth it,” says Misty Rae Ruthrauff, Marketing Director for Saltwater Restaurants, Inc. “It’s amazing how many volunteers will come together and make things happen when the simple goal is to help our neighbors. Our Emer-ald Coast community is full of so much love and compassion, and it reflected at the Cheers for Charity event. We are so grateful to have raised over $22,000 in this short amount of time!”

Fundraising efforts included raffles with thousands of dollars in items including getaways, artwork, and even a surf board from Fluid Surf Shop. 10% of all restaurant sales from Rockin’ Tacos, Floyd’s Shrimp House, and The Crab Trap were donated to the cause, in addition to sales from other Saltwater Res-taurant properties including The Surf Hut in Miramar Beach and The Crab Trap in Destin.

Cheers for Charity Event at the Boardwalk Raised $22,260 for Hurricane Michael Relief

ROUND OF APPLAUSE

mEmbERS mAkiNg A DiFFERENcE!


A P P L AU S E | We salute the businesses and individuals making a difference in our community!

The folks at youth Village thank the aBWa for their generous gift of much-needed and much-appreciated Wish List items for their students. Pictured is ABWA member Tracy Cox McCreary with Nellie Bogar, Founder/Execu-tive director of youth Village.

The Emerald Coast Chapter of the American Business Women's Associa-tion is a diverse group of women who come together each month to grow personally and professionally.

Their Mission: To bring together business women of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support and national recognition. For more info, email them at [email protected]

ABWA Women Donate to youth Village

The residents of OPPORTUNITY PLACE were recently the lucky recipients of some amazing hand crafted pieces to help celebrate this Christmas season. The Flying Needle Quilters, affiliated with New Hope Baptist Church, donated these beautiful stockings, quilts and cases for the resi-dents. Pictured are (l-r) Linda Wise, Community Service Coordinator for the church, kay Joachim, First Vice President of the Quilters, and kathy Ever-ett, President of othe Quilters. The items will be distributed to the single women and all the families that are staying at OPPORTUNITY PLACE. The shelter is a temporary home for Single Women and for families who find themselves homeless. At OPPORTUNITY PLACE they receive a safe place to live, services to help them get into permanent housing, and counsel-ing. The shelter is located at 305 Lovejoy Road in Fort Walton Beach and at www.opifwb.org. Volunteers and donations are always needed and welcomed, especially during the holidays.

Opportunity Place Receives Donations from local Quilters Guild

Anne Ziegenhorn Selected as Mrs. Emerald Coast 2019Anne ziegenhorn of Shalimar, Florida has been se-lected by The Florida International Pageant as Mrs. Emerald Coast 2019. Anne will compete in the 2019 Mrs. Florida International Pageant, April 27 & 28 in Largo, Florida. The State Queens will compete for the National title in Charleston, West Virginia.

This is a National Program and the Florida Interna-tional Pageant system selects contestants who are well-rounded women, confident, intelligent, beauti-ful, and committed to family & community.

Anne is very active with her family and commu-nity. She and her husband Joel will celebrate 25 years of marriage in March along with their two children, Leah 16 and Aiden 15. She is a member of The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Com-merce, she volunteered as a soccer and volleyball

coach, she was VP and President of the elemen-tary schools PTO and served on the Board for Beach Elite Cheer. She is active in many area non-profit organizations, and she is the Co-Founder of The Im-plant Truth Survivors Committee.

These organizations are near and dear to Anne's heart as her mother survived Breast Cancer, then learned she had stage IV Ovarian Cancer. as a for-mer plastic surgeon scrub tech, Anne almost died from breast implants and being misdiagnosed. She states, "Many women are not told all of their options with mastectomy, reconstruction and even cos-metic augmentation, they can use their own tissues instead of implants. Our organizations are pushing for true Informed Consent on breast implants and asking doctors to tell all options available".


A P P L AU S E | We salute the businesses and individuals making a difference in our community!

To fund the Fort Walton Beach Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast Teen Center’s Money Mat-ters Program, State Farm Insur-ance has granted the Club $3,000 to help promote financial stability among teens by building their ba-sic money management skills. “We’ve partnered with indepen-dent State Farm agencies before, but we’re thrilled to have this kind of support from this incredible, large organization,” said CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Em-erald Coast Shervin Rassa. “It’s an incredible investment into these teens’ futures.”

The Money Matters Program was created by the Boys & Girls Clubs to provide behavior-changing fi-nancial education to help teens on a path toward budgeting, sav-ing, planning for college and fi-nancial freedom. Comprised of five core units--Budgeting & liv-ing Within Your Means, Saving & Investing, Planning for College, Credit & Debit and Entrepreneur-

ship-- this program gives teens a real-world perspective on money, reaching them at a time where their behavior as earners, spend-ers and savers can be influenced.

“This incredible grant will fully-fund the 2019 program,” said Ras-sa. “We’re so incredibly grateful to State Farm for its generosity and look forward to providing these teens with the tools they will need to have a fiscally responsible fu-ture.”

For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast and the Money Matters Pro-gram, visit www.emeraldcoast-bgc.org.

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast is proud to honor Peggy Dun-can, a nurse in the hospital’s Family Birth Place, with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of Sacred Heart Hospital and the DAI-SY Award Foundation's goal to recog-nize the extraordinary, compassionate care nurses provide patients and fami-lies every day. Duncan was nominated for The DAISY Award by Steve and Camille Withall, who delivered their first child at the Family Birth Place in August. “Peggy truly went above and beyond in her care for us. Her experience, patience and willingness to spend extra time with us made a stressful situation much

better,” said Camille Withall. “She de-livered extra blankets with a smile and gave us a feeling of being cared for.” Excellent communication, straightfor-ward advice, compassionate, patient and skillful were just some of the words used to describe Duncan in her nomi-nation. “We are grateful to have had this amazing nurse participate in our overall experience,” said Withall.

“We are proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in The DAISY Award program. Nurses are heroes every day,” said Chief Nurs-ing Officer BJ Fontaine. “It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation pro-vides a way for us to do that.”

Nurse Recognized at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast with DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses

State Farm Grants $3,000 to BGCEC Money Matters Program

Joe Cayer received his Doctorate in Martial Arts Philosophy in Pittsburgh, PA recently. Grand Master Cayer has studied several different martial arts in his 45 year career and continues that learning. He owns and teaches at Emerald Coast Martial Arts in Ft. Walton Beach (next to Sam's Club www.ecmafwb.com 850/664-5425).

Mastering The Art Of Lifelong Learning

L to R: Christa N. Allen, Manager of Women’s Services, Camille Withall and her baby, Barbara Fontaine, VP of Nursing and Peggy Duncan, RN, Family Birth Place Nurse.


Every January, the Emerald Coast wel-comes thousands of winter visitors, the Snowbirds. For over a decade, Resort-Quest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals has worked alongside the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce to present the area’s best-attended trade show for over 1,500 of its winter visitors.

In 2019, the Winter Guest Fest will be held on Thursday, January 17 at the Emerald Coast Convention Center Ballroom from 8 am until noon. Admis-sion will only be $2. Previous attendees have had the delight of leaving happy with plenty of coupons, giveaways, and surprises for all.

Winter Guests will be delighted to see some of their favorite businesses, along with a few new vendors, represented at the event. Some of the vendor cat-egories represented are dining, resorts, shopping, hotels, entertainment and more.

This year, ResortQuest remains the pre-senting sponsor for the Winter Guest Fest. Melissa Matern, on behalf of Re-sort Quest said, “We can’t wait to see what this year’s event has in store! It’s always such fun to meet our new snow-birds and to reconnect with returning regulars.”

The event is co-sponsored by Resort-Quest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals, the Greater Fort Walton Beach Cham-ber of Commerce, Snowbirds Gulf Coast Magazine, News Talk 1260, the Northwest Florida Daily News, Menu-Mag, the City of Fort Walton Beach, and the Emerald Coast Convention Bureau. For more information or to register as a vendor at this popular event, please contact the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce at (850) 244-8191, or email [email protected]. For more details, go to the Chamber’s website at www.fwb-chamber.com.

ResortQuest Presents the Winter Guest Fest on January 17

Thursday, January 178 a.m. to NoonEmerald Coast Convention Center1250 Miracle Strip Pkwy., Fort Walton BeachThe area's largest seasonal guest expo

– “Vendor Spots Still available” –



Be sure to make plans for the next “Business Leaders Together” luncheon on Thursday, February 1, sponsored by Bit-Wizards, at The Island, by Hotel RL, 1500 Miracle Strip Pkwy, SE, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm.

You’ll enjoy an inspiring presentation from dr. Paul Schempp – “lessons from Great Coaches: How to Build a Winning Team for Your Business.” Ask anyone who attended the last BLT Luncheon, and they’ll tell you not to miss this one!

Great teams consistently beat the competition, and they have one thing in common – great coaches. To understand the differentia-tors between the good and the great, Dr. Paul Schempp has studied elite coaches such as Bobby Bowden, dean Smith, dick Vermeil, Mike Budenholzer and other highly professional, collegiate and Olympic coaches.

Now, he reveals their secrets -- lessons that any business leader can ap-ply to beat the consistently outperform their competition. In this dynamic and entertaining keynote, you’ll learn specific skills and strategies to build -- and lead -- winning teams, including:

• Creating a Culture of Success.

• Seeing and seizing opportunities.

• Communication that gets results.

• The 60% Rule for planning and preparation.

• How to make great decisions under pressure.

• The 3 Questions that guarantee continual improvement.

Individual general admission tickets are $30. Reserved tables for 8 guests include personalized signage.

Purchase your tickets early at FWBChamber.comor call 850-244-8191 for more information or tickets.

This event is sponsored by Bit-Wizards, The Island, by Hotel RL, and the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Bit-Wizards Sponsors “Business Leaders Together” Luncheon on February 1

Email:tammy@tammysjourneys or Call 850-243-3809

Come Celebrate Tammy’s Journeys New Location148 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Suite 2

(Next door to Maas Coffee & facing the Ft Walton Beach Landing)

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE WITH FOOD, DRINK & DOORS PRIZES

Friday December 7, 2018 • 2pm – 6pmNote: Ft Walton Beach Ribbon Cutting at 4:00pm

Niceville Ribbon Cutting at 4:30pm

Save the Date for the Annual Travel ExpoSaturday February 23, 2019 • 9am – 1pm

Hilton Garden Inn on Okaloosa Island1297 Miracle Strip Parkway SE Fort Walton Bch, FL 32548

Pick up your entry form at Tammy’s Journeys, First Friday Coffee or Ft Walton Bch Chamber Of� ce

More details to followNF-11019534


Annual Installation and Awards Banquet The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce will hold its Annual Installation and Awards Breakfast on Friday, January 4, 2019, at 7:00 am. The Annual Installation and Awards Breakfast event is to celebrate the year’s hard work and successes in the business community and to present a number of awards to very deserving businesses and individuals. Join us as we celebrate and pay tribute to our exceptional chamber members! This event is sponsored by Vensure Employer Services, and will take the place of the organization’s regular First Friday Coffee.

The Annual Installation and Awards Breakfast marks the conclusion of a wonderful year under the leadership of our 2018 Chair of the Board Nick Chubb, along with his Executive Committee, as well as Board of Directors whose terms end in 2018. The Awards Breakfast will also mark the induc-tion of our 2019 Chair, Matt Turpin along with the new 2019-2021 Board members and Matt’s new Executive Committee.

And of course, there will be awards and surprises! Come and see who wins the coveted Mert Wagner Volunteer of the year award, the Jim Glenn Ambassador of the Year award, and the Business of the Year. And outgoing Chair Nick Chubb will also bestow much-loved Teddy awards on his chosen few. It’s always a great event – with lots of fun – and an up-graded breakfast menu. A special treat will be the awarding of the very first Hugh kendall Community Impact award to a deserving community volunteer.

Admission to this special event will be $20 for Chamber members, and $25 for non-members. Sponsored tables of eight are available for $250 each. your sponsorship includes:

• Eightreservedseatsatyourtable• Personalizedtablesignagewithlogo• Recognitionduringandbeforetheprogram• Post-eventrecognitioninCoastlines• Tonsoffun!

If you have purchased a prepaid FFC card for 2019, your admission is in-cluded. Otherwise, tickets will be $20 at the door – $25 for non-Chamber members. Sorry, we can’t give you a credit on the Sponsored Table, even if someone sitting there already has a prepaid FFC card.Have questions? Don’t hesitate to call us at 850-244-8191!


Ambassadors| The Green Team

Welcome our next MaC Speaker: lTC.RET.Samuel Lombardo

Fort Walton Beach Chamber MAC is proud to have as our January speaker LTC. Re-tired, Samuel Lombardo.

“If they won’t give us a flag, we’ll make one.” Samuel Lombardo, December, 1944.

He will be speaking on American Patrio-tism. “If they won’t give us a flag, we’ll make one,” said First Lieutenant Samuel Lombar-do platoon leader Second Platoon, Com-pany I, 394th

Infantry Regiment, 99th Division, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. The pla-

toon made the United States 48-star flag from scraps of cloth sewn on a white Ger-man surrender flag. John Marcisin, their medic, contributed the most labor in the making of “our” flag.

When Company I crossed the Remagen Bridge, their flag, only one side complet-ed, became the first american flag in the 99th Division east of the Rhine River. Dur-ing breaks in the battle, working mostly by candlelight, the flag was completed after two and one-half months, on the banks of the Danube River.

Join us for the MAC luncheon on January 28th, to hear more of this story and many more. LTC. Retired Lombardo is an author

and poet. He will paint a picture of history that our country was built on. He will not be using any aV equipment or other aids, he will be sharing with you the stories of unbe-lievable Americans. Samuel is very active in our community, where he writes and is embedded in the continuation of Ameri-can values. He came to this country when he was 10 years old from Carafe, Italy. His father told his family two things: learn the language immediately so we can speak to our neighbors; and work very hard. He wanted them all to be strong Americans.

The luncheon will be on a special date: Monday, January 28, 11:30 am – at our new location, Fort Walton Yacht Club, 180 Ferry Rd., NE, Fort Walton Beach.

Military Affairs Committee|Welcome To Our Next MAC Speaker

You may recognize the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors as "those people with the green jackets." That's exactly who we are. Our green jackets symbol-ize the welcoming nature, education and guidance of our Chamber. “The Green Team” represents your Chamber throughout the community by way of greeting members and visitors at vari-ous Chamber events. We also preside at ribbon cuttings to share in your ex-citing moment when opening a new

business or relocating. Ambassadors attend as your entourage and person-al celebrants! I am excited to lead this group of energetic individuals. I grew up in the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, and I consider myself a long-standing Ambassador and now I am thrilled to stand up tall and support and celebrate with my community. Are you interested in seeing what the Ambassadors are all about? We are al-

ways accepting new members. Please join us for our monthly meeting at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, January 16th, from 7:45 aM until 9:00 aM.

Barbara J. BrittB. Britt, llC2019 MaC Chair

Jennifer KrausBit Wizards2019 ambassadors Chair

I am so grateful to have been chosen to chair the Women’s Connect committee for 2019. Now let me tell you why. Jennifer Kraus did such an amazing job chairing this committee, that it has become so much more than just another networking event. The women who attend are suc-cessful, inspiring, empowering and lOVING. With your help we will keep that momentum going.

Maya Angelou said, “At the end of the day people won’t remember

what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”

Please join us on January 23rd (the 4th Wednesday of every month) in the conference room at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce. Bring a friend and your lunch, be prepared to play, share and be-friend some of the finest leaders in our area.Teresa “TJ” Janey

District Manager, Kelly services2019 WomenConnect Chair

WomenConnect| Lead Like a Woman!


Military Affairs Committee|Welcome To Our Next MAC Speaker

All of us in the tourism business have similar wish lists for things we’d like to see happen (or not happen) in 2019. Most of these would be fairly general, things like economic growth or at least stability; no “wind events” or other natural crises, but instead predictable weather that’s conducive to encouraging tourism. Oh, and of course no awful traffic on HWY98. Regrettably there’s not much we can do about those except wish. I do believe we will see improvements in the traffic situation, but it may take a bit of time.

Here in Okaloosa County we’ve all been looking forward to certain tour-ism changes for quite some years,and I firmly believe that those changes will come to fruition during 2019.

Everyone, including our visitors, have been confused in the past about our identity. Are we The Emerald Coast, Northwest Florida, Destin, Fort Walton Beach or Okaloosa Island - sorry, Beau-

tiful Okaloosa Island? The good news is that 2019 will see new branding for the area. Led by Jennifer Adams and her team from the CVB, working with our neighbors along the Coast from Pen-sacola to The Forgotten Coast, and in-cluding Visit Florida, there will emerge a branding plan to promote the whole region. This will allow the individual ar-eas, like our own, to develop coherent brands and images that will success-fully attract the type of tourists we need throughout the year.

The CVB’s new agency of record, Boone Oakley, are working hard to create our own local identity. This will be released during the year and will be based not on what an individual, or group of indi-viduals ‘think’ is the right image, but de-cisions based on hard research among the guests we want and need to attract. We, as a CVB, TdC and local tourism in-dustry have established the exact types of visitors we need, to provide sustain-able and profitable tourism throughout

the year. This is opposed to the tradi-tional influx of guests just during the 60 days of summer. Everything being done is aimed at making our tourism success-ful for the industry, the guests AND those of us who live here.

The new branding will go hand in hand with marketing campaigns planned carefully to attract these correct visitor types. As you’ll all recognize, this is quite different from the “more of the same old thing” we’ve suffered from in the past.

Personally, I can’t wait. It’s what we’ve all been campaigning for over years. 2019 is when it happens.

It also means we all have to become even more professional in how we han-dle our visitors and guests, but more of that next month.

Happy New Year!

Tourism Committee|What’s On Your Wish List?

Community Outreach Committee|Open to All

erin Thatcherarc of the emerald Coast2019 Community outreach Committee Chair

Martin owenThe owen organizationCo-Chair, 2019 TourismCommittee

Happy Holidays! My name is Erin Thatch-er and I am the Community Develop-ment Coordinator for The Arc of the Emerald Coast and this year’s chair for the Community Outreach Committee. I wanted to take a moment and say how honored I am to accept this privilege and look forward to making this year one where we can grow this commit-tee and our organizations. Working at The Arc of the Emerald Coast and be-ing a member of the Greater Fort Wal-ton Beach Chamber over the past 2 years has connected me with so many wonderful new friends and developing relationships that I would not have had otherwise.

The connections developed through this working relationship are at the heart of what the Community Outreach Committee means to me. It is develop-ing the strengths of our organization through our knowledge, networking and commitment to the Chamber and the members.

Our first meeting of the year will be on a special date:

Monday, January 1411:30 am to 1:00 pm(Brown bag lunch meeting)

At this meeting I would really love to get some brainstorming going on ac-tivities in and outside of the meetings that we can collectively pull together on in partnership with the Chamber (ie: Adopt a Community Outreach Charity – to increase awareness of charities and reach into our community). Addition-ally, I am looking to do a craft that will display each represented charity and their mission. Please email me ([email protected]) your logo & mis-sion of your organization so I can size and print for you.

I encourage you to attend this first plan-ning meeting of the year. Though our committee members have traditionally

been non-profit staffers, we welcome all Chamber members – particularly those interested in non-profit activi-ties at any level. So please invite your board members, administrators, and supporters to attend and to help mold this year’s focus.

I look forward to a wonderful year and can’t wait to see all your faces!

Warmest regards, Erin ThatcherThe Arc of the Emerald CoastOffice: 850-863-1530 ext.211Cell: 850-803-5933


NF-11023354

The Chamber Ambassadors – with help from the FWB High School Valhalla Chorus – visited Fort Walton Beach Medical Center in December and spread some holiday cheer along with their carols.

Healthcare Tuesday, January 8, 8:00 amCommunity PerspectivesThursday, January 10, 7:45 amCommunity Outreach (**Special Date**)Monday, January 14, 11:30 am RPMTuesday, January 15, 8:00 amAmbassadors Wednesday, January 16, 7:45 amEmpowerFriday, January 18, 11:30 amWomenConnectWednesday, January 22Military Affairs, (**Special Date**)Monday, January 28

SAVE THE DATE!


Welcome! | New Member Reception|September Each month the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce hosts a special luncheon for our newest members. Check out these businesses and welcome them to the Chamber!

Anita Christopher281-770-8805A polished Administrative Assistant who is very organized, dependable and loyal. Experienced in office staff support, customer service and human resources. Enjoy working with people; help keep the office organized, and able to maintain a high degree of confidentiality with discre-tion and professionalism. Microsoft Word and Excel skills, strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to multi-task, self-starter and prioritize workload with impeccable follow-up to detail and strong work ethics. Let me help “Execute your Vision” for you and your business.

Kenneth ErdbergiTrip Vacations Fort Walton Beach850-200-0986iTrip Vacations Fort Walton Beach pro-vides a full-service vacation property management program in Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island. We help owners maximize their rental investment while providing boutique-level care to visiting guests. Our management program focuses on marketing homes, offering an award-winning software platform, and using processes that allow our properties to be seen by a worldwide audience. iTrip Vacations Fort Walton Beach is locally owned and operated, and marketed globally through extensive advertising,

online distribution and social media.Lisa A Nixon Mabry, Marketing DirectorTWO MEN AND A TRUCK Fort Walton/Destin, 64 Eglin Parkway, NEFort Walton Beach, 32548850-588-4111TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Fort Walton/Des-tin opened in 2009, as a satellite office to Panama City. Since then we’ve grown tremendously, and are one of the best moving companies in the Florida Panhan-dle. We ensure every customer receives the highest level of customer service, starting with a leadership team that has more than 20 years of combined industry experience. We are proud to hire profes-sionally trained, background checked, and motivated movers to be on our team. Year after year, we maintain a 96% referral rating, which translates into hundreds of happy TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Fort Wal-ton/Destin customers!

Scott BruceTempacure HVAC325 South Cedar Ave., Suite B, Niceville, 32578 | 850-678-2665Tempacure is a full-service HVaC contrac-tor specializing in residential installs and repairs. As a small business, we offer the personal touch that the larger competi-tors can’t provide. Customer service is our primary goal along with the full-service credibility of being a Chamber member.

Belinda & Dennis ShindleTropical Beach Weddings850-496-2633 Tropical Beach Weddings is one of Northwest Florida’s premier beach wed-ding companies, and has over 11 years of experience making wedding dreams come true. It’s out goal to make your destination wedding stress free, beauti-ful, and unique. So, where you’re looking for a simple wedding on the beach, or one with all the bells and whistles, you’ve come to the right place! We provide comprehensive beach wedding services for the Gulf Coast including Navarre Beach, Pensacola Beach, Fort Walton Beach, and Destin Beach. The sky is the limit on the ancillary services needed for a destination wedding, and our other Chamber partners will benefit. We look forward to providing referrals of your busi-ness in the Chamber listing and perhaps partnering with many of you. If you have any questions, please call Belinda at 850-496-2633.

Sharon HinesWaterstone Mortgage123 Staff Dr., NEFort Walton Beach, 850-362-6901 At Waterstone Mortgage, we're dedicat-ed to providing the best mortgage lend-ing experience possible. We know that home purchases are often the largest investments our clients will make in their lifetimes, and we do everything in our power to make each venture memorable and enjoyable. We offer a wide array of unique loan products and we're experts at matching clients up with programs that fit their indi-vidual circumstances. When it comes to anticipating needs, answering questions, and providing updates on loan status, we're known for our responsiveness. you'll see the difference in our: care for our clients; consistent and transparent communication; variety of lending solu-tions; and cutting-edge technology. We do what we do because we never forget: home is where the best part of life hap-pens, and you want it to be perfect. So, when you find it - the perfect home - let us help you find the perfect mortgage.


Hosted by the Emerald Coast Science Center | 31 SW Memorial Parkway, FWB

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce

JANUARY | THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 | 5:30 TO 7:30 PM

The BOTE Business After Hours in November was an exciting one – a chilly night warmed by the smiles, drinks, and great food provided by The Cowhead. The BOTE staff was welcoming and helpful, showing off their latest products.

t Of course, the highlight of the evening was the presentation of the BOTE board presented by Magda Cooper to Kathy McKenny of KEM Publications.


Unless otherwise noted, ALL meetings will be held at the Fort Walton Beach Chamber Of Commerce.

Happy New Year 2019!

31 & 1 | Tuesday | Happy New Year! Chamber CLOSED

4 | Friday Annual Installation and Awards Breakfast 7:00 a.m.

8| Tuesday Healthcare Committee | 8:00 a.m.

10 | Thursday Community Perspectives | 7:45 a.m.

Nothing But Networking | 11:30 a.m.@ Rockin' Tacos

11 | Friday New Member Luncheon | 11:45 a.m.

14 | Monday Special Date!Community Outreach | 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

15 | Tuesday RPM - Referral Partners & Marketing | 8:00 a.m.

16 | Wednesday Ambassadors Committee | 7:45 a.m.

17 | Thursday ResortQuest presents the Winter Guest Fest8:00 a.m. - Noon

Business After Hours | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.@ ??????????????

18 | Friday Empower Committee | 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

23 | Wednesday Women Connect Committee| 11:30 a.m.

24 | Thursday Board of Directors | 11:30 a.m.

28 | Monday Special Date! MAC Military Affairs Committee| 11:30 a.m.Held at the Brooks-Beal Center

We encourage you to attend any of the Chamber’s committee meetings as a guest to see whether that particular group suits your expectations and will help you promote your business. The regular monthly meetings are almost always held in the FWB Chamber

Conference Room. Call the Chamber at 244-8191 to reserve your spot or to get answers to your questions.

fort walton beach chamber of commerce website FWB Chamber.com

Annual Installation and Awards Breakfast7:00am

Community Outreach Committee 11:30 am

SUNDAY TUESDAY FRIDAYMONDAY THURSDAYWEDNESDAY SATURDAY

EmpowerCommittee11:30 am

Board Of Directors 11:30 am

Ambassadors Meeting 7:45 am

Healthcare Committee 8:00 am

WomenConnect Committee11:30am

ResortQuest presents the Winter Guest Fest 8am-12pm

RPM Meeting 8:00 am

MAC Meeting11:30 am @ Brooks-Beal Ctr

Community Perspectives Committee 7:45amNothing But Networking 11:30 am

New Member Lunch 11:45 am

31 1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

HappyNew Year!

Chamber Closed

Business After Hours 5:30 pm

Sue Tarkin recently took “the trip of a lifetime,” a 12-night Mediter-ranean cruise from Rom to Israel, Athens, Naples, and back to Rome. That’s the Sea of Galilee in the background.

Coastlines editor Eppi Azzaretto was anxious to share her copy of the latest Coastlines with some colleagues at the Key West Chamber when she and Jack visited there a couple of weeks ago. Here’s Eppi (at right) with Susanne Pearce and Kerry Baker.

Our Chamber Members are going to some pretty interesting places these days – and they’re taking some great reading material along with them for a little touch of home. If you choose to take your Coastlines with you on a trip

over the holidays, take a photo and share it with us!Send your photos to [email protected]

TAkE A TRiPTake a Coastlines!

Priscilla Rose (Legal Shield Independent Associate) recently took an 8-day Exotic Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Carnival Sunshine – and we’re honored that she remem-bered to take her copy of Coastlines with her! The ports of call were: Grand Turk, San Juan, P.R., St. Kitts, and St. Maarten. She booked her cruise through Tammy McDaniel of Tammy’s Journeys, and had a wonderful time!

CALENDAR OF EVENTSJANUARY


HappyNew Year!

Chamber Closed

Ribbon Cuttings


OUR MISSION...... is to strengthen local businesses and enhance the quality of life in our community by providing services

which help businesses help themselves.

Okaloosa Island Beach Accessway #4 and #6600 Santa Rosa Blvd.

Fort Walton Beach, 32548

Hope Matters850-582-3496

Tammy’s Journeys148 Miracle Strip Pkwy, SE, Suite 2

Fort Walton Beach, 32548 | 850-243-3809

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Crestview728 Ferdon Blvd., North, Suite 2

Crestview, 32536

Barbara J. Britt, LLC148 Miracle Strip Pkwy, SE, Suite 1

Fort Walton Beach, 32548 | 850-621-7709


Join a collective voice to make a difference in your community.


Welcome!New Members | NovemberMICHAEL KOSTRZEWSKI | Artbound180 Miracle Strip Pkwy, SE | Fort Walton Beach, 32548 | 850-244-4222

CRYSTAL WEATHERLY | Enlightened Studios142 Miracle Strip Pkwy, SE | Fort Walton Beach, 32548 | 850-499-6969

SHARON HINES | Waterstone Mortgage123 Staff Dr., NE | Fort Walton Beach, 32548 | 850-362-6901

CAROL PORCH | CarolAnn950-613-6141

COLIN DExTER | Sound Data Solutions, LLC 850-374-1548

MARIAN LOGATTO | Rodan and Fields Skincare516-807-2052

ANITA CHRISTOPHER281-770-8805

CRYSTAL ALDRICH-JENKINS850-374-0917

JEFFREY WEIKERT | JWC Consulting850-377-3764

REGINE TATEM

SCOTT BRUCE | TempaCure, Inc.325 South Cedar Ave. | Niceville, 32578 | 850-678-2665

MEMBERSgetit!

A2Z Specialty Advertising, Inc.

American Business Women’s Association,

Emerald Coast Chapter

Appraisal Services, Inc.

Business Relationship Partners

Chez Eland Apts.-Presidium Management

Children in Crisis, Inc.

Clear Channel Airports

Edible Arrangements

Edward Jones – Financial Advisor Matthew

Ritter, AAMS

Edwin and Mary Watts

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Express Oil Change & Service & Tire Engineers

Fairfield Inn & Suites, NMarriott Destin

First Florida Bank

Gulf Coast Immediate Care Center, Inc.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Hurlburt Area

Homelessness & Housing Alliance

HSU Educational Foundation

Jan Pooley – Tastefully Simple Independent Consultant

Junior League of the Emerald Coast

Moe’s Southwest Grill

Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections

Okaloosa Saves

On the Coast Magazine

Playground Shell Service, dba Playground Auto Service

Renaissance 7, LLC

Southland Pest Service, Inc.

TaylorChandler, LLC

The Home Depot

United for a Good Cause, Inc.

Unity in Fort Walton Beach

University Lending Group

Wine With Me: Ellen, Your Wine Guide

World Impact – Laurie Bartlett

MEMBERSH IP RENEWALS

NOVEMBER

MEMBERS GET I T .

Caringfor your loved ones asif they are our own.

2000 Principal Lane (off Mar Walt Dr.) Ft.Walton Beach, FL 32547www.belvederecommonsfortwaltonbeach.com • 850.243.7735

Call today to schedule your personal tour & complimentary lunch!Assisted Living Lic. # 9819

2130099

NF-11020800


Thank you!

The staff and board of Fort Walton Beach Medical Center were definitely in the holiday spirit as they sponsored December’s FFC. Their presentation about the past, present, and future of the hospital was informative, inspiring, and

very entertaining. Thanks for helping us kick off the holiday season!

p The Holiday Hat Contest inspired great creativity in our members – these were the top five entries as chosen by the Executive Committee. The glitter, baubles and danc-ing lights almost hurt the eyes!

p Tracy Williams of United Methodist Children’s Home won the grand prize of a a “regifting” basket, presented by our 2018 chair, Nick Chubb (Cabinets rRr Us).

p Mitch Mongell’s “big reveal” at the end of their presentation was his Grinch sweatshirt. The Mean, Green One looks kinda familiar, huh?

p LA Woodall and Donna Tashik from The Arc of the Emerald Coast, thanked Vince Mayfield of Bit-Wizards for their support of a Magical Christmas for The Arc.

p The highlight of the morning was Dr. Scott Smith of HealthSource FWB North presenting $800 to Myla Martinez of Eglin Federal Credit Union. Hers was the fifth name drawn – she was excited she attended!

p Jennifer Kraus (Bit-Wizards) presented the $172 in 50-50 cash to winner Amanda Sprotsky (Troy University), a fellow Ambassador.

FIRSTFRIDAYCOFFEEGREATER FORT WALTON BEACHCHAMBER OF COMMERCE


The Arc of the Emerald Coast

Stage Crafters Community Theatre, Inc.

American Business Women’s Association, Emerald Coast Chapter

Fort Walton Beach Medical Center

Hutchison Chiropractic Center

Destin United Methodist Church

White-Wilson Medical Center

United for a Good Cause, Inc.

Eglin Federal Credit Union

Silver Slipper Casino

Warren Averett

Paradise Promotions

Okaloosa Gas

EmeraldCoastTV.com

Painting with a Twist

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

t Bobby Andrus and Erica Hollon, Bank of England Mortgage; Colin dexter, SdS, Sound data Solutions; kenneth Erdberg, itripvacations; Milton Barratta, Edible Arrangements.

t Susan Fritz and Donna Guajardo, Emerald Coast Financial Team; dixie Allen, FNP-C, White-Wilson Medical Center; dennis Shindle, Tropical Beach Weddings; aimee Brim, Gulfarium Marine adventure Park; katie McBride, Tammy’s Journeys; and Jeff Weikert, Jeff Weikert Consulting Services, Inc.

t doug Rainer, City of Fort Walton Beach; Rich Tatem, Connection Before Direction, llC; anita Christopher; lisa Mabry, Two Men and a Truck; Frances Conte, Jobs4U-Inc.; Ryan Price, air Force Enlisted Village; Marian LoGatto, Rodan+Fields.

SEPTEMBERDOOR PRIzEDONATIONS

Thank you!

FIRSTFRIDAYCOFFEE

FIRSTFRIDAYCOFFEE

NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWSP.O. BOX 2949FORT WALTON BEACH, FL 32549

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDNWFL DAILY NEWS

PERMIT 56

NF-10984798

Thank You To Our 2019 Sponsors!

january 2019 official publication of the greater fort … · 2019-01-10 · riggs & ingram to...

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