The New Year Brings New Happenings in The EC

What’s happening on the Emerald Coast? Here are just a few things we’ve heard about around the area.

Kudos & Congratulations

▪ Visit South Walton (VSW) has named Mike Ragsdale its 2015 Van Ness Butler, Jr. Hospitality Award recipient. Ragsdale was presented the annual award at VSW’s 2015 annual meeting held in October at the WaterColor LakeHouse. Each year, VSW recognizes a pioneer in the tourism industry with the prestigious award, bestowed upon a community member for his or her visionary leadership in helping to shape South Walton into a premier tourist destination. Since moving to South Walton in 2006, Ragsdale has become a passionate advocate of the South Walton lifestyle. The owner/founder of 30A.com, which now has several sub-brand businesses, has raised several hundred thousands of dollars for nonprofits in Walton County. 

▪ Carley McMillian, lead sales coordinator for Visit South Walton (VSW), was named to Connect Magazine’s annual 40 Under 40 award list. The honor is presented annually to the 40 most promising young sales and meeting professionals in the group sales industry under the age of 40.

McMillian, who recently earned her Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) certification, has helped VSW in launching Autumn Tides, Above & Beyond, Nature-Based Certified Outfitters and other programs and campaigns.

New News

Construction has begun on a $2.5 million, state-of-the-art school and therapy center for the Emerald Coast Autism Center, a nonprofit organization at Northwest Florida State College’s Niceville campus.

Founded in 2009 to fill the gap in educational services for children on the autism spectrum living in Okaloosa and Walton counties, ECAC looks forward to the completion of the 15,225-square-foot school in October 2016.

The facility, which will allow the organization to nearly double its student population to 130, will feature 10 classrooms and three group classrooms, a speech therapy room, an occupational therapy room, a life skills room, an indoor playground/gymnasium, a multipurpose room with adjoining kitchen, a conference room and administrative offices.

In 2013, the locally operated school and therapy center entered into an agreement with Northwest Florida State College, forming an innovative partnership that paved the way for the new facility. Northwest Florida State College is leasing the land, located west of the baseball stadium, for an annual fee of $1. 

▪ Turnberry Associates has announced plans to build a 150-room select service hotel, which will be located adjacent to Destin Commons and feature approximately 5,000 square feet of meeting space for corporate meetings and social functions. Turnberry expects to break ground on the hotel in spring 2016, and construction is expected to last about 18 months.

▪ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty announced that it entered into an agreement with John S. Carr & Company in Pensacola. This new affiliation brings two offices and 30 top sales professionals under the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty umbrella. 

▪ Bote has released its updated 2016 HD board, which is available in five styles including a Realtree camouflage edition. The HD — or hybrid — combines the advantages of a recreational surf style hull and a displacement touring hull, making for effortless paddling and excellent stability.

▪ The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) of Northwest Florida State College in partnership with AmeriCorps kicked off its 2015–2016 Grasses in Classes Program. This year, CBA launched 21 Grasses in Classes Programs throughout Okaloosa and Walton counties. Throughout the month of October, CBA and AmeriCorps members worked together to establish 63 saltmarsh nurseries with 3rd and 5th graders.

 Cause for Celebration

▪ Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar on 30A in Seaside saluted the change in seasons with a Summer’s End Harvest charity wine dinner prepared by Chef Phil McDonald and featured Stacole Fine Wines. The sold-out event, held Oct. 1, raised $1,000 for Food for Thought, a partnership whose mission is to end childhood hunger in Northwest Florida.

▪ The Fifth Annual Duck Regatta again made a huge splash during the family-fun event at Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin Beach and Golf Resort on Oct. 10. Approximately 3,000 ducks raced across the Lagoon toward the finish line. The $5,000 lucky duck was adopted by Tiffany Klein. As the rest of the flock made it across the finish line, nine duck “adopters” won prizes, including a paddleboard, airline tickets, iPads and dinner packages.

The popular community event benefits the Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast Volunteer Guild, which raises funds for hospital equipment and continuing education opportunities for hospital associates.

▪ The Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast Volunteer Guild recently donated $74,000 to fund several capital projects at the hospital.

▪ Skip and Victoria Moore, owners of 723 Whiskey Bravo Bistro & Bar, celebrated national Be an Angel Day by presenting Angel Flight Soars executive director Jeanine Chambers with a check for $100,000. Angel Flight Soars’ mission is to arrange free air transportation for people who need to travel to receive lifesaving medical treatment but lack the means.

▪ Alys Beach presented a check for $30,000 to Alaqua Animal Refugee. The funds were raised from the Alys Beach 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run and a donation from The Alys Foundation.

Approximately 3,000 Emerald Coast residents, making up 116 teams, rallied together on Oct. 17 at Uptown Station for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer community walk, raising approximately $111,000.

▪ South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival was awarded a Flagler Award in the special events category by Visit Florida at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. The Festival also earned an Award of Distinction from the Florida Public Relations Association in April at the Image Awards held in Pensacola.

New Faces in New Places

▪ The Walton Area Chamber of Commerce has hired Megan Harrison as its new President/CEO. Harrison replaces Kellie Jo Kilberg who left the Chamber after leading the organization for three years.

▪ Pensacola-based Emmanuel Shepherd and Condon Law Firm, one of the oldest law firms in the area, has opened a new office in Grand Boulevard’s Town Center.