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SECOND GENERATIONS: Making A Difference The Hiltons: Julie, Ava Symone Katherine, Lela and Charlie. Yonnie Patronis has been a resident of this community for 43 years. Family includes wife Lea of 17 years and daughters Maria, Anna and Alexa. He attended Gulf Coast Community College and Florida State University. Yonnie is co-owner of Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant. Yonnie believes a leader is one who can listen as well as lead. He feels our three biggest resources needed for this community to embrace growth and move into the future are a new airport, our beaches, and maintaining a positive atmosphere. Yonnie most importantly learned from his parents, “Keep a good, positive name…once you lose it, you won’t get it back.” The Hilton Family Four generations and forty years ago, Katherine Boatwright inspired her daughter Lela and son-in-law Charles to join with her in building a 51-unit motel called the Baron-Hilton Inn, which was the beginning of the Hilton Family’s businesses on Panama City Beach. With Charles heading development and Lela leading management, along with Katherine and the Hilton’s children Julie and Chip, the Hilton’s hotel properties (Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, Days Inn Beach, Best Westerns Casa Loma and Del Coronado, Ramada Inn Beach, and Holiday Inn Select) have won over 125 service and quality awards locally, regionally, statewide, nationally and internationally. The Hiltons expanded their business and formed several companies with the help of dedicated team members and partners. These include: development of 10 motel/ hotel properties in the Panhandle, 18-hole 18 The Circuit January/February 2008 and executive golf courses, residential communities, condominiums, competitive cable company, beachwear store, sporting clays facility, automobile dealership, marine engines business, and timber business, road building and construction companies. The Hiltons have also formed law firms, a self-insurance company, a family foundation, and a bank holding company, and a small business investment company that funded a number of hotels and other businesses in Panama City Beach/Bay County. Additionally, the family has operated about 50 area businesses. Serving on numerous community, state and international Boards, the Hilton Family’s extensive community volunteer efforts include working tirelessly and contributing many dollars of personal funds for 25 years to save Panama City’s beaches with beach renourishment, creating and developing the plan for the Dan Russell Pier, creating and carrying out the plan to obtain the land for Frank Brown Park, mediating the public/private partnership for Pier Park, and starting the first public/private partnership to landscape public areas. The Hilton family believes keys to the community’s future growth are leadership that supports individual freedom, less taxes, individual responsibility, community focus on friendliness, landscape beautification and developing the Front Beach Road CRA, and a regional international airport. Julie’s lessons of success from her parents include persistence, patience, commitment, hard work, doing your best, learning from mistakes, getting up before the “count of nine,” listening, and standing up for what you believe in, no matter what. The Gheesling Family In March of 1957 John and Rose Gheesling bought the Bikini Beach Motel on the north side of Highway 98. This motel originally had six rooms; the family lived in one of the units, as well as used it for an office. Over the next 20 years the Gheeslings enlarged the property to hold 36 units and a swimming pool. In 1980 they purchased the old Hilton Gulf, and operated both motels for one year before selling the Bikini and concentrating on what is now the Bikini Beach Resort. John III and Ann Henry became formal partners in 1992 even though they had worked together as a family during their childhood. The Gheeslings: (front row): Rose and John; (back row): Ann Henry and John III. In 1998 John, Ann and their parents bought the Trade Winds Motel for a total of 202 rooms. After four years, John and Ann bought the business from their parents, sold the Trade Winds, and now operate the Bikini Beach Resort with 84 rooms, a game room, pool bar, and swimming pool. John Gheesling has been in the community for 56 years. Family includes wife Deborah of 24 years and son Bryan. John attended Jinks Jr. High, Gulf Coast Community College, University of Southern Mississippi, and is a graduate of Florida State University. John has managed two motels and been proactive in civic and political ideas for the area. He is most proud of leading the resistance to oneway Front Beach Road. The Griffitts: Matthew, Philip, Jerrilyn and Philip Jr. “A leader should be intelligent, aggressive but patient,” John states. He believes three resources this community needs to embrace growth and move into the future include an effective highway system, a new international airport and eye appeal. John‘s father taught him a great work ethic, along with compassion and patience from his mother.
SECOND GENERATIONS: Making A Difference The Burnams: Stacy Trepanier, Wes and Jeff. The Griffitts Family P bought their son Philip Jr. (“Grif”) slept on a hidea Matthew was born and the family was still living at the motel, The Burnham Family Peggy and Wes Burnham moved been involved in several area condominium The Powells: David and Raymond. Jeff and Stacy in Birmingham for a few years in the early including a construction/development com pany, a software company and, most recently, The Powell Family FRaymond Powell has ment as banker for many motels, restaurants, value of all the team members and gives them an opportunity needed for this community to embrace growth and move into the future involve affordable taught him are a strong work ethic and the David Powell has been a resident of the com went into banking with Florida First Federal Bank and has been with the company for over leader involve motivation, integ Continued on Page 22 The Circuit January/February 2008 19
Page 1 and 2: The Greater Panama City Beaches Cha
Page 3 and 4: The Circuit January/February 2008 3
Page 5 and 6: you have a choice with hospice care
Page 11 and 12: 2008 Leadership Team Meet Your Mike
Page 13 and 14: Biz Spotlight Shore House Furniture
Page 15 and 16: create a coordinated, comprehensive
Page 17: Making A Difference BY MARTA ROSE A
Page 21 and 22: “My vision is to bring the expert
Page 23 and 24: AROUND TOWN Updates on Community, E
Page 25 and 26: Family Size Annual Income Family Si
Page 27 and 28: Friday at the Beach January 11, 200
Page 29 and 30: AMBASSADOR UPDATE Rev. Ramon Duvall

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