View This Issue - Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce

Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce 

your connection to the beach 

The Health 

& Wellness 

Issue 

Panama City Beach 

gets healthy! 

COMMUNITY 

EDUCATION 

WORKFORCE 

ECONOMIC 

DEVELOPMENT 

TDC UPDATE 

MEMBER NEWS 

GRAND OPENINGS 

CALENDAR OF 

EVENTS 

September/October 2009 Vol 4 Issue 5 

THE CIRCUIT September/October 2009 1 

PCBeach.org

2 THE CIRCUIT March/April 2009

Wardrobe Provided by Lord's Gym Dive Center Model: Farrah Swearingen 

Nine Doctors 1 Vision Yours! 

Dr. Fisher’s extensive training and experience allow him to offer 

the latest procedures and techniques in laser eye surgery. He 

performs Blade Free, all-Laser LASIK, utilizing the latest advances 

in laser technology. This surgery provides a higher level of 

safety, comfort, and precision for his patients. 

Our advanced Zeimer blade-free laser makes the corneal flap in 

the most gentle, accurate, and precise manner possible. Your 

LASIK will be done right here in Panama City at the Eye Center, 

in a laser suite designed and built for laser vision correction. 

Having the proper environment for your procedure is very important 

to ensure the best results. Call and schedule your free 

LASIK screening to determine if you are a candidate. 

The Eye Center of 

North Florida 

850 784 3937 

www.EyeCenterofNorthFlorida.com

4 THE CIRCUIT September/October 2009

THE CIRCUIT September/October 2009 5

e Greater Panama City Beaches Cham 

ur connection to the beach 

goingg green 

10 

2007 Vol 2 Issue 6 

COMMUNITY 

WORKFORCE 

EDUCATION 

GOVERNMENT 

PIER PARK 

MEMBER NEWS 


CALENDAR OF 

EVENTS 

T he Greater Panama City Beac hes Chamber of Commerc e 

Green Adventures in 

Panama City Beach 

8 Ways to Green 

Up Your Life 

1 New Nature 

Center on the way 

BANKING CENTER 

REAL ESTATE CORNER 


AROUND TOWN 

MEMBER NEWS 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

your connection to the beach 

resorts 

& so 

& 

real 

estate 

www.pcbeach.o 

your 

connection ne cti 

to the beach 

September/October 2008 Vol 3 Issue 5 

July/August 2008 Vol 3 Issue 4 

November/December 2008 Vol 3 Issue 6 


COMMUNITY 

WORKFORCE 

EDUCATION 

GOVERNMENT 

PIER 

PARK 

MEMBER RNEW 

NEWSS 

GRAND 

OPENINGS 

NGS 

CALENDAR AR RO 

OF 

EVENTS 

Health lth& 

Wellness 

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THE CIRCUIT 


your connection to o the beach 

The 

Green 


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www.PCBeach.org 

THE CIRCUIT July/August 2008 1 

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government 

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news 

grand openings 

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Are You 

Connected 

to the Beach? 

Advertise your business 

in The Circuit! 

2009 Spotlight 

Schedule: 

JAN/FEB 

Chamber’s Annual Report 

MAR/APR 

Dining in Panama City Beach 

MAY/JUN 

Excursions & Adventures 

JUL/AUG 

Resort Life 

SEP/OCT 

Health & Wellness 

NOV/DEC 

The Annual Green Issue 

Rates & Information: 

Lynn Kandler 

(850) 348-1137 

Cyndi Ainsworth 

(850) 691-6259 

Chairman’s Message 

The joint Friday morning meeting with the 

Bay County Chamber was another huge 

success. Thank you Yoga Vida, Buzz 

Leonard and United Way for 

sponsoring this event. The 

“First Friday with the Beach” 

will remain a biannual tradition, 

planned for January and July of 

2010. 

Along with the Economic 

Development Alliance, I would 

like to congratulate Ken Shaw 

on becoming the new Dean at 

the Florida State Panama City campus. Also, we 

would like to congratulate John Ed McDanal on 

becoming the District Manager of Gulf Power, 

Chris Broom the new General Manager of Smurfit 

Stone, and finally, Mike Smith, now the General 

Manager for Oceaneering. 

President’s Message 

As the year carries on and we head into fall, 

the Beach Chamber’s committees continue 

to ramp up. Navigator, our small business 

initiative, held its first workshop in 

a new monthly workshop series, 

“Navigate to Success,” called 

Marketing on a Shoestring Budget 

on August 20th prior to the After 

Hours at the Village of Grand 

Panama. The next workshop will 

take place at Margaritaville on 

September 17th (prior to the After 

Hours) entitled Guerilla Marketing 

through Public Relations. Check 

your weekly Beach Buzz for workshop updates. 

Our Education Partnership committee is currently 

seeking classroom mentors for a new program 

launching this fall with Bay County School 

Superintendent Bill Husfelt. Business leaders in our 

community represent the “real world” to our youths, 

and a small amount of actual time from us can make 

a tremendous difference in someone’s life. Please 

contact Lynn Kandler (850-348-1137) for details. 

Our Green Leadership committee recently awarded 

its first quarterly Green Award to La Quinta Inn & 

Suites for their achievement of a 2-Star Palm rating 

under the Florida Green Lodging Program. The 

next award will be given at the October 9th Friday 

I strongly encourage Chamber members to get 

involved in the formation of our legislative agenda. 

A survey will be emailed to our members asking 

which political issues are a concern 

to our community. The results will 

form the foundation of our political 

stance. If you are interested in 

joining the Governmental Affairs 

Committee in tackling some of 

these important issues, please 

contact Lindsay Dring at Lindsay@ 

PCBeach.org. 

As the crowds leave the beach from 

another successful summer season, I can’t help but 

be thankful I live here and am able to enjoy all this 

area has to offer all year long! While Panama City 

Beach is a relaxing getaway for many, to us it is 

home. 

Anthony Dubose 

at the Beach. On September 19th the committee 

is organizing another beach cleanup in conjunction 

with the 24th Annual International Coastal Clean 

Up; stay tuned for details. 

Our Governmental Affairs committee 

is in the process of creating 

a membership survey; by receiving 

feedback we will be better able 

to present our members with an 

accurate 2010 legislative agenda. 

On September 11th the committee 

will host Friday at the Beach with 

Frank Ryll and Adam Babington 

from the Florida Chamber, who have been invited to 

speak about Amendment 4, the statewide “Vote on 

Everything” initiative aka “Hometown Democracy.” 

Please remember, you get out of your Chamber 

what you put into it. There is no better way to make 

your Chamber dollars matter than to get involved… 

in a committee, at events, in a project or in a cause. 

The staff at the Chamber cares about each of you 

and is very aware that we are only as successful 

as our membership. So please be involved in our 

community, because it really does count! I look 

forward to seeing you soon. 

Beth Oltman 



309 Richard Jackson Blvd., Panama City Beach, FL 32407 

Phone: (850) 235-1159 Fax: (850) 235-2301 

PCBeach.org 

2009 

Board of Directors 

Chairman of the Board 

Anthony DuBose, 

Coastal Community Bank & Insurance Agency 

Past Chairman 

Al McCambry, Knology 

Incoming Chairman 

Philip Griffitts, Jr., Sugar Sands Beach Resort 

Treasurer 

Robert Carroll, McNeil Carroll Engineering 

Secretary 

Paul Wohlford, Resort Collection of PCB 

Legal Council 

Steven L. Applebaum 

The Board 

Karen Blackerby, Magnum Capital 

Felicia Cook, Simon Property Group 

Pam George, Gulf World Marine Park 

Amy Harris, Royal American Hospitality 

Scott Harris, Wachovia Bank 

Annie Holcombe, Oaseas Resorts 

Terry Hook, Publix Super Markets 

Jayna Leach, Sterling Resorts 

Lee Ann Leonard, By The Sea Resorts 

Jim Musicaro, Carrabba’s Italian Grill 

Chris Pariseau, Allegra Print & Imaging 

Edy Rivard, Gulf Coast Medical Center 

Dan Rowe, PCB Convention & Visitors Bureau 

Cil Schnitker, Comcast Cable 

Jeff Segan, Bay Point Marriott Golf Resort & Spa 

Russ Smith, The Towne of Seahaven 

Honorary Members 

Mayor Gayle Oberst, CFT Pyramid 

Dr. Ken Shaw, FSU PC 

Dr. Jim Kerley, GCCC 

Sue Brookhart, Naval Support Activity PC 

PICK A 

TRAINER. 

ANY 

TRAINER! 

Chamber Staff 

President & CEO 

Beth Oltman 

Vice President Communications Marta Rose 

Vice President Finance Jena Kimmel 

Director of Sales 

Lynn Kandler 

Vice President Member Services Cyndi Ainsworth 

Special Events Coordinator Hillary Marchman 

Systems Coordinator Kristopher McLane 

Member Services 

Lindsay Dring 

BEACH 

11205 Hutchison Boulevard 

850.233.2111 

CITY 

1344 W. 15th Street 

850.872.1955 



BUSINESS Spotlights 

Dr. Michael Stickler (left) and Dr. Jon Ward. 

Gulf Coast Dermatology 

When Board-Certified Dermatologist 

Jon Ward opened Gulf Coast 

Dermatology in Panama City 

Beach in July 2006, he had no idea just how 

fast the practice would grow. In a span of 

three years the business has gone from a four 

employee, single doctor practice working out 

of three exam rooms to a 30 employee, five 

practitioner business working from a 14,000 

sq. ft. office building. 

Dr. Ward, a native of DeFuniak Springs, FL, 

first discovered the need for dermatology in 

Bay County while practicing in Nashville, 

TN. “My mother-in-law came to visit us and 

I saw a skin cancer on her cheek. When she 

returned to Panama City to get an appointment 

she could not see the dermatologist for six 

months,” notes Dr. Ward. Coming to the 

area and opening a solo practice was a risk, 

but the rewards have been more than just 

monetary. 

“We all go into medicine to help people, 

and I could not believe the amount of skin 

cancer here in the Panhandle,” he says. Dr. 

Ward was able to treat many of the skin 

cancers for patients, but for high-risk cancers 

on the face there were no doctors locally 

to perform Mohs’ surgery, the treatment of 

choice for these skin cancers. Having to 

send patients out of the area to Pensacola 

was not convenient, but Dr. Ward would not 

recommend substandard treatment. 

The addition of Dr. Michael Stickler, Fellow 

of the American Society for Mohs’ Surgery, 

in October 2007 was the next critical 

component to the growth of the practice. 

Dr. Stickler was trained at the University of 

Florida Shands Hospital where he served as 

chief resident. “Mohs Surgery is the most 

precise means for skin cancer removal and is 

the only technique that allows for assessment 

of the entire surgical margin. It is performed 

in the office setting with local anesthesia. 

Reconstruction is performed in the comfort 

of the physician’s office, not in the hospital 

or surgery center. This provides high quality 

care without the additional expenses to 

patients and insurance companies,” states Dr. 

Stickler. Dr. Stickler is director of the Mohs 

Surgery Center at Gulf Coast Dermatology 

and is the first full-time Mohs surgeon in Bay 

County. 

Since the addition of Dr. Stickler, Gulf Coast 

Dermatology has expanded to offices in 

Panama City Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Port 

St. Joe and Bonifay. The model of finding 

areas that are underserved and providing 

uncompromising care has been a successful 

one. Gulf Coast Dermatology just opened 

a 14,000 square foot medical office on 

Harrison Avenue in August. Part of this 

facility is Panama City’s first medical spa 

and laser center under the direction of Board- 

Certified Dermatologists. 

Gulf Coast Dermatology has become the 

highest volume injectors of Botox® and 

dermal filler in Bay County. Drs. Ward and 

Stickler attribute this success to word of 

mouth from satisfied cosmetic patients. The 

new Medispa at Gulf Coast Dermatology 

is set to open in September and will feature 

licensed aesthetician Amanda Rose. To 

provide added value to clients, Aqua Medical 

Spa offers the Timeless Beauty Card; this 

card provides monthly microdermabrasion 

for one year and 10% discounts on all 

products and services. 

What is next for Gulf Coast Dermatology? 

“Right now we are focusing on taking care 

of our patients and turning the medical spa 

into the premier destination for skin care 

in Bay County,” says Dr. Ward. “We are 

trying to give back to this community that 

has given so much to us, and we are excited 

to be sponsoring the Holly Fair brunch and 

making contributions to Covenant Hospice, 

the American Cancer Society and the Bay 

Medical Foundation.” For more information 

visit gulfcoastderm.com or call (850) 233- 

DERM (3376). 

 

Who is Solace? 

Solace Day Spa & Salon offers locals 

and guests a tranquil haven from the 

rigors of everyday life, with locations 

in Pier Park and Rosemary Beach. As an 

AVEDA Lifestyle Salon Spa, we embrace a 

holistic philosophy in our services including 

an all natural approach to health, beauty and 

skin care. 

A globally recognized beauty industry 

leader, AVEDA is a pioneer in environmental 

conservation, and ensures our products will 

not only benefit our customers through 

exceptional performance but will positively 

impact the people and economies from which 

the product’s ingredients are sourced. The 

ingredients used are grown on sustainable 

farms and incorporate organically-grown or 

wild harvested, petroleum-free ingredients. 

Our Salon services include hairstyles, color 

and unique treatments that bring you back 

in balance, by using nurturing “high touch” 

techniques and the best naturally derived 

products. Our goal is that you always look 

your best, with hair design and color to 

compliment your features and lifestyle. 

Our Spa services include AVEDA Signature 

facials, massage and body treatments, nail 

services and much more. Solace is excited 

Continued on Page 12 


Afternoon Delight .... 

brought to you by Pier Park 

Photo by Sonja Revells 

Dining Entertainment Shopping Relaxation 

Dillard’s JCPenney Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Ron Jon Surf Shop The Grand 16 Theatre Target 

Accessories on the Boardwalk * Aeropostale * American Eagle Outfitters * Ann Taylor Loft * Aqua Gallery * As seen on TV and More * AT&T Mobility * Ava Blue 

Boutique * Back Porch Seafood and Oyster House * Bath & Body Works * Beach Hut * Beach Scene * Beau Tresor * BeBo’z * Blender, a fusion clothing store * 

Bootleg Barbeque * BORDERS * Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3) * Caché * Candy Maker * Carter’s for Kids * Chico’s * Claire’s * Coldwater Creek * Cost Cutters * 

Counts-Oakes Resort Properties * Crocs * Deja Vu Boutique * Del Sol * Dillard’s * Famous Footwear * Fancy Feet * Feathers Show Boutique * Fish Tales * Five 

Guys Famous Hamburgers & Fries * Footprints Coastal Decor * Game Stop * GNC * Great American Cookie Co. / Pretzel Maker * Guglielmo’s Italian Grill * Guy 

Harvey’s Island Grill * Hana Japan * Hofbrau Beer Garden * Hollister Co. * Hy’s Toggery * Jake at the Beach a Life is Good shoppe * JCPenney * Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville 

* Jos. A. Bank * Journeys * Justice * Kay Jewelers * Kilwin’s Chocolates & Ice Cream * Lane Bryant * Lids * Longhorn Steakhouse * Marble Slab Creamery 

* Massage Envy * Maurices * Merle Norman Cosmetics Studios * Mermaid Trading Co. * Mirror Maze & Lazer Craze * Motherhood® Maternity * Nails So Happy * 

New York & Company * NIKE Factory Store * Old Navy * Olive Garden * PacSun * Paint N’ Place * Panera Bread * Paradise Found * Payless Shoe Source * Peace 

Frogs * Perfumania * Polka-Dots Toys and Gifts * Popcorn Kingdom * Rack Room Shoes * Red Brick Pizza * Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Spirits * Reggae J’s 

Island Grill * Regions Bank * Regis * Ron Jon Surf Shop * Rue 21 * Runway Collections * Shimmering Seas Jewelry & Gifts * Smoothie King * Solace Salon and 

Day Spa - Aveda * Starbucks Coffee Company * Sunglass Hut * Sunglass World * SUNSIGHTS by Solstice * Target * tatoe tots * The Eye Gallery * The Grand 

Theatre * The Walking Company * Tilly’s * Tootsies Orchid Lounge * Trader Tom’s Shells & Gifts * Tran Fashion * Ulta Cosmetics * Unique Boutique by Irene & Co. * 

University Gifts & Apparel * Verizon Wireless Town Center * Verizon Wireless on the Boardwalk * Vice & Virtue * Victoria’s Secret * Yankee Candle * Zales Jewelers 

97 STORES | 16 RESTAURANTS | 2 SPAS | GUEST SERVICES | 16-SCREEN THEATRE | CHILDREN’S TRAIN & RIDES 

HWY. 98 ACROSS FROM FRANK BROWN PARK | PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL THE | 850.236.9974 CIRCUIT September/October | SIMON.COM2009 11

BUSINESS Spotlights 

Solace...where beauty and well-being converge 

Continued from Page 10 

to introduce our new Flexible Spa Pricing. 

We believe that spa services are not just 

a luxury but an important part of creating 

balance and wellness in your life. Pricing 

is based on the day and time of service; 

choose what is best for you: convenience 

or value. Spa packages and online instant 

gift certificates are available and we can 

customize a spa day for your whole bridal 

party or corporate event. 

The relaxing ambiance, personalized wellness 

services and exceptionally dedicated 

staff make Solace your escape from the 

ordinary…where beauty and well-being 

converge. Contact Solace Pier Park at (850) 

364-4751 and Solace Rosemary Beach at 

(850) 231-6801; solacesalonspa.com. 

 

Eye Center of North Florida 

The Eye Center of North Florida is 

Northwest Florida’s premier eye 

care facility. We are truly able to 

provide comprehensive eye care to our 

community through our large team of 

physicians and support staff. Our 25,000 

square foot complex includes private patient 

consultation, a research facility, and state of 

the art surgery center. Our satellite offices 

located in Chipley, Panama City Beach and 

Port St. Joe serve many of the Panhandle’s 

surrounding counties. 

Our nine board certified physicians are 

specialists. We offer expertise in all areas 

of optometry and ophthalmology. We have 

From left: Jeffrey Pyne, DO; Mark Jones, OD; 

Kelly Smith, OD; Bret Fisher, MD; David Edinger, 

OD; John Mallary, MD; James Corry, OD; Anthony 

Aker, OD; Paul Garland, MD. 

more than one hundred highly trained Eye 

Center employees dedicated to serving all 

the specialty needs of our patients. 

The Eye Center of North Florida provides 

comprehensive state-of-the-art medical and 

surgical eye care for all ages with genuine 

concern for each and every patient. At 

our Center, you will be treated as if you 

were a member of our family. Visit us at 

EyeCenterOfNorthFlorida.com or give us 

a call at (850) 784-3937. 

 


You are cordially invited 

to visit our new wine list 

and sample the new house wine. 

We look forward to seeing you soon. 

RSVP 

Mention this ad for a 

complimentary glass of our 

house wine with any entree. 

2218 Thomas Drive • 850-233-9514 


A Few Minutes With...Janet Watermeier 

“Bay County’s community leaders are 

visionary...Creating a new green field 

international airport to broaden the economic 

capacity of the area truly provides 

a unique opportunity for the future.” 

Janet Watermeier is the new executive 

director of the Bay County Economic 

Development Alliance (EDA). The 


is partnering with the EDA to help diversify 

the Panama City Beach economy. This partnership 

will provide another dimension of 

business opportunity to the area and will focus 

on the location and expansion of companies 

who provide high-skill, high-wage jobs. 

Janet joins us from Fort Myers, Florida. For 

the past five years, Janet has been working 

as an economic development consultant with 

the State of Florida and many of its counties 

and cities to upgrade their economic development 

initiatives and develop long-term 

strategic plans. With more than 15 years of 

experience in economic development, Janet 

has held positions such as economic development 

director, industrial development director 

and community redevelopment director 

over the course of her career. 

She was instrumental in forming the Horizon 

Council, Lee County’s economic development 

private-public partnership and served 

as its director for seven years. At the statelevel, 

Janet served on the Florida’s Transportation 

Commission for six years and currently 

serves as chair of the statewide transportation 

advocacy group, Floridians for Better Transportation. 

“Many people ask me, ‘why Bay County?’ 

and my answer is that there are many parallels 

between the Fort Myers area and this community,” 

said Janet. “Bay County reminds 

me of what the Fort Myers 

area was like when I started 

there about 20 years ago. It is 

a welcoming, tourism-based 

economy surrounded by water 

with beautiful beaches 

and a concern for preserving 

the environment and quality of life, while 

at the same time, encouraging future quality 

growth.” 

“Bay County’s community leaders are visionary, 

even when it isn’t always popular. I 

have been watching the development of the 

new Panama City-Bay County International 

Airport from its early days when I hosted 

community leaders 

from Bay 

County at the 

Southwest Florida 

International Airport,” 

she recalls. 

“Creating a new 

green field international 

airport to 

broaden the economic 

capacity 

of the area truly 

provides a unique 

opportunity for 

the future.” 

When Janet arrived 

in Fort Myers, 

the community was building a new airport 

about 25 miles outside of the primary 

economic market. She remembers that there 

were several concerns at the time, but as air 

service expanded and people had a convenient, 

affordable way to get there, the tourism 

industry and business community expanded 

beyond belief. Today, the Southwest Florida 

International Airport is recognized as one of 

the primary economic engines for driving 

quality growth in the marketplace, and recently 

completed a major $450 million midfield 

terminal expansion to grow to the next 

level. Janet served as the chair of the Airport 

Special Management Committee during the 

expansion and had an opportunity to see, 

first-hand, how important a new airport can 

be to promoting quality growth. 

“Bay County has economic assets that Lee 

County doesn’t,” Janet believes. Port Panama 

City is strategically positioned for trade 

growth with Mexico, Central America and 

the Caribbean and adds rail connectivity to 

major U.S. markets. Bay County hosts two 

military bases which provide economic stability, 

complimented with a cluster of defense 

contractors 

who offer highskill, 

highwage 

jobs. 

There is also 

a well-defined 

quality education 

structure 

in place, 

including a 

Florida State 

University 

campus, a nationally 

recognized 

research 

university. 

Janet has only 

been in Bay County since May 11th, but 

has quickly acclimated herself to a new job 

and home. Currently, she is working to locate 

several new companies into the county 

and anticipates a relocation announcement 

within the next few months. She is very excited 

about this community’s potential and is 

looking forward to all of the future economic 

development opportunities. 

 


4 THE CIRCUIT March/April 2009 



The Health & 

Wellness Issue 

P a n a m a C i t y B e a c h G e t s H e a l t h y ! 

 


Something’s 

happening here... 

get your move on! 

By Tara Dent, GCCC 

The Health & Wellness Issue 

Cosmetic 

If you’re not happy and you know it, 

clap yours hands. Don’t hold out...don’t 

be shy. You’re among friends here! 

Clap your hands; you might feel better 

just for putting your hands together. 

We are creatures of habit, all of us. We 

tend not to stray from comfort and 

complacency. Familiarity breeds content, 

we think. Sometimes, maybe, but 

more often than not that’s not so. We 

permit ourselves to become hypnotized 

by a pointless game of jack-in-the-box. 

Jack springs momentarily to life, again, 

but we are no longer excited or surprised. 

Our senses and sensibilities lie 

dormant – in a box – and still we turn 

the crank anticipating that somehow 

that action, next time, will produce a 

new response. 

Let’s face it, it’s time to change the tune, 

time you got out of the box. Consider 

this: When you change the way you 

look at things, the things you look at 

change. You are the one in a power 

position because you have the power 

to move. Jack, poor 

guy, is stuck inside 

the box. He’s only 

got one move and 

he’s never going to 

be free. Leave Jack 

behind. I mean, 

who’s in a better position, 

you or him? 

So what’s your next move? Truly only 

you can answer that question, but know 

this: Movement is a powerful source of 

inspiration and motivation. It awakens 

your senses and connects you to the 

present, where you just might surprise 

yourself and be excited to rediscover assets 

you lost or left behind, such as your 

sanity, sense of humor, enthusiasm, 

passion, purpose, maybe even yourself. 

Reconnecting with that good stuff 

– that’s a real payoff. Move, and you 

may find it. Don’t you owe it to yourself 

to get outside the box? 

Tara Dent is a dance/movement therapist 

and an adjunct instructor at Gulf Coast 

Community College. She may be contacted 

at td7379@yahoo.com. 

Vein & Laser 

Center 

Medical grade skin care products may also 

be purchased in the practice including Obagi, 

Glytone and SkinCeuticals. Don’t let 

unsightly and uncomfortable varicose and 

spider veins rob you of your natural beauty. 

Dr. Kimberly Moskowitz is one of only 240 

board-certified vein specialists (Phlebologists) 

in the United States, and as a leading 

expert in the field she has pioneered the safest 

and most up-to-date treatment options 

for varicose and spider veins. Those options 

include state-of-the-art, non-invasive technologies 

that allow patients to return to most 

normal activities the same day as treatment. 

Left untreated, abnormal veins can lead to 

serious health risks like blood clots, phlebitis 

(inflammation of the veins), cellulitis and leg 

ulcers. The Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center 

provides the most advanced non-surgical 

treatments for skin, face, legs, and cellulite 

reduction. Dr. Moskowitz also specializes in 

Fraxel TM Skin Resurfacing, Botox TM , Restylane 

TM , Juvederm TM , Laser Hair Removal and 

Medical & Cosmetic Dermatology. 

Your One-Stop Health Care 

Dr. Myra Reed and her associates, Barbara 

Lubin, MD and Carol Andersen, ARNP, 

specialize in internal medicine and total 

health care. All three providers treat hypertension, 

hyperlipidemia, diabetes, heart and 

lung diseases, depression and much more. 

They provide complete physical exams for 

women (pap/breast exam), for men (prostate/ 

colon) and sport/school physicals. They also 

provide a new state of the art Bone Density 

“DEXA SCAN” to screen for Osteoporosis. 

Dr. Myra Reed now specializes in Medical 

Weight Loss and Diet Counseling. Positive 

Changes Program includes all of the elements 

of weight loss and has great motivation 

support. Dr. Reed performs popular cosmetic 

procedures as Botox, Restylane, Radiesse 

and Juvederm. Her aesthetician provides an 

array of cosmetic procedures. Myra Reed 

MD, & Associates practice is located on 

1814 Thomas Dr. Panama City Beach, FL 

32408. To schedule your appointment call 

850-249-5000. 

Retina Specialists, PA 

Advances in the treatment of retinal eye diseases 

within the past couple of years have 

been dramatic and exciting. New, effective, 

medical and surgical care is available for 

diseases like diabetic retinopathy, vascular 

occlusions, macular degeneration, and 

other macular disorders. Dr. Maggie Shuler 

with Retina Specialists, PA is proud to offer 

these new and innovative “state-of-the-art” 

advances to patients in Bay County. Medical 

retinal treatments are offered in the office 

setting and “sutureless” vitrectomy surgery 

has been performed locally for more than 

three years. Involvement in nationally recognized 

clinical trials is available through the 

main office in Pensacola, Florida. No referral 

is necessary for patients needing retinal 

care. Experience visionary retina care with a 

personal touch at our practice located at 2101 

Northside Drive, Suite 704. 850-747-3999. 

Affordable Massage in 

Your Neighborhood 

Massage Envy is located in the beautiful 

Pier Park shopping center. We are currently 

staffed with 18 Licensed Professional Massage 

Therapist (including 2 RN’s), open 

seven days a week for your convenience 

(Mon – Fri 8am to 10pm, Sat – 8am to 9pm, 

Sun – 10am to 6pm). Our facility houses 14 

therapy rooms, one of which is designated 

for couples’ massages, making it possible for 

you to call or walk-in and get an appointment 

the same day, however, we do recommend 

calling ahead so you get the time that’s most 

convenient for you. 

Massage Envy’s Wellness Program provides 

members with a myriad of benefits including 

a monthly massage as well as any additional 

massages at a reduced rate. Proven benefits 

of massage therapy include but are not limited 

to lower heart rate and blood pressure, 

relief from and reduction in the frequency of 

stress-induced headaches, and muscle relaxation. 

Also, recent scientific research shows 

that massage therapy can aid in the treatment 

and recovery of depression, anxiety, arthritis, 

carpal tunnel syndrome, insomnia, fibromyalgia, 

chronic fatigue, as well as other conditions. 

We also are approved for Flexible 

Spending Account (FSA). For more information 

about our Wellness or Corporate Programs 

call (850) 563-0070. 

Bay Medical at the Beach 

Barely three years old, Bay Medical at the 

Beach gives patients convenient access to 

diagnostic testing, laboratory services, specialty 

physician offices and walk-in care 

for minor illness and injuries. The 29,000- 

square-foot, $6.5 million facility houses the 

most advanced form of diagnostics imaging 



Why Do I Compete? 

By Kristy McKinney, Owner, Gold’s Gym 

I am a wife, a mother, a business owner, 

a personal trainer, a volunteer in our 

community and a fabulous cook. So, I 

am constantly asked how I have the 

time or desire to compete. I started 

competing in 2001. Since then 

I have competed in 10 competitions. 

I have placed in the top 5 

at the National level three times. I 

was 2nd place at the USA’s in 2008, 

which put me one placing shy of 

the most desired PRO CARD. I 

came in 1st place in my class at the 

2008 Amateur Arnold Classic Figure 

International. 

My husband Michael and I are the 

owners of the Gold’s Gyms in Panama 

City and Panama City Beach. During our 

time at Gold’s we have helped hundreds 

of competitors with their contest 

prep. This includes their nutrition plan, 

workout program, suit selection, tan application 

and posing. We have prepped 

“regular people” for competitions at the 

local, state and national level. We have 

helped them to reach their goals and to 

look and perform their best, when often 

they didn’t believe it was something they 

could do. 

For myself, there are several reasons I 

compete. I am naturally competitive and 

love that feeling of having so much on 

my plate that I feel like I am in a race with 

time. When I compete, I have to be extremely 

disciplined. I have my whole day 

planned out with what time to do cardio, 

what time to weight train, and what time 

to eat each of my 6-8 meals. I also have 

to make time for tanning, cooking and 

packing meals, posing, and…oh yeah, 

my husband, my children, my businesses 

and my clients. It is a challenge to get it 


all done, and I tend to get grumpy every 

now and then. But in the end, it is very 

rewarding. No matter how I placed, I 

know that “I DID IT!” It motivates the 

people who are around me in the gym. 

It teaches my kids about hard work and 

perseverance. 

Now Michael and I are able to 

pass all of the information that we 

have collected over the years on to 

those who are just beginning their 

journey as a competitive athlete. 

We have had the opportunity to 

work with some extremely knowledgeable 

people. We take pride 

in living the lifestyle that we teach 

our clients to live. We are now 

launching our own website, mckinneyfitness.com, 

so we are able 

to reach people all over the world. We 

can do nutrition and workout plans via 

Internet and watch our clients progress 

and make changes to their plan when 

necessary through emailed photos. We 

love helping others and are very blessed 

to get to do so every day and call it our 

job. Competing isn’t for everyone, but 

if you have ever considered it, we can 

help you reach that goal! 

 




available in the area – a 16-slice computedtomography 

(CT) scanner and a state-of-theart 

open MRI scanner. The technology can 

take up to 1,600 images in less than a minute, 

decreasing the time patients spend being examined 

and increasing the quality of images. 

Its digital format allows physicians to obtain 

quicker access to test results. Physician offices 

housed in the facility include neurosurgeon 

Joel Franck, M.D., gastroenterologist 

Christopher Wells, M.D.; and internal medicine 

practitioner Ismail Zabih, M.D. Bay 

Med at the Beach also is home to Emerald 

Coast Urgent Care, which provides minor 

emergency care seven days a week for illness 

and injuries such as cuts, burns, skin infections, 

bladder infections, sports and work 

injuries, sprains/strains/fractures, physicals 

and immunizations for work and school, and 

complete family care. Being located in the 

heart of the burgeoning Beach community, 

Bay Medical at the Beach allows patients to 

spend less time traveling to see their doctors 

and more time getting quality attention and 

diagnoses. 

Bay Medical 

In the 60 years since it opened, Bay Medical 

has grown into a regional healthcare 

center whose focus on clinical quality has 

made it one of America’s Top 50 hospitals 

for two years in a row. It has earned the 

Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical 

Excellence – reserved for the top 5 percent 

of hospitals in the nation – every year since 

2004. Bay Medical’s Heart Institute is No. 

1 in cardiac care in Northwest Florida, is in 

the top 5 percent of the nation for cardiology 

services and is the only hospital in the area 

offering comprehensive heart services. Other 

clinical recognitions include a No. 6 ranking 

in Florida and top 10 percent of the nation for 

overall critical care. Bay Medical has maintained 

these distinctions with compassion, 

making its high quality healthcare available 

to anyone, regardless of ability to pay. 

It provided more than $30 million in charity 

and uncompensated care this year without 

receiving a penny of tax support. It also has 

invested $100 million in recent years in the 

latest technology, including a state-of-the-art 

heart catheterization lab; a surgical robot that 

allows surgeons to perform minimally invasive 

procedures with quick recovery and less 

pain for patients; the latest navigational system 

to guide brain and spine surgeons; and 

more. Its 2,000 dedicated employees account 

for an annual payroll of more than $84 million 

and make the hospital the fourth largest 

employer in Bay County. Bay Medical is the 

area’s largest hospital, and will grow even 

more when a five-story, 144-room patient 

tower, now under construction, opens in the 

fall of 2010. 

First Choice Physical Therapy 

First Choice Physical Therapy is known 

throughout the community as the leader in 

providing quality, evidence-based practice 

to attain the best outcomes for each of its 

patients. Wade Rinehart, owner/operator of 

First Choice, recently completed his Doctorate 

of Physical Therapy from University of 

St. Augustine for Health Sciences. He also 

holds a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy 

from the university, as well as a Bachelor’s 

Degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition 

and Fitness from Florida State University. 

Dr. Rinehart has spent his career in the 

outpatient orthopedic setting, and specializes 

in spinal/ joint mobilizations. He works 

closely with the local physicians delivering 

a hands-on approach with a personal touch. 

It is the mission of First Choice to achieve a 

good name more than riches, and Dr. Rinehart 

leads his staff in achieving that mission. 

For its excellence, First Choice was awarded 

the 2007 Jerry Mills Small Business of the 

Year Award. First Choice treats orthopedic, 

sports, and auto-related injuries, women’s 

health, pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation, 

and several other dysfunctions. First Choice 

Physical Therapy has two clinics to serve patients, 

one in Lynn Haven and one in Panama 

City Beach. If you would like more information 

about First Choice’s services, please call 

248-1600. 

Beltone Hearing 

Hearing loss is the number one disability in 

the world! Over 30 million Americans (10%) 

are hearing impaired. It is the third most prevalent 

chronic condition behind arthritis and 

hypertension. Hearing loss can cause more 

than just communication problems; it can affect 

your physical and mental health through 

isolation, depression and frustration. Helen 

Keller said, “When you lose your eyesight, 

you lose contact with things. When you lose 

your hearing, you lose contact with people”. 

Beltone founded in 1940 with nearly 1,500 

offices nationwide; is the most trusted name 

in hearing care among adults over 50. Gregory 

and Sharon Yordon manage 5 Beltone 

Hearing Center’s in N Florida with the main 

office at 2633 Hwy 77 in Panama City. Other 

offices are on Panama City Beach, Santa 


Rosa Beach, DeFuniak Springs and Chipley. The Yordon’s have 45 

years of combined experience in the hearing aid field and are nationally 

board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialists. The Yordon’s 

believe in quality customer service and therefore have achieved the 

highest customer care rating of over 90% satisfaction. 

Our offices have the most technologically advanced equipment for 

testing and servicing your hearing healthcare needs with Customized 

Computer programming, Digital Signal Processing and Beltone’s 

own interactive fitting software with surround sound environment. 

Beltone also is “The” leader in Open Technology. We also offer 

repairs, Assistive Listening Devices, Hearing Aid Accessories and 

Fresh Batteries. 

If you or a loved one suspect a Hearing Loss, or are having Symptoms 

of Hearing Loss such as: Difficulty understanding conversation in a 

group or crowd; People seem to mumble more frequently and are 

often asking people to repeat; contact one of our offices for a FREE 

Hearing Evaluation. Call toll free (877) 608-4327 (Hear). 

Gulf Coast Medical 

Gulf Coast Medical Center includes a 176-bed hospital, two diagnostic 

centers and three primary care clinics. There are more than 300 

physicians on the hospital’s medical staff who represent more than 30 

specialties and subspecialties. The hospital, which opened its doors 

in 1977, employs more than 800. Gulf Coast Medical Center has the 

area’s most comprehensive diagnostic technology. It has the region’s 

only comprehensive Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and has the area’s 

largest Pediatric Specialty Unit; more than 1,000 children a year are 

treated and more than 2,000 babies a year are delivered. In 2006, Gulf 

Coast Medical Center and the Gulf Coast Cancer Treatment Center 

developed a partnership that created the Gulf Coast Cancer Institute 

(GCCI). GCCI includes the medical oncologists on staff at the hospital 

and the radiation oncologists on staff at the Gulf Coast Cancer 

Treatment Center. 


Nu Wave Medical Center 

Gurprit Sekhon, M.D. 

Janet Gysi, A.R.N.P.C. 

Internal Medicine 

12007 Panama City Beach Parkway 

Panama City Beach, FL 32407 

850.249.6363 

Accepting New Patients 

 

Sacred Heart Health System 

Since opening the area’s first hospital in 1915, Sacred Heart Health 

System has grown into the regional leader for providing high-quality, 

compassionate health care to children and adults in Northwest Florida. 

More than 600 primary and specialty physicians practice at Sacred 

Heart. Our main services include: Sacred Heart Medical Group, 

a network of primary care physicians, a 24-hour Emergency Trauma 


Pier Park~ 850.234.6144 

Rosemary Bch~ 850.231.6801 



Health & Wellness 

D I R E C T O R Y 

Alpha Audiology 

1047 Jenks Avenue 

Panama City, FL 32401 

(850) 763-7707 

alpha-audiology.com 

Bay Medical Center 

615 N. Bonita Avenue 


(850) 747-6981 / baymedical.org 

Bay Walk-in Clinic 

8811 Front Beach Road 


(850) 234-8511 

baywalkinclinic.com 

Beltone Hearing Center 

2633 Highway 77, Ste A 


(850) 763-0801 

beltone.com/hearwell 

Carillon Beach Resort and Spa 

114 Market Street 


(850) 230-4809 

carillonbeachresort.com 

Club Sun Tanning Salon 

13800 Panama City B Pkwy. #108 


(850) 249-7866 

clubsuntanning.com 

Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center 

12238 Panama City B Pkwy. 


(850) 233-0264 

skinandveins.com 

Covenant Hospice 

504 N. 12th Avenue 

Pensacola, FL 32504 

(850) 785-3040 / hospicenwfl.org 

Curves For Women 



(850) 233-4999 

Digestive Diseases Center 

204 E. 19th Street 


(850) 763-5409 

digestivediseases.biz 

Dr. Myra Reed MD & Assoc. 

1814 Thomas Drive 


(850) 249-5000 

Emerald Coast Urgent Care 

11111 Panama City B Pkwy. Ste 264 


(850) 236-8655 

emeraldcoasturgentcare.com 

Exotic Exposure Tanning 

10310 Hutchison Blvd. 


(850) 235-9696 

exoticexposuretanning.com 

Extreme Fitness 

P.O. Box 15773 


(850) 866-6030 

extremefitness.com 

Fernando C. Malamud, MD 

2202 State Avenue, Ste 111 


(850) 784-9977 

First Choice Therapy Services 

12234 Panama City B Pkwy. Ste B 


(850) 249-1603 / 1stchoicept.com 

Gold’s Gym 



(850) 233-2111 / goldsgym.com 

Gulf Coast Dermatology 



(850) 234-2597/(850) 233-3376 

gulfcoastderm.com 

Healthpark/Seawind Medical Clinic 



(850) 249-1000 

seawindmedicalclinic.com 

Healthsouth Emerald Coast 

Rehabilitation Hospital 

1847 Florida Avenue 


(850) 914-8633 

House of Grace Maternity Home 

3210 Florida Avenue 


(850) 763-1181 

houseofgrace.info 

Indulgence Salon Spa & Boutique 



(850) 234-2100 

indulgencepcb.com 

Life Management Center of NW FL 

525 E. 15th Street 


(850) 522-4485 

lifemanagementcenter.org 

Massage Envy 

15801 LC Hilton Dr., Ste 120 


(850) 563-0070 

massageenvy.com 

Medical Cosmetic Center 

2101 Northside Drive, Ste 403 


(850) 872-1777 

Nails So Happy 

15801 LC Hilton Jr. Dr., Ste #116 


(850) 230-8887 

NorthWest Florida Blood Services 

2696 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. 


(850) 785-9398 

Omni Home Care 

742 Harrison Avenue 


(850) 215-4061 / omnihha.com 

Panama City Surgery Center 



(850) 769-3191 / pcsurgery.org 

Panama Internal Medicine 

11111 Panama City B Pkwy. Ste 106 


(850) 234-5151 

Pregnancy Resource Center 

745 Grace Avenue 


(850) 763-1100 

pregnancysupport.info 

Results Bootcamp 

141 Gwyn Drive 


(850) 890-6260 

resultsbootcamp.com 

Retina Specialists, PA 

2101 Northside Drive #704 


(850) 747-3999 

Sacred Heart Hospital on the 

Emerald Coast 

7800 U.S. Highwy 98 West 

Miramar Beach, FL 32550 

(850) 273-3000 

sacredheartemerald.org 

Sacred Heart Medical Group 

120 Richard Jackson Blvd. 


(850) 233-6922 

Solace Day Spa & Salon 

101 Bluefish Drive, Ste 115 


(850) 364-4751 

solacesalonspa.com 

Davita West Beach Dialysis 



(850) 233-8379 / davita.com 

Dennis Lichorwic, DMD 

4635 Gulfstarr Drive 

Destin, FL 32541 

(850) 654-8665 

destindentist.com 

Gulf Coast Medical Center 

449 W. 23rd Street 


(850) 769-8341 / gcmc-pc.com 

Gymnastics Plus 

1816 Allison Avenue 


(850) 249-1155 

gymnasticsplus.com 

Northwest Florida Surgery Center 

767 Airport Road 


(850) 747-0400 

nwfsc.com 

Nu Wave Medical Center 



(850) 249-6363 

The Vein Center @ Vascular Assoc. 



(850) 872-8510 

Yoga Vida 

1344 W. 15th Street 


(850) 867-2209 

myyogavida.com 


Center, a Pediatric Trauma Referral Center, 

and centers of excellence specializing in 

women’s health, cardiac care, orthopedics, 

cancer care, and the care of children. A member 

of the Ascension Health System, Sacred 

Heart practices its mission of care to the less 

fortunate in many ways, providing comfort 

and healing to those in need spiritually, medically 

or financially. We also reach out to the 

needy with community services such as our 

mobile health unit serving the elderly, or our 

clinics which provide medical care and dental 

care to low-income children. 

 

D E N T I S T R Y 

Stephen Myers, D.M.D., PA 



(850) 234-7080 

scmyersdmd.com 

Goodreau & Richardson Dentistry 

17350 Panama City Beach Parkway 


(850) 230-3364 

Panama City Dental Studio 

2410 St. Andrews Blvd, Suite C 


(850) 784-0700 

Panhandle Pediatric Dentistry 

2406 St. Andrews Blvd. 


(850) 481-1969 

panhandlepediatricdentistry.com 

Tara G. Walling DMD PA 

3135 Thomas Drive 


(850) 249-9311 

emeraldcoastdentalspa.com 

Taking 

Sponsors 

for 2010 After Hours and 

Fridays at the Beach 

For details of 

promotional exposure 

contact Hillary Marchman 

at (850) 235-1159 

Live Good and Prosper 

(Yes, I meant to say “good.”) 

By Bryan Taylor, President, United Way of 

Northwest Florida 

We are all well aware of the health and 

well-being benefits of exercise and a 

healthy diet. From the time we are old 

enough to make our own decisions, until 

the time we are no longer able to do 

so, we are encouraged to “take care of 

ourselves.” Well, have you ever stopped 

to wonder how “taking care of others” 

may assist in our daily efforts to take 

care of ourselves? While 

Ebenezer Scrooge may 

exclaim, “Bah! Humbug!” 

noted author and professor 

of bioethics, Stephen 

Post, would exclaim 

otherwise. 

In his 2007 book, Why 

Good Things Happen to 

Good People, Post examines 

“exciting new research that proves 

the link between doing good and living 

a longer, healthier, happier life.” Along 

with former Psychology Today features 

editor Jill Neimark, Post cites studies 

that show how qualities like gratitude, 

celebration, forgiveness and compassion 

are not only good for the recipients 

of such generosity, but may also lead 

to better health and a longer life for 

the person doing the giving. Much 

of Post’s research shows that unselfish 

individuals will find life to be more 

meaningful, will usually be happier than 

their selfish counterparts, and will often 

“Giving is as good for 

the giver as it is for the 

receiver. Science says 

it’s so. We’ll be happier, 

healthier and even 

- odds are - live a little 

longer if we’re generous.” 

~Stephen Post, 

Why Good Things Happen to Good People 


experience better mental health. Some 

of his research even finds that unselfish 

individuals have reduced mortality rates 

and better physical health. 

In 2008, a team of researchers from the 

University of British Columbia conducted 

various experiments and surveys 

concerning the psychology of charitable 

giving. Professor Elizabeth Dunn, who 

led the research, said, “We wanted to 

test our theory that how people spend 

their money is at least as 

important as how much 

money they earn.” In one 

experiment, the researchers 

gave people $5 or 

$20. Required to spend 

the money by 5:00 p.m., 

half the participants were 

instructed to spend the 

money on themselves, 

and half were instructed 

to spend the money on others. Results 

indicated that those who spent the 

cash on others reported feeling happier 

at the end of the day than those 

who spent the money on themselves, 

regardless of the amount they had been 

given to spend. 

“As you grow older you 

will discover that you 

have two hands. One 

for helping yourself, the 

other for helping others.” 

~Abraham Lincoln 

Finally, in the evolutionary context of 

biological altruism, Dr. George Fieldman, 

a psychologist at Buckinghamshire New 

University, says, “Giving to charity partly 

makes you feel better because you’re in 

a group… [and] perceived as being an 

altruist. On an individual level, if I give 

to you, you are less likely to attack me 

and more likely to be nice to me.” So 

whether or not you may subscribe to 

this Darwinist interpretation of selflessness 

or the possibility that science may 

indeed be able to prove the biblical 

claim, “It is better to give than to 

receive,” just imagine how Mr. Scrooge 

must have felt as he hoisted Tiny Tim 

upon his shoulders after experiencing 

the joy and happiness of doing “good.” 


Beach Sports For 

Lifestyle 

By Janice Reese, PCB Sand Sports 


If you are lucky enough to find a sport 

that you enjoy and have fun playing, 

you have a “sport for life.” This is the 

idea PCB Sand Sports seeks to grow 

beach sports here in Panama City 

Beach. Everyone has fun playing in 

the sand, and Panama City Beach has 

some of the best white sand beaches in 

the country. Playing beach sports is a 

total body workout that improves your 

hand-eye coordination and reflexes; the 

sand provides resistance to make the 

workout extra tough. Beach sports are 

generally more than just a sport; they 

are a lifestyle of fitness and activity that 

can stay with you throughout your life. 

Originally designed as a pastime for 

bored surfers, beach volleyball has 

steadily grown in popularity since it 

first appeared on Hawaiian beaches in 

the early 1900’s. While it was an island 

invention, Californians have made the 

sport what it is today. In the 1920’s, 

construction of jetties on a Santa 

Monica beach created an ideal space 

for the game, and soon beach clubs set 

up organized beach volleyball tournaments. 

It was there that two-man teams 

became the standard for the sport. 

Beach volleyball soon spread to Europe, 

and in the 1940’s the Federation 

Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) 

professional governing association was 

born. By the late 1980’s, beach volleyball 

experienced a surge in popularity 

and made its first appearance in the 

Olympic games in 1996. Now, with 

the recent visibility of Beach Volleyball 

success when the men and women took 

PCB Sand Sports is bringing the vision and idea of 

SAND SPORTS into the community, to create and 

promote a new “active healthy lifestyle” brand for 

the beach. 

the gold medal at the Bejing Olympics, 

the sport is again moving forward. PCB 

Sand Sports is supporting the continued 

growth of the Association of 

Volleyball Professionals (AVP) and 

the grassroots organization AVPNext 

to put Panama City Beach on the local 

“tournament” and playing map for the 

area. It is about creating a local community 

of 

players 

as well as 

attracting 

competition 

to draw 

tourism to 

the area. 

Sharky’s and 

the Towne 

of Seahaven 

have begun 

to see the 

benefit of 

their association 

with Beach Volleyball--and the active 

healthy lifestyle of sand sports. Over 

the summer Sharky’s was one of only 16 

locations around the U.S., and the only 

location in Florida, to host the AVPNext 

Barefoot Wine League Championship. 

The competition consisted of a 

men and women’s league, with first 

place winning a trip to San Francisco to 

compete against other players around 

the country to win a spot in the AVP 

Pro Tournament. This past August the 

teams competed there and did well. 

The women made it through three 

games to the semi-finals and took 3rd 

place. The men’s team went in as an 

11th seed team, and played a tough 

match for their first game to a 5th seed 

Chicago based team. The entire group 

had a tremendous amount of fun and 

camaraderie and shared the passion 

for health, 

sports and 

fitness. 

Beach 

Sports are 

growing 

quickly as 

a world 

sport. 

They 

include 

favorites 

played on 

field courts 

Beach Volleyball Tournament in San Francisco 

such as Flag 

Football, 

Soccer and Tennis in addition to Volleyball. 

When moved to sand, these sports 

become an entirely “fun” experience. 

This October 9-11, over the Columbus 

Day Seafood, Wine & Music Festival, 

look for all of these sports to make 

an appearance in an inaugural Sand 

Sports Festival. There will be various 

“host” property locations across Panama 

City Beach supporting the vision of 

“real.fun.beach” to the area and helping 

bring sand sports to our community. 



 

Panhandle Pediatric 

Dentistry 

Eric Berry, DMD, PA 

 

 

★ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Panhandle Pediatric Dentistry, we specialize in dentistry for infants, children, adolescents 

and those with special needs. Much like a pediatrician, a pediatric dentist or pedodontist is 

specifically trained in all aspects of dentistry for the developing child. Our pledge is to provide 

all children with outstanding dentistry in a caring, efficient and enthusiastic manner. 

We have an open office policy, where parents are welcome to accompany their children 

throughout the dental experience. This allows parents a first hand look at the steps we take to 

ensure your child has a positive experience while visiting. We offer the latest of dental technologies 

and techniques, including digital radiography which exposes the child to less radiation 

during x-rays. When necessary, conscious sedation and hospital dentistry are available for the 

very young or apprehensive child. 

For more information about our new pediatric dental practice in Panama City, 

please contact us! 

Eric Berry, DMD, PA 

Panhandle Pediatric Dentistry 

2406 St. Andrews Blvd. 


(850) 481-1969 

www.panhandlepediatricdentistry.com 

52710_TheCircuit-JUL AUG 09.indd 33 7/4/09 5:24:22 PM 



How 

Emergency? 

Call 911 

and choose Gulf Coast Medical Center 

Closest ER from the beach 

Wait times are updated on our 

website every half hour. www.gcmc-pc.com 

 

 

Beltone 

TM 

Helping the world hear better 

• FREE Hearing Evaluations. 

• Repairs and service on 

almost all makes and models. 

• Assistive listening devices, 

hearing aid accessories and 

fresh batteries. 

• Financing available 

(with approved credit) 

• Jitterbug Cell Phones 

sold at Beltone. 

Panama City Location 

2633 Highway 77, Suite A 

Beach Location 

612 Wisteria Street 

Corner of Hutchison Blvd., 1.4 miles 

west of Grand Panama Resort 

ER WAIT TIMES 

Sharon and Gregory Yordon, HAS, 

BC-HIS, MS, are Nationally Board 

Certified in Hearing Instrument 

Sciences 

10% OFF 

any advanced hearing 

system with this ad. 

See all the new technology 

Beltone has for you. 

Cannot combine coupons. 

Limited time offer. 

Call for appointment: 

850-763-0801 or 877-608-4327 

to Feel Happy 

By Sherrie Lock, GCCC 

How does happiness play a role in 

human performance? Few employees 

discuss this within the confines of their 

place of business, reserving these discussions 

for outside breaks and social 

gatherings to vent work related frustrations. 

After all, when was the last time 

your boss asked, “Are you happy”? 

Suppose you have a bad morning before 

your work day begins; you cannot 

smile and you are angry with everyone 

else who is. As the morning progresses 

you feel your blood pressure getting 

higher; your customers are seemingly 

uncooperative. Your happiness affects 

your morale, your health and your 

human relations…and all of these 

will inevitably affect your performance, 

which affects your business. 

The following are suggestions for how 

to be happy at work. Happiness can be 

achieved by hardwired daily activities: 

1. Prayer/meditation daily: Helps you 

focus on what matters most in your life. 

If you don’t have time before leaving 

home, make the most of driving time! 

2. Family/friends/social network: 

Connect on a regular basis with the 

special people in your life and minimize 

contact with negative people. This is a 

critical element for work/life balance. 

3. Exercise: Physical activity reduces 

stress and promotes good health. If you 

only have time to do one physical activity 

you enjoy once a week, go and enjoy! 

4. Purposeful/meaningful activities: 

Engage in meaningful work on a regular 

basis. If this is not part of your job description, 

volunteer or create something 

meaningful and purposeful in whatever 

you choose to do every day. 

5. Continue to grow/learn: Learn 

from experiences & other people. Take 

classes to expand skills, meet people 

with similar interests, increase confidence 

and empowerment, improve 

effectiveness and efficiency. 

6. Be your own best: Be realistic regarding 

your strengths and weaknesses, 

and don’t compare yourself to others. 

Don’t take on a project if it isn’t in the 

best interest of all involved - including 

you. At the end of the day, be able to 

say you did your own best! 


Mental Hygiene 

By Tricia Pearce, Community Relations 

Specialist for Life Management Center of 

Northwest Florida 

We can all explain what physical hygiene 

is and what basic steps we need 

to take to be a healthy individual. But, 

can we explain what mental hygiene is 

and what we need to do to protect our 

mental health? With over 15 million 

Americans suffering from a serious 

mental illness, this is a topic that 

should not be overlooked. 

Mental health is just as important as 

your physical well-being and, in fact, 

the two work hand-in-hand for your 

overall health. Dr. Edward Gibson, 

Medical Director for Life Management 

Center of Northwest Florida, realized 

that people were not being taught 

what he calls “mental hygiene.” 

“We have been taught most everything 

we need to know in order to 

maintain good physical health by the 

fourth grade,” stated Dr. Gibson in his 

book The Naked Guide for Life. “We 

are taught to keep clean, wash all the 

crevasses, eat a balanced diet three 

times a day, brush our teeth, visit the 

dentist and doctor occasionally, sleep 

eight hours, exercise, take vitamins and 

drink several glasses of water daily. 

Once out of school we are bombarded 

by the media with news about what is 

good and bad for our health. There are 

almost no corresponding sources of 

information concerning what we may 

do to develop and maintain mental 

health.” 

Dr. Gibson makes caring for your 

mental health very simple by boiling 

it down to two things: what you do in 

life and your relationships. He explains 

this further by giving three basic areas 

that define what you do in life: 

1. Do things that are good for 

you. 

2. Don’t do anything that is 

bad for you. 

3. Don’t do anything that you 

are not proud of. 

How do those basic concepts help 

your mental health? “When you can 

look at yourself at night before going 

to bed and you realize you are a better 

person it helps your self-esteem,” 

explains Gibson. 

We have all heard that relationships are 

important in our lives, but how do you 

know you have a good relationship? 

Dr. Gibson believes that three things 

are necessary for a good relationship: 

Mutual respect 

The ability to be considerate of 

what is important to the other 

person 

The ability to communicate 

well enough to let each other 

know what is truly important 

What about genetics and a person’s 

environment playing such a big role 

in mental illness? Mental illness is not 

unlike other illnesses in that there are 

steps that can prevent or lessen the 

effects of a mental illness, but there are 

no guarantees. For example, one of the 

most physically fit people you know 

may have a heart attack and there be 

nothing he could have done to prevent 

it due to genetics. However, with the 

right diet and exercise we can all lower 

our chances of a heart attack, and if we 

do have a heart attack, being fit usually 

makes recovery easier. 

Despite all prevention steps taken, 

mental illness can still effect any of us. 

In his 35 years of counseling experience 

Ned Ailes, Life Management 

Center Executive Director, has found 

that “the best thing you can do for 

yourself is to seek help as soon as you 

notice any signs of a mental health 

problem. As with any medical condition, 

the longer you wait to seek help, 

the more progressed the illness and 

more difficult to treat.” 

Life Management Center of Northwest 

Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization 

providing mental health care in Bay, 

Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and 

Washington Counties. For more information 

visit www.lifemanagementcenter.org or 

call (850) 522-4485. 

See & Be Seen... 

Advertise your business in The Circuit! 

Call Lynn at 850.348.1137 or Cyndi at 850.691.6259 


 



How to stay young 

with healthy choices 

1. Exercise regularly. As you get older, 

age can rob you of your original aerobic 

capacity. If you can just do 30 minutes 

of a moderate activity for three or four 

times each week, you can retain that 

original capacity. The activities do not 

have to be strenuous at all, just simply 

moving around and getting your heart 

pumping. 

2. Get enough sleep. When resting, 

your body uses the necessary nutrients 

that you have consumed during the 

day to repair any damage that has been 

done from your activities. When you 

don’t get enough sleep, it keeps your 

immune system from doing the job that 

it is supposed to do and could possibly 

leave your body in disrepair. 

3. Eat foods high in antioxidants. 

Every day you should eat five to nine 

servings of foods like broccoli, red peppers, 

cauliflower and other yellow, red 

and green vegetables that are high in 

vitamins A, C and E that fight the oxidation 

that damages your tissues. 

4. Get regular health screenings. 

Make sure that your immunizations 

are up to date and have regular health 

exams that are recommended for your 

age. If you are a woman, regular preventive 

tests are required like mammograms. 

Go to the doctor if you have any 

other health related issues. 

5. Maintain a healthy cholesterol level. 

You should try to keep your cholesterol 

level under 200 by making healthy 

changes in your diet to stay young. Follow 

a diet that will limit your fat intake 

to 30% or less of your total weight. You 

should also maintain a healthful weight 

for your age to stay young. 

6. Eat lots of fiber. Dietary fiber is important 

to staying young and fit. Beans, 

broccoli and bran help to lower cholesterol, 

aids in digestion and actually 

defends against some types of cancer. 

7. Control your stress. Many diseases 

are linked to stress, as well as some 

degenerative conditions that are associated 

with aging. Accept situations 

that you can’t change and deal with the 

ones that you can. 

8. Protect your skin. Before you head 

out in the sun, please cover up as much 

as possible. It is your skin that shows 

the first visible sign of aging, and sun 

exposure is the leading cause of skin 

damage. 

9. Pay attention to well eating. Numerous 

researchers have shown that 

a healthy diet can help you live longer. 

Be sure you eat foods that are high in 

complex carbohydrates and low in fat. 

10. Get enough Sleep. According 

to the recent report, older adults need 

seven to nine hours of sleep every night. 

Poor sleeping habits can cause depression, 

create attention and memory 

problems. 

11. Try to get moving more. Brisk 

walking at least 30 min a day can lead 

to increased fitness and longer life in 

older adults. 

12. Keep your memory sharp. Do a 

crossword puzzle, play Sudoku or just 

use your non-popular hand to do common 

tasks. Your brain will be challenged 

and get stronger. 


13. Build healthy habits. A British study released earlier this 

year showed that people who drink moderately, exercise, quit 

smoking and eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each 

day live an average of 14 years longer than people who do 

none of these. 

14. Keep learning. Learn new dance steps, play a musical 

instrument, enroll in a continuing education class, join the 

Chamber and keep involved on a committee! This helps keep 

your brain as active as your body. 

15. Be social and get along with other people on a regular 

basis. Whether it is maintaining good relationships with family 

and friends or creating new ones by participating in the community, 

connecting with people can keep your mind young 

and fresh. 

16. Maintain healthy and positive attitude. Positive attitude 

is essential to the longer living. Positive emotions will contribute 

to lowering levels of proteins associated with inflammation 

in the body, lowering high blood pressure. 

17. Maximize intake of Antioxidant. Antioxidant can neutralize 

free radicals, a major cause of disease and aging. One type 

of antioxidant, anthocyanins in bleu, purple and red berries is 

linked to a lower risk of certain cancer, urinary tract health and 

healthy aging. 

 


 


Coronado Village 

The Village of Grand Panama 

850.763.4224 

850.249.4050 

www.shopmaharajas.com 


A Few Minutes With...Bill Husfelt 

Bay County School Superintendent 

Bill Husfelt sits down with Marta Rose 

On November 18, 2008 Bill Husfelt 

took the office of Superintendent 

for Bay District public schools. 

Deeply committed to the institution of education 

and the craft of teaching, he has dedicated 

his career to helping children learn and 

finding ways to ignite the joy of learning in 

them. “A lot of my job is morale,” he says. 

“There really is no secret formula; just a variety 

of strategies and approaches we need to 

employ to keep student performance moving 

upward…and there is no one quick fix. 

I want to instill a mindset that every person, 

even those who do not work in schools, 

serves a critical role in total success of our 

district.” 

‘How will the tasks I complete and the approach 

I take to problem solving impact the 

students and the schools?’ is a daily and constant 

question. He believes the Bay District 

schools have wonderful teachers and parents 

who care and are involved, great administrators 

and a supportive community. Deciding 

the game plan that makes us the very top 

school district in Florida – “that’s my responsibility,” 

he says. “I have a school board that 

is hands on and that I intend to work well 

with. If I don’t, we lose focus on what we 

NEED to focus on – the kids.” 

Husfelt began his career in Bay schools 27 

years ago. He married his wife Theresa in 

1982, two days before starting his first teaching 

job at Shaw Alternative School (later 

moved to A.D. Harris High School). Clearly 

a family man, Husfelt lights up when he talks 

about his wife and three daughters. “My 

wife is my best critic; she keeps me straight 

and humble,” he smiles. “Everyone 

has a perfect match out 

there – I definitely have mine.” 

His oldest daughter Stephanie 

graduated from FSU PC; Allison 

graduated from FSU in 

Tallahassee, and Anna is a junior 

at FSU in Tallahassee. 

Shaw Alternative School was 

a combination of adult education 

and a drop-out prevention program, a 

‘second chance’ school. Husfelt stayed there 

for one year, and then moved to Rosenwald 

Jr. High School for three years, followed by 

Rutherford High for six years. He became the 

Assistant Principal at Everitt Middle School 

and later Bay High School, and was Principal 

at A. Crawford Mosely High School for 

12 years. He taught Social Studies and English, 

was a Key Club sponsor, and coached 

several sports. Husfelt believes in team spirit 

and passed on that wisdom to young athletes 

helping to understand that together they 

could accomplish much more than they any 

one individual. 

He also firmly believes that motivation is 

pivotal to the success of a team. “I coached 

almost every sport you can think of at one 

time or another. My parents were divorced 

when I was very young and I grew up with 

two younger brothers raised by a single mom. 

She never missed a game or a school function.” 

The male role models in his life were 

his coaches, who he credits as instrumental 

in shaping the person he is today. “Later on 

as a coach I learned that not everyone is good 

at everything, but you find out what people 

are good at, and let them specialize in those 

things,” he notes. “Not everyone can be a 

quarterback, somebody has to block…but 

everyone has skills and talents.” 

Asked what subjects he taught, he replies, “I 

loved teaching economics and government, 

my real joy. Most young kids didn’t know 

a lot about government and economics, and 

when I shared interesting things with the students 

I could see the spark of interest in their 

eyes.” At this point the excitement in his voice 

becomes apparent. “A classroom teacher gets 

more excited about seeing those eyes pop 

out of their heads than anything else…seeing 

those lights come on! That’s what motivates 

teachers. If you’ve never taught, you really 

couldn’t understand.” He pauses. “That’s the 

thing that makes you want to keep on. Teaching 

is very self-fulfilling.” 

Husfelt himself attended both FSU and FSU 

PC, and previously received his Associate 

of Arts degree from Gulf Coast Community 

College. “GCCC is one of the best educational 

opportunities in our state … right here 

in Bay County,” he proclaims enthusiastically. 

“It’s convenient, it’s affordable, and 

it’s a great education. I used to pull kids into 

my office and plead with to them to go to 

Gulf Coast Community College! It’s one of 

the top community colleges in the nation for 

academics and opportunities.” He later received 

a BA in Secondary Education, Social 

Sciences with a minor in Criminology, and 

an MS degree in Educational Leadership. 

Interested in national government and the 

constitution, Bill Husfelt is one of those avid 

watchers of presidential news conferences 

and conventions. “People don’t realize how 

blessed we are with the democratic system 

we have,” he says. “It works. As Winston 

Churchill said, ‘Democracy is the worst form 

of government – except for all the rest.’” He 

and Theresa teach Sunday school in a class 

for young married couples at Hiland Park 

Baptist Church. In his spare time he plays 

golf. “My wife and I started about seven 

years ago,” he says. He loves college football 

and believes Coach Bobby Bowden is a great 

role model and a great man. 

The top three things he has dealt with the 

most since taking office in November include 

building a budget for this year, establishing 

a rapport with School Board members, 

and working on policy changes for 

zoning and school choice. Regarding the 

budget, he feels the state will come back and 



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Fax: 850-769-6526 

Is it working with experienced professionals to create a quality product? 

Is it watching their ideas come together before their eyes? Or is it the bottom 

line, knowing they are getting the most for their 

hard earned money. We say it’s all these and more. 

From the simplest business card to a full color magazine 

we will work with you to achieve your printing 

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Chamber Committee Updates 

YP @ THE Beach 

Young Professionals Today. Leaders Tomorrow. 

Young Professionals at the Beach provides a 

venue for ambitious individuals to network 

and develop the skills necessary to become the 

next business leaders on THE Beach. YP@ 

TB’s mission is Bridging Social, Geographic, 

Political and Economical boundaries across 

Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. 

The group held it’s YP Launch Party in 

partnership with the South Walton Chamber 

on August 13th at La Botana in Seagrove. 

The standing room only crowd enjoyed wine, 

tasty food and great company, with over 100 

friends and business contacts in attendance. 

The next meeting will be held at Calypso 

Beach Cafe (Front Beach Road) on Thursday, 

September 17 for lunch and an open forum 

discussion on the committee’s direction. For 

more information contact Kristopher@ 


Green Leadership 

The Green Leadership Committee has been 

working on keeping our beautiful beach 

clean. The first Beach Clean-up Day was 

on August 12. Despite the rain and lighting 

over 30 people came out and helped with the 

cleanup. We have planned to do another one 

on Saturday, September 19--which happens 

to be the 24th annual International Coastal 

Cleanup Day (www.oceanconservancy. 

org). Everyone, including family, friends 

and children, is invited to help us clean up 

the beach at both Rick Seltzer Park (South 

Thomas Drive) from 8:00 to 9:30 am and 

Russell Fields City Pier from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. 

In addition, we have awarded our first Green 

Leadership Recognition plaque to La Quinta 

Inn & Suites for achieving their second palm 

with the Florida Hotel & Lodging Association. 

If anyone would like to nominate a business 

for their efforts in conservation, preservation, 

beatification or sustainability please contact 

Marta@PCBeach.org. Remember that 

you CAN make a difference. 

Membership Committee 

Maintaining a growing and loyal membership base is crucial for the continued success of a 

chamber of commerce. In order to promote business within our community, businesses must 

work together with the Beach Chamber to help build lasting relationships. In an effort to help 

encourage Board Members and Ambassadors to actively refer new members to the Chamber, 

the Member Get a Member program was formed to increase new members, while rewarding 

those that put forth the effort. Dinner for two will be awarded per quarter to whomever refers 

the most new members. You must have a minimum of five new members to qualify. At the 

end of the year the Panama City Beach Chamber will give the following to the member with 

the most referrals; contact Kristopher@PCBeach.org for more information. 

• Recognition at the Annual Dinner in February 2010 

• Complimentary ½ Page advertisement in The Circuit magazine 

• 1 complimentary web banner valued at $1,500 

• Complimentary 2010 Chamber Membership 

LEGISLATIVE COMMUNITY 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 

Pam Tedesco, Regional Leadership Chairperson 

of the Florida Chamber, is assisting 

the Beach Chamber’s Governmental Affairs 

Committee in the formation of its Legislative 

Agenda. 

Frank Ryll, past President and Director of 

the Community Development Partnership 

for the Florida Chamber and Adam 

Babington, Esq., Legislative Counsel at 

the Florida Chamber, have been invited to 

speak at the next Friday at the Beach (on 

September 11 at the Bay Point Marriott) 

about Amendment 4: The statewide “Vote 

on Everything” Initiative aka Hometown 

Democracy. 

Amendment 4 is a grave threat to Florida’s 

future. It requires that every local 

comprehensive land use plan change receives 

voter approval, subverts a well-established, 

open, accessible and democratic planning 

process. “Amendment 4 is a jobs killer that 

would make the current economic downturn 

permanent,” says Adam. His presentation 

at Friday at the Beach will provide the real 

story behind the special interests pushing 

Amendment 4, and what Floridians can do 

to keep it out of our constitution. 

The Committee is also forming a survey to 

find out which issues affect our Chamber 

members. The topics include transportation, 

local, state and national government. The 

results of this survey will determine its 2010 

legislative agenda. 

Other projects and events include: 

• Researching proposed Fishing 

Regulations 

• U.S. Chamber Health Care Letter 

• Gulf Power Economic Symposium on 

Wednesday, 9/2/09 and Thursday, 9/3/09 

• Chamber to co-sponsor October 29th Fall 

Leadership Summit, “American Spirit, 

American Ingenuity: Identifying regional 

strategies to create jobs and grow our 

economy.” 

For more information, contact Lindsay@ 


Pictured above left: The YP Launch Party 

on August 13th. Right, top: Members of 

the Green Leadership Committee help at 

Beach Clean-Up Day on August 12th. 


Hidden Gem to Dynamic Future Economy 


Infrastructure 

‘how easy is it to commute and get around?’ and 

‘is the community pedestrian-friendly?’ are being 

discussed by community leaders. Highway 79 

is the gateway to our destination and the first 

glimps of the beach thousands will have as they 

drive from the new airport. The stretch from 

West Bay to Highway 98 will soon undergo 

a widening and beautification which includes 

new landscaping. Richard Jackson Boulevard 

(formerly Beckrich Road) recently completed 

extensive reconstruction. South Thomas 

Drive and segments of Front Beach Road are 

next in line for widening, beautificatuion and 

improvements. There has been talk of building 

an outer beltway loop, called the Sunshine 

Parkway, which would make Panama City Beach 

easier to access. This fiber/telecommunications 

infrastructure would connect the region and 

surrounding areas to well-traveled Interstates 

I-75 and I-10. 

Airport & Port 

From a tourism perspective, Panama City Beach 

gets a smaller share of fly-in resort guests than 

most of the state tourism areas. However, as 

we approach the opening date (May 2010) of 

the new Panama City-Bay County International 

Airport, that has the ability to change. Business 

people outside of an easy drive market may 

be more inclined to visit by air, expanding the 

number of visitors and, eventually the number 

of residents locating to the area. Easy air access 

in and out will open new opportunities for 

visitors and existing businesses. Executives 

often choose to live on the beach enjoying a 

vacation atmosphere year round while locating 

or expanding their businesses nearby creating 

quality new jobs. Additionally, attracting a 

company to this area that would utilize the Port 

of Panama City – the northernmost U.S. port in 

the Gulf of Mexico – will have a very positive 

effect on Panama City Beach. 

Relax. 

Play. 

Celebrate. 

For all the reasons to visit the beach, 

stay in beautiful beach condos & resorts. 

www.SouthernResorts.com 

800.737.2322 

NORTHWEST FLORIDA’S GULF COAST 

Education 

College grads and the Gen X’ers (aged twenties 

to forties) – the restless and creative youth of this 

generation – are figuring out where they want 

to live before they figure out where they want 

to work. “We need to evaluate our community 

through the lens of this vitally important next 

generation,” says Oltman. “Our community 

leaders need a clear strategy to attract and retain 

young talent in this community.” “Does our 

community value smart?” is a great question. 



Chamber Committee Updates 

 

Charting the Entrepreneurial Course for Small Business 

Navigator 

Charting the Entrepreneurial Course for Small 

Business 

The Beach Chamber recently formed its 

small business initiative, Navigator, to 

provide support for and promote the small 

business interests of its membership. In 

discovering that over 80% of its members 

are small businesses (the Chamber defines 

“small business” as having less than 10 

employees), the Chamber knew it needed 

to provide programs specifically for small 

businesses that would enhance the value of 

their Chamber investment. The program was 

launched at the Small Business Conference on 

June 30th at Gulf Coast Community College. 

Navigator’s offered programs will include 

free monthly workshops for Chamber 

members in conjunction with After Hours 

Business Mixers ($10 for future members); 

one-on-one mentorships; a Member-to- 

Member privilege card program encouraging 

members to do business with other members 

first; and an ongoing recognition program 

with quarterly winners recognized at Friday 

at the Beach; these four winners will become 

finalists for the Small Business Person of the 

Year Award. 

Navigate To Success is Navigator’s Fall & 

Winter series of workshops. Topics include 

Networking for Time-Challenged Business 

Leaders, Business Etiquette 101: How to 

turn a “NO” Today into a “YES” Tomorrow, 

How to Create Your Own Elevator Speech, 

and The Art of Closing the Deal featuring a 

moderator and panel of sales professionals. 

For information on how you can get involved, 

contact Hillary@PCBeach.org. 

F OCU S 

ON THE FUTURE 

Empowering Students to See 

Their Own Potential 

Education Partnership 

Committee Seeks Mentors for Bay District 

School Students 

The Education Partnership Committee is 

focused on bringing education and business 

together for a brighter future. The Committee’s 

mission is To encourage local business 

leaders to support and serve our students 

through motivational and empowering 

programs. The Committee is working 

with Bay District School Superintendent 

Bill Husfelt in launching a new mentoring 

program, Focus on the Future, to begin in 

the new school year. 

Business leaders in our community represent 

the real world to our youths, and can 

offer a powerful source of inspiration 

and motivation just by being part of their 

educational process. We all have a story of 

how we made it from high school to where 

we are today. If we could share those stories 

and ourselves with a classroom of middle or 

high school students every week, would it 

make a difference? You bet it would! Beach 

Chamber members may apply to serve as 

a Classroom Mentor. After a background 

clearance and orientation training, mentors 

will work closely with a classroom of 

students at one of the designated Bay County 

High Schools or Middle School: 

• Meeting two or three times a month with 

their class for 20-30 minutes. 

• Sharing with students about the “Real 

World of Business.” 

• Talking and listening to students while 

showing them you care about their future. 

For more information, contact Lynn Kandler 

at Lynn@PCBeach.org. 

NAVIGATE TO SUCCESS 

GUERILLA MARKETING THROUGH 

PUBLIC RELATIONS 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 4-5:15 PM 

MARGARITAVILLE PIER PARK 

On Thursday, September 17 Navigator will 

present another workshop in its Navigate 

to Success series, “Guerilla Marketing 

Through Public Relations” by Kelly 

Robertson, Associate PR Director and Social 

Media Strategist with Kidd Public Relations. 

Headquartered in Tallahassee, this fullservice 

agency has successfully implemented 

full-scale marketing campaigns for local, 

state and national clientele for 30 years. 

Having worked at Kidd for nearly a 

decade, Kelly has extensive experience 

planning and coordinating communication 

campaigns across the country. She is 

the agency guru when it comes to social 

media implementation, media relations and 

strategic messaging. 

Kelly oversees the Kidd social media 

division, helping navigate the evolving 

world of communication, conversation and 

community. She advises clients on how to 

turn social media into advantageous outlets 

which foster direct two-way communication 

with their target audience. Whether the new 

media initiatives are a stand-alone effort 

or part of a dynamic integrated campaign, 

she is able to use a systematic and targeted 

approach to yield measurable results. 

To RSVP for this workshop, contact Hillary 

Marchman at Hillary@PCBeach.org. 


A Few Minutes With Bill Husfelt 


cut again this year. “We need to maximize everything 

we do to be as efficient as possible,” he 

says. “I really feel that we have all the potential 

to make our school system what we want it to be. 

I’m excited about what the future holds – for our 

students and for our community.” 

The Beach Chamber’s Education Partnership 

Committee is working with Superintendent Husfelt 

to launch a new mentoring program in the 

school systems to begin this fall. “We need mentors 

that care…mentors that have a message,” he 

says. “We want them (the kids) to see what they 

can be.” 

 

Hidden Gem to Dynamic Future Economy 


In the past two years the Beach Chamber has 

realized the growing importance of partnering 

with local learning institutions. Recognizing 

this partnership is imperative for the future of 

Bay County, the Chamber created the Education 

Partnership Committee to bring education 

and business together to support, improve and 

enhance the local schools. The committee is 

developing a mentoring program with Bay 

County’s School Superintendent, which will 

launch in the new school year. 

Additionally, community leaders at the Visionary 

Roundtable deemed forming a distance learning 

partnership with the local colleges important, as 

it would create a virtual education system that 

would not only educate the population but 

Small Business Outreach 

The Chamber formed the Small Business & 

Minority Council to support, promote and 

increase exposure of small and multi-ethnic 

businesses. The committee co-sponsored 

the “Survival Guide for Businesses Today 

Conference” hosted by Congressman Allen 

Boyd, held earlier this year. Recently renamed 

Navigator…Charting the Entrepreneurial 

Course of Small Business, the committee is busy 

developing a series of programs, workshops and 

mini-seminars on topics of interest for small 

business members. “It always goes back to our 

Chamber Members, which are at the top of our 

Chamber’s priorities,” states Oltman. “Helping 

them grow and thrive can only be good for our 

whole community.” 

 

What makes for a 

great bank? 

People like Amy. 

Peoples First employees, including 

personal banker Amy Bishop, see 

to it that our branches are not 

just transaction centers. They’re 

welcome centers devoted to 

treating each of our customers like 

he or she was the only one we had. 

We invite you to discover the 

customer-oriented approach that 

sets Peoples First apart from our 

competitors. Visit us today! 

Convenient locations throughout Bay County 

770-7000 • www.peoplesfirst.com 



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Member News 

Ronald McDonald House 

The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) 

provides a Home-Away-From-Home for 

children and families of children suffering a 

medical crisis. The facility exists in Pensacola 

because that is where the specialists that 

children need are located: West Florida 

Hospital, Baptist Health Care, Sacred Heart 

and Nemours Children’s Clinic. RMH is 

not owned or operated by any hospital or 

the McDonald’s Corporation. RMH is run 

by an all volunteer Board of Directors, and is 

funded by donations from the community. 

If you would like to support the Ronald 

McDonald House, either by volunteering in 

local fundraising efforts, holding your own 

fundraiser or just making a donation, we 

would love to hear from you. Please contact 

Kim Henderson, RMH Area Manager, at 

(850)541-3165 or owb@rmhpensacola.org. 

You can also help by visiting Lord’s Gym 

Dive shop at 1616 Allison Ave. in Panama 

City Beach. During the months of September 

and October, Lord’s will be donating 10% of 

their proceeds to Ronald McDonald House. 

Annual Duck Race 

Beach Care Services, sponsored by Grand 

Panama Resort and Diver’s Den, are happy 

to announce the Beach Care Services Annual 

Duck Race taking place at the beautiful Grand 

Panama Beach Resort on Tuesday, September 

29 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. The event will 

include live entertainment, food, drinks and 

cash prizes. Sponsorship opportunities are 

available; call (850) 235-3022. 

Massage For The Cure 

Massage Envy at Pier Park is partnering with 

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® in raising 

funds to help fight breast cancer. Massage 

for the Cure will be held at over 500 clinics 

throughout the U.S. On Tuesday, September 

15, one hour therapeutic massages will be 

specially priced at $35, from 8:00 am to 

10:00 pm; $10 from each session will go 

directly to local affiliates of Susan G. Komen 

for the Cure®. Proceeds will help fund breast 

cancer education, screening and treatment 

initiatives. Additional cash and check 

donations are accepted and very appreciated. 

Call (850) 563-0070 for information. 

New Account Executives at Allstate Employer Services (AES) 

With more than 20 years of Sales and Marketing experience, Laura Burgess and Sam Redding 

will play an integral role in representing AES in the Bay County, Panama City area and 

Destin Markets. Burgess is a graduate of the University of West Florida and previously held 

similar Sales/Marketing positions with Ferguson Enterprises and Fresh Del Monte Produce 

Inc. Redding is also a graduate of the University of West Florida. In addition to personal experience 

and knowledge of entrepreneurial endeavors, Redding brings with him national and 

international business experience with Fortune 500 companies. For additional information, 

call (850) 767-0234 or visit www.aeshr.com. 

Since its inception in 2003, AES has been dedicated to offering companies the very best business 

programs and services available – services such as human resources administration, payroll, 

workers’ compensation, employment compliance reporting and safety training. Headquartered 

in Pensacola, FL AES is a multi-state entity with several thousand employees. 

HUMAN CAPITAL 

THRIVE PARTNERSHIP INTRODUCES AN 

INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO INCREASE 

BUSINESS POTENTIAL 

Lisa Adams, founder of Thrive Partnership 

LLC, has completed and received official 

certification for the administration and 

interpretation of the Resource Associates 

Corporation Attribute Index, Values Index 

and DISC Index. Doing so has enhanced 

the company’s ability to service new and 

existing coaching clients, as these assessment 

tools provide organizations with a powerful 

way to maximize their human capital—their 

people. To reach optimal performance you 

must understand WHAT natural talents you 

possess, WHY you are motivated to use 

them, and HOW you prefer to use them. 

The Attribute Index looks at the WHAT 

portion of the ‘WHAT, WHY, and HOW’ 

trilogy. By understanding what natural 

talents you have, it becomes possible to 

leverage that knowledge to make better 

decisions, maximize strengths, minimize 

weaknesses, and achieve greater success in 

whatever you do. 

The Values Index looks at the WHY portion 

of the trilogy. By understanding why you 

are motivated to do things, you are able to 

better align your environment with what 

creates the most passion in you. 

The DISC Index looks at the HOW portion 

of the trilogy. By understanding how you 

prefer to behave, you are able to better align 

your environment, select the work that 

ensures more meaning and success, and 

produce less stress while doing it. 

Thrive Partnership is uniquely qualified 

to help enhance and develop people and 

business potential that already exist within 

these organizations—a potential frequently 

underutilized. For more information visit 

www.mythrivecoach.com or call (850) 230- 

2756. 

Above left: The parents of Logan Cooley 

(pictured), Kim and Don Cooley of Panama 

City, lived in the Ronald McDonald House for 

three weeks in 2004 when Logan was flown 

to UAB Women and Children’s Center after 

a household trauma. Above right: Beach 

Care Services’ Annual Duck Race in 2008 at 

Grand Panama Resort. 


Christmas at The Palms 

A first class facility and an unmatched 

staff make The Palms Conference Center 

the ideal place for this year’s 

Christmas Party. The Palms is located 

on Panama City Beach with easy access 

to everything you might need to make 

your event one to remember. The Sleep 

Inn & Suites is right next door and 

boasts 90 well appointed rooms with 

flat screen tv’s, great beds, free breakfast, 

exercise room and more! Our inhouse 

chef can prepare everything 

from a sit down dinner to simple hors-d 

-oeuvres. A full sports bar with 5-50” 

TV’s and a 130” projection screen is 

also available. Give us a call today for a 

tour and a free quote. 

Kathy Barrs- (850) 624-4150! 

BOOK YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY TODAY 

Seating for over 200 ~ Sports Bar Available. 

Call 624-4150 Today! 


around Town 

Updates on Community, Education, Workforce & Government 

Community Update 

Mayor Gayle F. Oberst, City of PCB 

As the summer 

draws to a close, 

schools start and 

football season 

kicks off, most of us 

take a deep breath 

and enjoy the gorgeous 

late summer 

and fall that we 

have here in North 

Florida. Once upon 

a time it was a slow, lazy time in Panama 

City Beach, but not now! Sure the traffic is 

less on Front Beach Road and the lines are 

shorter at our favorite restaurants and check 

out counters, but there is plenty of activity. 

Activities at Frank Brown Park this fall will 

include Sheriff’s Rodeo, Thunder Beach, 

Emerald Coast Cruizin’ and the Seafood, 

Wine & Music Festival. Tennis lessons are 

available and local football, basketball and 

soccer leagues will be playing. It is a great 

time to walk the trails in the park and along 

the power line road, and to enjoy the birds. 

Boy’s and Girl’s Club’s after school program 

is up and running. The Senior Center has numerous 

events for those over “55” and they 

are getting ready for the winter visitors. The 

Panama City Beach Police Department will 

hold their annual “Cops and Kids” day in October. 

Aaron Bessant Park in Pier Park will 

be the site of several fall events including the 

Heart Association walk and various runs. 

Fishing has been good on the Russell-Fields 

City Pier which opened in early July, and 

the fall should be even better. Walkers and 

fishermen alike are enjoying the pier, which 

extends 1,505 feet into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Construction of a boardwalk area, restrooms, 

snack bar and bait shop will be occurring 

during the winter and spring. 

The Panama City Beach Front Beach Road 

CRA (FBR CRA) will begin construction/ 

redevelopment of South Thomas Drive and 

a portion of the Front Beach Road in early 

September. The contract has been awarded 

and the project is expected to take 18-24 

months to complete. The streets will be open 

to traffic, and all efforts are 

being made to minimize 

negative impacts on businesses 

and traffic. 

A contract has been awarded 

for the third mile of 

paved trail along the eastern 

berm of Highway 79. 

The trail, when completed, 

will connect to Frank 

Brown Park and the West 

Bay Bridge. The construction 

of the trail is funded 

with Florida Department 

of Transportation Enhancement 

Grant funds. 

In late fall, the City will also begin construction 

and development of a wet weather 

discharge area which allows Panama City 

Beach to be the only city in Bay County to 

completely stop the discharge of retreated 

water into the bay. The area consists of 3,000 

acres and is located behind the St. Joe Commerce 

Park and west of Highway 79. It will 

also serve as a nature park with an outdoor 

classroom, dirt trails and picnic pavilion. An 

estimated completion date is mid 2011. 

New Programs at GCCC 

Dr. Jim Kerley, GCCC President 

Gulf Coast Community 

College is 

eager to kick-off 

another academic 

year as we begin 

our 53rd year of service! 

The beginning 

of the school year is 

always an exciting 

time in the life of 

the College for students, 

staff and faculty alike. We will also 

be entering the second year of our five-year 

Strategic Plan which means that divisions 

and departments throughout the College are 

in the process of creating their new annual 

plans. All our planning revolves around our 

vision and mission of delivering life-changing 

learning opportunities, and working in 

full partnership in the dynamic cultural and 

economic development of the region. The 

The George G. Tapper Health Sciences Building allows GCCC to play a 

critically important role in training healthcare professionals--as the need 

for those professionals continues to grow. 

plan keeps us on target for our four major 

initiatives: expanding learning opportunities, 

fostering success of our students, collaborating 

with our community, and advancing economic 

development of our region. 

Those four initiatives recently came together 

with the grand re-opening of our George G. 

Tapper Health Sciences Building. This stateof-the-art 

facility allows Gulf Coast to play 

a critically important role in training professionals 

as the need for those professionals 

continues to grow. All of our program areas 

-- Surgical Technology, Nursing, Respiratory 

Therapy, Dental Hygiene, Dental Assistant, 

Physical Therapist Assistant, Emergency 

Medical Services, Sonography, and Radiography 

-- have all been upgraded to look and 

feel like actual hospitals, out-patient facilities, 

operating rooms, and dental clinics. 

This is the perfect example of a college working 

in partnership with our local business/ 

industry, government, and health care agencies. 

We were able to obtain grants from the 

Economic Development Administration and 

Department of Labor to help fund new technology 

and equipment in the student labs and 

classrooms. The grants also allow faculty to 

update existing programs and develop new 

ones, like the Pharmacy Technician program. 

Area health care professionals advised us at 

key points in the process, providing us with 

input that help make this facility a top-notch 

instructional environment that meets their 

needs as employers. The list goes on and on -- 

this kind of success cannot be achieved by just 

one person and requires a true team effort. 


around Town 


We expect that our Health Sciences Programs 

will continue to grow and mirror the trends 

across the nation, and this facility gives us 

the capabilities to expand those teaching opportunities. 

Please let us know what we can 

do for you as we keep the lines of communication 

open and continue to serve the citizens 

of this region. 

Blue Ribbon Committee 

at FSU PC 

Dr. Ken Shaw, FSU PC Dean 

Exciting things are 

happening at FSU 

Panama City! We 

are so pleased to 

have a very important 

planning committee 

working on 

our behalf. FSU 

President Wetherell 

formed a committee 

of community, 

educational, and legislative leaders to take a 

close look at FSU Panama City and to provide 

recommendations on the following: 

1. Review the current mission of FSU PC 

and propose a mission statement for FSU PC 

that focuses on access to higher education, 

providing opportunities to specific degree 

fields, and engagement with the community 

that resonates with the regional, state, and 

national needs. 

2. Create a five-year vision for FSU PC. 

3. Create a feasible plan of action including 

timelines and goals that will ensure the success 

of the five-year vision. 

Eleven years ago, we underwent a similar 

review and the recommendations that came 

forth from that commission and the ensuing 

actions made for very positive and systemic 

changes in how FSU PC operated. For example, 

in the past eleven years we have 

increased our resident faculty base by 25 

qualified faculty and increased our full-time, 

day-time program offerings by ten to meet 

the growing needs of our traditional students 

while continuing to maintain our evening 

programs for non-traditional students. Our 

new programs (e.g. electrical, computer, 

The recommendations and the 5-year vision set forth by the Blue Ribbon 

Committee will assist in moving forward to make FSU PC an even 

better learning institution as it continues to provide students with a high 

quality education. 

civil and environmental engineering) have 

been instrumental in meeting the needs of 

our community and our military bases. 

Tourist Development 

Council 

Dan Rowe, President & CEO, Panama 

City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau 

Who says summer 

has to end? Panama 

City Beach’s balmy 

climate and sunny 

skies mean we can 

celebrate the appeal 

of summer well into 

fall. Through the 

autumn months, 

the Convention and 

Visitors Bureau 

(CVB) is continuing its steadfast commitment 

to protecting and preserving Panama 

City Beach’s primary natural resource and 

attraction – the beautiful waters of the Gulf 

of Mexico and the sugar white sands of 

our shorelines. To enhance our Keep The 

Beaches Clean campaign, we are encouraging 

visitors and locals alike to recycle aluminum 

cans in one of 50 recycling receptacles 

which were recently placed at strategic locations 

along the beach. In 2010, our goal is 

to further increase the number of recycling 

containers along the sand. 

In late September, the 

Tourist Development 

Council (TDC), in conjunction 

with the City of 

Panama City Beach Public 

Works Department, 

will begin a pilot program 

to further enhance the 

Keep the Beaches Clean 

campaign. TDC will begin 

providing degradable 

trash bags to beachgoers 

at 15 public beach access 

points within the city limits. 

The purpose of this 

pilot program is to convey 

to beach visitors the importance 

of being conscientious 

and of disposing 

of trash properly before leaving the beach. 

September 19th marks the Ocean Conservancy 

International Coastal Clean Up - the 

world’s largest volunteer effort of its kind. 

Now in its 24th year, Panama City Beach is 

honored to join the 400,000 volunteers across 

104 countries and 42 U.S. states as we hit the 

sand for this grassroots event. We invite you 

to mark your calendars and join the CVB for 

this community-wide effort as we do our part 

to improve, protect and preserve the unparalleled 

beauty of Panama City Beach. 

Speaking of Panama City Beach’s yearround 

appeal, our Fall marketing efforts 

will shine as bright as the Florida sun luring 

autumn visitors to Panama City Beach with 

our award-winning beaches, fun filled special 

events, concerts, hot autumn deals and 

packages. And, with schools back in session, 

our beaches are every bit as glorious but far 

less crowded. Plus, the destination is making 

preparations to host a unique lineup of festivals 

and events spotlighting everything from 

hot rods and motorcycles to fine seafood and 

wine. It’s a great time for one more vacation 

to Panama City Beach, the place where summer 

never has to end! 

For a full listing of fall happenings, visit our 

website at Visitpanamacitybeach.com/see/ 

events or join us on Facebook or Twitter.com 

at PCBeach for up-to-the-minute destination 

information. 


The Navy base kicked off a great Indepenaround 

Town 


Weatherization Partnership 

Exposes Youth to 

Green Jobs and Saves 

Senior Citizens Money 

Kim Bodine, Executive Director, Gulf 

Coast Workforce Board 

Students involved 

with the Gulf Coast 

Workforce Board’s 

STARS Workforce 

Program gained 

valuable work experience 

in energy 

conservation while 

helping senior citizens 

during their 

summer internships. 

The paid internships were funded by federal 

stimulus dollars and part of the Summer Youth 

Employment Program which helps prepare 

youth to enter the workforce. 

Through the program, over 200 students were 

trained and placed into internship sites based 

on their career interests. For students interested 

in green jobs, the Workforce Board partnered 

with the Bay County Council on Aging 

to offer internships through their Weatherization 

Program, a program that assists low income 

seniors make their homes more energy 

efficient. 

Youth involved with the weatherization internships 

were responsible for completing energy 

audits and installing energy efficient items. 

Prior to starting the audits, youth received two 

days of classroom instruction at Gulf Coast 

Community College on energy and weatherization 

concepts. Once trained, youth along 

with a representative from the Bay County 

Council on Aging went into the homes of local 

senior citizens and conducted the audits. 

Some of the tasks performed included taking 

home measurements, recording diagnostic test 

results, and using non-electrical equipment for 

energy analysis. In total, the youth participated 

in over 30 audits during the summer. 

The partnership turned out to be beneficial for 

all parties involved. The Council on Aging 

got extra help with their program, the students 

gained valuable work experience and spending 

money for the summer, and the 

seniors were able to save money on 

their electric bill. Due to its success, 

the weatherization internships will 

be continued year round in the Bay 

STARS Workforce Program. 

TROY Update 

Lisa Kitto, Site Director, Troy 

University-PC/Tyndall AFB 

Human 

Performance, 

Health, 

and Wellness 

are 

three important 

areas that 

factor into 

our lives at work, home, and play. 

At Troy University we recognize 

the important role that education 

can play in achieving a good balance 

in all three of these areas. Dr. 

Kaye Ekman, an adjunct faculty 

member who has taught for TROY 

for nearly 20 years in the field of 

Counseling and Psychology notes 

that “Students experience satisfaction 

and happiness as they pursue 

degrees to fulfill personal, family, 

and career objectives. Thus, with its short 

and long term goals, education promotes students’ 

mental health.” 

If you think continuing your education might 

be something that will help you to lead a more 

enriched life Troy University offers a variety 

of programs in online or in the classroom, or 

a combination of the two. Programs on the 

graduate and undergraduate levels are designed 

for individuals of diverse educational 

backgrounds and varied work schedules and 

accelerated terms offer the adult student the 

opportunity to pursue higher education while 

continuing to maintain full-time employment. 

You can advance your education without 

sacrificing your family and career. For 

a complete listing of our degree programs, 

please visit the TROY website at www.troy. 

edu or call us at 747-0634. 

Center for EOD and Diving Commanding Officer Capt. Randy 

Getman is ‘piped ashore’ at his retirement ceremony at Naval 

Support Activity Panama City on July 17. U.S. Navy photo by 

David Sussman. 

Naval Support Activity 

Panama City Update 

Cmdr. Jessica Pfefferkorn 

Summer is always 

busy at the Naval 

Support Activity 

Panama City, and 

it’s difficult to fathom 

I have already 

been here for a year. 

This has been one 

of the most exciting 

and fulfilling experiences 

of my career, 

and the people of Panama City Beach, 

Panama City, and Bay County are a big part 

of why this is the best job in the Navy. 


around Town 


dence Day holiday with our own celebration 

on July 2. We hope everyone enjoyed the 

view of the great fireworks display visible 

above St. Andrew Bay from many vantage 

points. We appreciated the spectacular events 

in Panama City and all along the beaches 

throughout the weekend—a great tribute to 

our Nation’s freedom and those who serve to 

defend it. 

On July 17, we said farewell to the commanding 

officer of the Center for Explosive 

Ordnance Disposal and Diving, Capt. Randy 

Getman, who retired after 36 years of service, 

and welcomed his relief, Capt. Brad McKinney. 

A graduate of Old Dominion University, 

Capt. McKinney trained here at the 

Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center 

in 1990 and most recently served as Director 

for Special Operations Policy in the Office 

of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense 

for Special Operations Capabilities. 

The next big event on our horizon is the annual 

Navy Ball, which will take place on 

Saturday October 3 at the Boardwalk Beach 

Resort. For this event, we partnered with 

the Panama City Chapter of the US Navy 

League. The Navy Ball is a part of our Navy 

tradition to celebrate our Navy’s 234th birthday 

(officially observed on October 13). We 

are excited to announce that our guest speaker 

is NASA astronaut Capt. Heidemarie 

Stefanyshyn-Piper, USN. We welcome you 

to join us for an evening of great food and 

music and to be a part of this Navy tradition. 

For more information about tickets, contact 

Lt. John Skaggs at 234-4449. 

Looking ahead, the Commander, Naval Surface 

Warfare Center Panama City Division 

will observe a change of command on October 

8. Capt. Andy Buduo will be relieved by 

Capt. Thomas Brovarone. Capt Brovarone 

will come to us directly from his assignment 

with the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic 

Studies Group. Captain Buduo will leave 

Panama City to take command of the Indian 

Head Division of the Naval Surface Warfare 

Center. 

We’re also looking forward to hosting the 

Panama City Beaches Chamber Board of 

Directors for their meeting and a tour of the 

base on October 21. This event is one of several 

cooperative efforts with our friends at the 

Chamber. We are always eager to show our 

neighbors how the mission of the base supports 

the Fleet, works jointly with other military 

installations and branches of the Armed 

Services, and makes a positive impact on the 

community. 

 

Gulf Coast 

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EVENT CALENDAR 

visit PCBEACH.ORG FOR A FULL LIST OF COMMUNITY EVENTS 

Fridays 

September 11, 2009 

Bay Point Marriott Golf Resort & Spa 

NETWORKING: 7:30-8:00 am 

PROGRAM: 8:00-9:00 am 

Presentation: Adam Babington, Esq., Legal 

Counsel of the Florida Chamber will discuss 

Amendment 4: Hometown Democracy 

Sponsored by Comcast 

C H A M B E R 

After Hours Business Mixer 

Thursday, September 17, 2009 

Margaritaville at Pier Park 

5:30-7:30 pm 

Sponsored by Bay Bank & Trust 

Thursday, October 15, 2009 

Pineapple Willy’s 

5:30-7:30 pm 

Sponsored by Pineapple Willy’s 

October 9, 2009 

Bay Point Marriott Golf Resort & Spa 

NETWORKING: 7:30-8:00 am 

PROGRAM: 8:00-9:00 am 

Presentation: United Way 

Sponsored by Regions Bank 

For two 

on 

One Speaking Sponsor per event: $2,000 

Table sponsors: $500 each, limited to four 

Contact Hillary Marchman for details 

and sponsorship benefits. 

(850) 235-1159 Hillary@PCBeach.org

The Shrimpboat founder, 

Lowe Smith worked at the 

local ship yard and had a 

car lot on Harrison Ave in 

Panama City. While working, 

Lowe purchased some land in 

St. Andrews. On the land he 

dug out a marina and started 

building a small 40 seat 

cafe named the Shrimpboat 

Restaurant. That cafe grew 

over the years to seat over 

500 guests. 

Let the good times Roll 

In order to attract 

tourist to his 

hot spot Lowe 

begancontracting boat 

captains out of the 

marina. It worked! 

Soon the Shrimpboat 

Restaurant was packed with customers and dthe docks were 

full of people going on fishing trips or watching the catches 

come in and unload. Though Lowe Smith moved from St. 

Andrews, he kept ownership of the properties which have 

now been passed down to his family. The Shrimpboat 

closed its doors in the mid-80’s and was torn down in 2002. 

Soon after, Lowe’s son Loren Smith made a promise to his 

dad to rebuild “the darndest marina and restaurant in that 

very spot.” 

Carrying on the family tradition and keeping that promise, 

Loren Smith, has raised the bar in fine dining on the 

Gulf Coast. The Shrimpboat is architecturally modeled 

after a 19th-Century Cuban Cigar Factory. The new 

establishment—3 stories high and over 24,000 square 

feet—features an expo kitchen, sushi bar, banquet facilities, 

and a 55-foot long bar overlooking Smiths Yacht Basin, 

The Shrimpboat is also home to Gracie Rae Bar &Grill and 

the historic St, Andrews Seafood Market. The Shrimpboat 

Restaurant has an amazing selection of fresh seafood 

specialties, hand cut choice steaks, and fresh sushi. 

Smiths’ Yacht Basin is one of 

a few privately owned yacht 

basins in the state of Florida. 

There are several charter 

fishing boats that call our basin 

home. Come dock your boat 

and enjoy your lunch at Gracie 

Rae Bar and Grill or dinner at 

the Shrimp Boat Restaurant. 

St. Andrews Seafood Market 

is located 

in the center of 

the building in the exact 

blueprinted place that the original one was in the 50’s. The 

historic St. Andrews Seafood Market isn’t just your regular 

market. It is also a gourmet market offering Shrimp Boat’s 

Famous hand cut steaks, our homemade smoked tuna dip, 

gourmet desserts, salad dressings and exotic hot sauces 

from around the world. If you want a couple of pounds of 

steamed shrimp or a quart of our homemade gumbo to take 

home or out with you on the boat, just pull up and we’ll 

deliver it to you dockside. 

Don’t forget our fresh seafood either; it is the freshest you 

can get. 

Gracie Rae Bar & Grill is the spot for casual waterfront 

dinning. Featuring live entertainment and serving 

everything from ice cold Apalachicola oysters to Po’Boys 

and fried catfish, Gracie Rae is the perfect place to relax 

and enjoy lunch or dinner with the family. 

The Smith Family is proud to present the Grand 

New Shrimpboat Restaurant! 

1202 Beck Ave. Panama City, FL. 32401 850-785-8706 www.theshrimpboatrestaurant.com 


The Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center 

Your Complete Solution for Varicose & Spider Veins 

EVLT THE NO SCAR, NO SURGERY WAY 

TO RESTORE THE HEALTH, BEAUTY, AND 

VITALITY OF YOUR LEGS. 

Don’t let unsightly and uncomfortable varicose and spider veins rob you 

of your natural beauty. Dr. Kimberly Moskowitz is one of only 240 board– 

certified vein specialists (Phlebologists) in the United States. As a leading 

expert in vascular disorders and a member of the American College of 

Phlebology, she has helped pioneer the safest and most up-to-date treatment 

options for varicose and spider veins. Today, these options include state-ofthe-art 

non-invasive technologies that allow patients to return to most normal 

activities the same day. 

Untreated, varicose and spider veins can lead to serious health risks like 

blood clots, phlebitis, cellulitis, and leg ulcers. Expert treatment of varicose 

veins dramatically improves symptoms such as aching, swelling, leg 

discomfort, cramping, fatigue and restless leg syndrome. During the initial 

consultation, Dr. Moskowitz will perform a diagnostic ultrasound of the 

legs to accurately assess the severity of vein disease to determine the most 

appropriate treatment plan. 

“I am so truly grateful that my education, 

experience, and technology allow me to spend 

every day doing exactly what I love to do. 

I place enormous emphasis on my relationships 

with my patients and do my best to help them 

look and feel young, natural, and healthy. 

I want everyone to maximize the beauty 

they were born with.” 

Dr. Moskowitz has been performing and training other physicians to 

perform EVLT (Endovenous Laser Treatment) since its FDA approval in 

2002. During this 45-minute, safe, outpatient procedure, an ultrasound is used 

to guide placement of a thin laser fiber into the abnormal Saphenous vein 

in the leg. Laser energy causes the abnormal vein to immediately collapse 

and redirect blood flow to the normal healthy channels in the leg. The body 

then reabsorbs the abnormal vein, resulting in improved circulation and 

symptoms. Local anesthesia is used to completely numb the area around the 

vein, making the procedure virtually painless. EVLT has a 99% success rate 

and has eliminated the need for painful surgical procedures such as vein 

stripping. 

Kimberly Moskowitz, M.S., M.D. 

Contrary to what many physicians believe, spider veins can cause the 

same symptoms as larger varicose veins. Also, because 25% of spider veins 

are associated with underlying larger vein abnormalities, it is often considered 

medically necessary to treat them. Sclerotherapy (tiny injections of a solution 

that closes the veins), is the most effective and least painful treatment for spider 

veins and blue veins under the skin surface called reticular veins. Skin lasers are 

used to treat small veins on the face and chest; however, for leg veins, they are 

less effective, more painful, and often lead to scarring and hyperpigmentation. 

The Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center provides the most advanced nonsurgical 

treatments for skin, face, legs, and cellulite. Also a Skin and Laser 

Medicine Specialist, Dr. Moskowitz offers today’s most advanced treatments 

for Cosmetic and Medical Dermatology including Fraxel Re:pair & Fraxel 

Re:store skin resurfacing, Photodynamic Therapy for Acne & Skin cancer, 

Botox, Restylane, Juvederm, Photorejuvenation, Laser hair removal, 

VelaShape for cellulite reduction and body contouring, microderm 

abrasion and facials. Dr. Moskowitz also offers several lines of anti-aging 

skin care products. 

BOARD CERTIFIED, PHLEBOLOGY • BOARD CERTIFIED, INTERNAL MEDICINE • SKIN AND LASER MEDICINE SPECIALIST 

MEDICAL DEGREE: GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY • RESIDENCY: GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL 

PHLEBOLOGY/VEIN TRAINING: AMERICAN VEIN INSTITUTE AND HARVARD’S BRIGHAM & WOMEN’S HOSPITAL 

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHLEBOLOGY • AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR LASER MEDICINE AND SURGERY 

12238 Panama City Beach Pkwy • Panama City Beach, FL 32407 • Telephone: (850) 233-0264 • Fax: (850) 233-3113 

www.skinandveins.com

309 Richard Jackson Boulevard 


PCBeach.org 

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