August 2014 Business Briefs / Member News Part 4

First Florida Bank Promotes Brett Wilson to Executive Vice President  First Florida Bank promoted Brett Wilson to executive vice president. Wilson has more than 20 years’ experience in the banking industry and has been with First Florida Bank since the Bank’s inception in 2006. As a key figure in the development of the Bank’s lending department, Wilson served as the Bank’s Senior Lending Officer since 2009 with expertise in all loan products. For more information about First Florida Bank, please visit FirstFLBank.com or call (850) 269-1201.

Wyndham Vacation Rentals® Participates as Presenting Sponsor of Destin Beer Festival
Wyndham Vacation Rentals® announced that ResortQuest® by Wyndham Vacation Rentals will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Destin Beer Festival taking place on Sept. 27, at Chan’s Wine World at the Paradise Key shopping center in Destin. The 5th Annual Destin Beer Festival will feature high-end craft and microbrewery beer, as well as craft spirits, paired with culinary stations from local restaurants. As the presenting sponsor of the event, ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals is offering discounted beach lodging plus complimentary tickets to the event. One-bedroom rates start at $115 per night and include two general admission tickets. Two-bedroom rates start at $170 per night and include four general admission tickets. For additional information, visit wyndhamvacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/florida/northwest-florida/event/destin-beer-festival-3. Proceeds from this year's event benefit Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF), which raises funds for children in need in Northwest Florida. 

Okaloosa County Celebrates its Centennial in 2015 – Want to get involved?
A Centennial Committee has been formed to begin the conversation about how to celebrate Okaloosa County’s 100-year existence in 2015. A few ideas the Centennial Committee is planning include a geocaching tour, a passport game to discover a hundred things to do and see in Okaloosa County, and a map with parks, places and events. Any business interested in volunteering the time to sell ads, produce and print this map, please contact knewby@co.okaloosa.fl.us by Sept. 1.

The committee consists of citizens in government, chambers of commerce, historical museums, military members and more, who have formed subcommittees to set goals and promote the history and celebrate what is great about Okaloosa. We welcome community input, ideas and participation. What would you like to do in your business, place of work, or community to highlight or celebrate the Centennial? 

Okaloosa County was the 52nd county created by the Florida Legislature, and became a county on Sept. 7, 1915, following a referendum by voters. The county was formed from portions of Santa Rosa and Walton Counties. 

Buy Tickets Now for Art of Giving
Summer House Lifestyle and Southern Fashion House present a benefit for Food for Thought called the Art of Giving on Sept. 18. Enjoy this auction of artwork. Cost is $50. Event takes place at Churchill Oaks Clubhouse in Santa Rosa Beach. Buy tickets here.

Volunteers Needed for 30A 10K
As one of the benefiting charities of this year's 30A 10K, Shelter House must provide volunteers for the run. That's where you come in! 

The 30A 10K takes place on Thanksgiving Day in Rosemary Beach. What better way and what better day to give back? We will need helpers the morning of the race, Nov. 27, as well as a few volunteers to help with packet pick up the day before the run. If you want to sign up or get more information about volunteering, please contact volunteer coordinator Carrie Tabor at (850) 243-1201 or info@shelterhousenwfl.org. To register for the run, visit 30a10k.com.

Locally Owned Southern Management Group Reaches 1,000 Properties
Southern Residential Leasing and Pointe South Residential Leasing, divisions of the locally owned and operated company Southern Management Group, now manage more than 1,000 properties on their Gulf Coast long term rental programs. As part of this expansion, Southern welcomes Joe Casal as the residential leasing general manager. Casal, a Florida native with more than 25 years’ experience, will oversee all aspects of the long term rental programs. For more information about Southern, visit GoSouthern.com.

Annual Tin Cup Classic Benefits Destin Fishing & History Museum
Sponsored by AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar, the Annual Tin Cup Classic Golf Tournament will be held Sept. 22, at Emerald Bay Golf Course. Four man teams are $400 and hole sponsorship is $200. All entries include green fees, cart, beverages, and food. Registration is 11 a.m., with a noon shotgun start. The tournament is a four person team scramble, and team slots are limited. The awards party begins at 6 p.m. Please contact AJs at (850) 837-6457 to reserve your spot. For more information, email info@ajs-destin.com.

Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club to Participate in 8th Annual Patriot Golf Day Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club will participate in the 8th Annual Patriot Golf Day, the nation’s largest grass-roots golf fundraiser benefiting the Folds of Honor Foundation. Beginning Aug. 25 – Sept. 1, Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club is offering a special $40 rate for military men, women, and their families. During this time, special rates will also be posted to the general public with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation. Golfers are also encouraged to add a dollar or more to their green fees to fund the foundation. To book a tee time, visit SantaRosaClub.com or call the Santa Rosa Pro Shop at (850) 267-2229. To learn more about Patriot Golf Day, visit FoldsOfHonor.org/patriot-golf-day.

Meet Nithya – World Impact’s Sponsored Nursing Student As a part of World Impact Real Estate’s giving a portion of each transaction, it has sponsored a nursing student, Nithya. She is 25 years old and comes from a poor village family. Her parents were struggling to pay for her education. Nithya attends The Sharon School of Nursing, which was established in June of 1999 as an offshoot of the Sharon Cancer Center and General Hospital. The objective of this school is to provide quality training to young girls in the field of Nursing and Community Health. This two-year program is designed as an in-service training, giving the girls an opportunity to be fully equipped to meet the challenges in the field. It provides not only technical training, but also equips them to know and grow more in their service to others. When Nithya completes her training, she will have a Diploma in Health Assistant.

Labor Day Sale at Silver Sands Premium Outlets 
On Aug. 29 – Sept. 1, shop the annual Labor Day Sale at Silver Sands Premium Outlets and enjoy extended shopping hours and extra discounts on top of the center's savings of 25%-65% every day. For details, visit PremiumOutlets.com/SilverSands.

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa Adds New Regional Sales Manager
Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa announced the appointment of Elizabeth Brock as the resort’s newest regional sales manager. Based in Nashville, Tenn., Brock will direct the resort’s sales efforts in the Kentucky and Tennessee markets primarily, as well as Alabama corporate meetings. With nearly a decade of experience in the hospitality industry, Brock came to Hilton Sandestin Beach from Sheraton Nashville Downtown, where she worked as a corporate sales manager, but also previously held positions at the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham and the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University. For more information about the Hilton Sandestin, visit the new HiltonSandestinBeach.com website or call (850) 267-9500.

Sandestin Named #1 Hotel in Destin by U.S. News & World Report
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, voted the #1 Resort on Florida’s Emerald Coast, announced it has been ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report ranked Sandestin the #1 Hotel in Destin in its 2014 rankings. 

“We've ranked the top hotels in Destin based on an unbiased analysis of awards, expert recommendations and user ratings,” U.S. News & World Report stated. “Out of 144 hotels, one property — Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort — stands out for exceptional quality.”

For more information on the property, visit Sandestin.com or call (866) 91-BEACH.