July 2015 Business Briefs / Member News Part 2

First Florida Bank Names O’Neal to Head First Florida Wealth Group
First Florida Bank announced that Jared O’Neal has joined the bank as the senior vice president of First Florida Wealth Group. As a financial advisor, O’Neal brings to the division years of experience, and has held various roles with Raymond James in St. Petersburg, Fla., since 2006, including wealth management services, recruitment of new advisors to Raymond James, and director of the company’s cash management division. Originally from Gautier, Miss., O’Neal received a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi and earned his Certificate in Financial Planning from Boston University. He also has the following licenses: Series 7, 24, 63, and 66.
 
Warren Averett Announces Promotions
Warren Averett, LLC, announced that Elizabeth McLeod and Christie Owens have been promoted. McLeod joined the firm in 2006 and is a manager in the Tax Division. Her areas of expertise include tax planning and preparation, estate and gift planning, international tax planning, and small business consulting. She also has a strong background in serving clients in hospitality and real estate industries. Owens joined the firm in 2004 and is a senior manager in the Audit and Accounting Services Division. With more than 10 years of audit and accounting experience, she specializes in common interest realty associations and nonprofit organizations. Her responsibilities include managing audits, reviews, and compilation engagements for the Fort Walton Beach and Destin offices.
 
Sacred Heart Guild to Host Fifth Annual Emerald Coast Duck Regatta on Oct. 10
Mark your calendar for this year’s 5th annual Emerald Coast Duck Regatta benefiting the Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast Guild. On Saturday, Oct. 10, approximately 3,000 ducks will begin their race across the Lagoon at the Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. Prizes will be awarded to the owners of the first ducks to cross the finish line, including a $5,000 first place prize! For details, visit www.EmeraldCoastDuckRegatta.com.



 
Landrum Ranks in Florida Trend Top 225 Private Companies
Landrum Human Resource Companies, Inc., has been named as one of the 2015 Florida Trend Top Private Companies.  Capturing the 90th spot on the list of 225 companies, this is Landrum’s 15th consecutive year to be recognized and the only Pensacola based company to earn a spot on the 2015 list. Profiles of Landrum and other businesses listed are featured in the July 2015 issue of Florida Trend Magazine.
 
Twin Cities Hospital Hosts Okaloosa STEMM Academy Students
Twin Cities Hospital recently welcomed more than 20 students from the Okaloosa Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, & Medical Academy (STEMM) for an in-depth lesson in our Surgery and MRI Departments, as well as a tour of the AirMethods medical helicopter based at Twin Cities Hospital. Dr. Stephen Enguidanos provided the opportunity for the students to experience a simulated surgery using medical grade mannequins.  The students were able to experience hands-on the focused atmosphere and extreme concentration required to work as a surgeon or medical professional in the operating room. The pilot and crew from AirMethods taught the students how the electronics of the helicopter work and are utilized in life-saving efforts when they are called to the scene of an accident. Dr. Richard Hughes, an Emergency Room Physician at Twin Cities Hospital, spent time instructing the students on lifesaving procedures such as Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and intubation.  The students were then allowed to practice CPR and intubation on mannequins provided in a small groups setting.
 
Costa Family McDonalds Donates to CIC Kids
The Costa Family McDonald's presented a $1,500 donation to its “McCafe with a Cause” Charity of the Month Children in Crisis, Inc. Every Monday, Costa’s McDonald's donates 50 percent of its coffee proceeds to a Charity of the Month.  CIC was the charity for December and June. All of Costa’s 19 stores participate in the program that will continue through 2015. Seen here are Lauren Walls, CIC volunteer & events director; Allie Noah, CIC development director; Ken Hair, CIC president & CEO; Ronald McDonald; Helen Costa; David Costa, president/owner Costa Enterprises; and Steve Killebrew, Jackie Wells, and Roslyn Snyder of the Costa Team.
 
Covenant Hospice Offers Chance to Win Paddle Board
Don’t miss your chance to win a one of a kind paddle board. Tickets are on sale now for the Paddle for the Promise prize drawing to benefit Covenant Hospice. This year’s 12-foot Starboard Atlas Stand Up Paddle Board, donated by Dog House Surf Shop, was customized with airbrushed artwork by Keith Jette of Wicked Paint and Big Rooster Co. Cycles and Tattoos. The artwork includes an intricately detailed underwater scene complete with an octopus, jellyfish, and sunken ship. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 and are available at Covenant Hospice, Dog House Surf Shop, or online at www.EventsAtCovenant.org/paddle. Drawing will be held Saturday, Aug. 8, and you do not have to be present to win.
 
500,000 Passengers Cannot Be Wrong
Sunshine Shuttle & Limo is pleased to announce that within the next couple of weeks Sandestin's on-site transportation program, the Sandtram, will surpass half a million passengers. This ranks the Sandtram among the most successful privately funded programs in the state of Florida, and it removes approximately 225,000 cars off area roads. 
 
The Premier Group Created to Provide Expert Sales, Management and Development Services for Destin and South Walton
The Premier Property Group, JGM Development Holdings, Tommy Brigham with ARC Realty of Birmingham, Ala., and Bob Parks of Parks Realty in Nashville, Tenn., have partnered to create The Premier Group, to oversee development, real estate sales, and vacation property management services focused on the beaches of the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast. The Premier Group will encompass The Premier Property Group (real estate property sales), The Premier Development Group (new development opportunities), and Invited Home (vacation rental property management). In addition, partnerships with both ARC Realty of Birmingham, Ala., and PARKS Realty of Nashville, Tenn., will connect customers across the Southeast with preferred access to Premier ownership opportunities and related services.
 
United Way Announces “CRAM THE VAN” School Supply Drive 
The United Way of Okaloosa-Walton Counties has partnered with local Walmart Stores and Publix in Crestview in an effort to provide needed school supplies to local children for the 2015 - 2016 school year. Plan now to shop at Walmart and/or Publix every Saturday, July 11, through August 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to donate school supplies to help us “CRAM THE VAN.”  It is easy to help… just purchase school supplies for your children and/or a little extra for others.  Use the list of items required by schools and drop them in the “CRAM THE VAN” or to the volunteers at the entrance.
 
The schedules for each Walmart store & Publix is listed below:
Publix – Crestview:  Saturdays….July 18 & Aug 8
Walmart – Crestview:  Saturdays….July 11 & 25, Aug 8 & 15  
Walmart – DeFuniak Springs:  Saturdays….July 18 & 25, Aug 1 & 15   
Walmart – Santa Rosa Beach:  Saturdays…July 18 & 25, Aug 1, 8 & 15
Walmart – Destin:  Saturdays….July 11, 18 & 25, & Aug 8 & 15
Walmart – Ft. Walton Beach: Saturdays….July 11, 18 & 25, Aug 1, 8 & 15       
Walmart – Niceville:  Saturdays…July 11, 18 & 25, Aug 1 & 8
 
MKAF Announces Poster Contest Winner
The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) named Andrea “Andi” Scurto of Destin the 2015 Festival of the Arts poster contest winner. Scurto’s winning art centers on a simple, but bold color illustration — a reticulated giraffe (she aptly named “Mattie”) riding an enormous penny farthing-style vintage bicycle. The winning artwork will be used to promote the 20th Annual Festival of the Arts by being prominently showcased on the official festival poster, postcards, the festival guide, on the website, Facebook page, and more.Scurto, who primarily works on commissioned pieces and shows her art at her private Destin studio by appointment, is a self-taught mixed media artist whose work ranges from portraiture, caricature and illustration to abstract and modern-impressionism. For festival details, visit www.mattiekellyartsfoundation.org/pr/newsreleases-foa.htm or call (850) 650-2226. 
 
WSRE Program Visits Air Force Armament Museum
A new episode of WSRE’s local program, “In Your Own Backyard,” takes viewers on a tour of the Air Force Armament Museum near Eglin Air Force Base. The show premieres Thursday, July 16, at 7 p.m. with an encore presentation at midnight. The nation’s only museum dedicated to Air Force armament displays a comprehensive history of airborne weaponry and combat aircraft. The museum also highlights the history of Eglin Air Force Base, the world’s largest military complex with a land range of more than 700 square miles and another 120,000 square miles of air space over the Gulf of Mexico. Hosting many ceremonial activities and memorial events, the facility serves as a gathering place for the armed forces community, as well.
 
Sacred Heart Expands to Market Shops in Miramar Beach
Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast and Sacred Heart Medical Group are pleased to announce a new clinic opening later this year at The Market Shops in Miramar Beach. Primary care physicians for adult and pediatric patients will be available, including regularly scheduled appointments, walk-in services, and pediatric after-hours care. Walk-in services will be complemented by onsite lab and x-ray services. The new center will also feature Sacred Heart Rehabilitation’s physical and occupational therapy services. Renovations of the building are currently underway with a projected opening by the end of 2015.