July 2014 Business Briefs / Member News Part 4

Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Names 2014 Poster Art Contest Winner  The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) has named Robin Cannon of Destin the 2014 Festival of the Arts poster contest winner. Cannon’s vibrant and playful acrylic painting centers on an art festival dotted with colorful tents capped with flying flags flanked by musical instruments and paint brushes. The winning artwork will be used to promote the 19th 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. Recognized as one of Northwest Florida’s premier fine art shows, the Festival of the Arts, produced by the MKAF, is one of the most anticipated cultural events of the year on the Emerald Coast. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the Village Green and under the Dugas Pavilion within the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village, located at 4323 Commons Drive West in Destin. For more information, visit MattieKellyArtsFoundation.org or call (850) 650-2226. HarborWalk Honors a Warrior for Wildlife Susan Leveille has a passion for life, WILD life that is. Leveille is an advocate for wildlife conservation and is currently the Assistant Director of the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge. Leveille was honored as a Hero on July 17, at the Red, White and Blue Celebration at HarborWalk Village. Whether it's educating the importance of conservation or rescuing injured wildlife, Leveille is instrumental to protecting the diverse species that inhabit our area. For more information about the Red, White & Blue Celebrations, please visitwww.emeraldgrande.com/harborwalk-village.aspx. WSRE Announces New Board Leadership and Directors On July 16, WSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast, announced its new foundation board leadership and new directors, who will serve during the 2014-2015 year. Seen here, outgoing board chair Sandy Sims of Niceville passes the gavel to Mike Johnson of Pensacola. Stephen Holman, former secretary, serves as the new vice-chair, and Dr. Henry “Jack” Pruett is the new secretary. Other new and returning board members include treasurer Karen Pope, executive director Sandy Cesaretti Ray, Gerald Adcox, Tracy Andrews, Bobby Emmons, Sheila Hale, Ashton Hayward, Stephen Holman, Jesse Ihns, Rick Lambert, Ann Lemox, Joe Lovoy, Jane Merrill, Pat Mills Benjamin, Tammi Moftaqir, Peg Nickelsen, Rev. Carl Reeves, Andy Remke, Mallory Studer, Dona Usry, Tiffany Washington, Frank White, and Dr. Edwin Yee. Friends of the Board include Sally Bussell Fox, Chris Kelly, Jan Miller, Ron Miller, Randy Oxenham, Dr. Megan Benson Pratt, Patricia Windham, and Emeritus Members Curtis Flower, Gary Leutchman, and Elba W. Robertson. For more information about WSRE, its services, programs or available resources, visit wsre.org. Realtor Association Recommends Okaloosa County Candidates The Emerald Coast Association of Realtors recommends the following Okaloosa County candidates for election: • For Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller : JD Peacock • For County Commissioner District 4: Trey Goodwin • For School Board District 1: Lamar White • For School Board District 5: David Scholl For the School Board District 3 contest, ECAR makes no recommendation. For more information, visitwww.emeraldcoastrealtors.com. Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa Adds New Regional Sales Manager Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa announced the appointment of Richard Hays as the resort’s newest regional sales manager. Based in Harwood, Md., Hays will direct the resort’s sales efforts into the mid-atlantic and Northeastern markets. A nearly 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Hays’ previously held sales positions at properties including Hyatt Regency La Jolla in San Diego; Hyatt Regency Baltimore; The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.; and Marriott International. For more information about Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, visit the new HiltonSandestinBeach.com website, or call (850) 267-9500.