July 2014 Business Briefs / Member News Part 2

Sprigler Joins Newman-Dailey’s Real Estate Sales Division Real estate sales agent Kurt Sprigler joined the team at Newman–Dailey Resort Properties. Stationed locally for six years serving honorably in the United States Air Force was a dream come true for Sprigler. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business with an emphasis in Finance during his military career, which includes Air Force Instructor School 2012 (Albuquerque Air Force Base) and Airman Leadership School 2012 (Hurlburt Field). He is a member of the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors, the Florida Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. For more information, visit DestinSales.com or call (850) 837-1071. 3rd Annual Walk Her Way Draws Record Crowd More than 200 men, women and children put on high heels and took to the streets of Rosemary Beach earlier this month for the largest Walk Her Way yet. Now in its 3rd year, the event raised $31,000 for Shelter House and Rosemary Beach Foundation and brought awareness to domestic violence. Seen here, the Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast team won the Best Dressed Award for its prom theme. For more information, visit www.shelterhousenwfl.org. Destin City Manager Resigns; New Manager Hired Destin City Manager Maryann Ustick submitted her resignation to the Destin City Council on June 20 and has taken the job as city manager of Gallup, N.M. Her last day in Destin will be in mid-August. This move will bring her closer to her family, largely located in Southern California. At a special meeting on June 30, the Destin City Council voted unanimously to hire the city’s former manager, Greg Kisela, to replace Ustick. Kisela has been serving as the city manager of Port Orange, Florida, since March 2013. He will begin work in Destin in early September. Click here for more city news. Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park Opens New Gator Exhibit You can now view several different life stages of the American alligator at Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park on Okaloosa Island with the recent addition of the Backwater Nursery exhibit, featuring baby gators. The recent expansion of the park's Expedition Trail area serves to highlight the physical changes that an American alligator undergoes during its life span from baby to juvenile and, eventually, adult. Brave guests can get a closer look by participating in the new Discover Reptiles program, which includes the opportunity to touch a juvenile gator, as well as safely enter the adult gator exhibits. For more information or to make an encounter reservation, visit www.gulfarium.com or call (850) 243-9046. Charity Navigator Awards Air Force Enlisted Village with Exceptional 4-Star Rating Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, has awarded the Air Force Enlisted Village with a 4-star rating, the highest possible, for sound fiscal management practices and commitment to accountability and transparency. Charity Navigator works to help charitable donors make informed decisions by evaluating the financial health of more than 5,000 charities nationwide. For more information about the Air Force Enlisted Village, visitwww.afev.us. Wyndham Vacation Rentals Associates Selected for VISIT FLORIDA Board & Committees  Wyndham Vacation Rentals announced that three associates Lino Maldonado, Martin Owen, and Nicole Scott, were recently recognized as members of VISIT FLORIDA’s 2014-2015 Tourism Industry Leadership team. Maldonado will serve as a member of the Board of Directors, the Chair of the Industry Relations Committee, and a member of the Marketing Council Steering Committee; Owen will serve as a member of the International Committee; and Scott will serve as a member of the Advertising & Internet Committee. To learn more about Wyndham Vacation Rentals, visit WyndhamVacationRentals.com. Sandestin Receives Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine’s Award of Excellence Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort announced that Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine, the respected corporate meetings publication, presented it with a 2014 Award of Excellence. Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine’s Award of Excellence recognizes those hotels, resorts, conference centers, and convention and visitors bureaus that have demonstrated their overall commitment to excellence. To learn more about Sandestin meetings, visit www.sandestin.com/meetings or call (850) 267-8159. Legendary Marine Sponsors Paddleboarder Legendary Marine recently signed a sponsorship agreement with top regional paddle boarder Garrett Fletcher. Fletcher, from Destin, competes in the 12'6 and 14' classes and has won multiple events, including first overall and first in the three-man team for the 100 mile Paddle NYC; first in the 12'6 class and first overall in the 6-mile elite in the SUP the South competition and another first in the 6-mile elite in the 12'6 class; and first overall in the Little River Toona Challenge in Lake Altoona, GA. Most recently, he took first in the East Coast Paddleboard Championships in Daytona in the 14' class and first overall stand-up; first and first overall in the 14' class - PSUP Paddle Classic GUSU Race Series 4 Mile Elite Race in Pensacola; and first and first overall in the 12'6" Class in the 3rd Annual 5 Flags Classic - 3 Mile Elite Race in Pensacola, among others. For more information about Legendary Marine, visit www.legendarymarine.com.