September 2014 Business Briefs / Member News Part 3

Cruise Through Your Holiday Party Aboard the Solaris
Treat your guests or employees to an unforgettable and affordable experience aboard the Solaris this holiday season. Enjoy three decks of indoor and outdoor fun and a 3-course, chef-prepared, fine dining menu. All inclusive packages start at $59 per person. For holiday party planning tips and SOLARIS holiday party packages, visit SunQuestCruises.com or call (850) 650-2519.

Bill Robbins Joins Newman-Dailey’s Real Estate Sales Division Real estate sales agent Bill Robbins recently joined the team at Newman–Dailey Resort Properties. Robbins comes to Destin after 20 years in Key West, where he was involved in residential real estate sales and the re-development of many historic conch properties. His down to earth nature and the unique ability to assist clients in painting the canvas of possibilities, to see beyond a properties’ existing condition, has assisted many customers in realizing their real estate goals. As a realtor, he is a member of the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors, the Florida Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. Visit DestinSales.com or call (850) 837-1071.

Highway 98.1 Country Nabs 2 CMA Nominations
The CMA (Country Music Association) announced the 2014 CMA Broadcast Awards finalists for Station of the Year during a press conference in New York City on Sept. 3. Among the finalists is country station Highway 98.1 WHWY-FM, an Apex broadcasting station. Craig Allen, the program director for Highway 98.1 Country, was also nominated for Personality of the Year. Highway 98 Country’s personalities, via the support of the community, have grown and developed the station to be the market’s top brand. With events like “Bikes or Bust,” “The Free Lunch Program,” and various other promotions, it is clear that Highway 98 Country focuses on the local community, giving back, and providing the Destin/Fort Walton Beach market with the best entertainment, music, and information. For more information on local Apex stations, visitApexBroadcasting.com/ftw/contact.html.

ResortQuest Real Estate® Congratulates Top Producers
ResortQuest Real Estate announced the July and August top producers for its offices from Perdido Key to Panama City Beach. Janette Klein of the Miramar Beach office received highest honors for top closed listings in the month of July. The Mary Stephens Team of the Seagrove Beach office received highest honors for top closed sales in the month of July and top closed listings in the month of August. The Nathan Abbott Team of the Destin office received highest honors for top closed sales in the month of August. For more information, visit ResortQuestGulfCoast.com or follow Facebook.com/ResortQuestGulfCoast. 

Warren Averett Announces Promotions
Warren Averett, LLC, announced that Luke Smith, CPA, and Jennifer Costello, CPA, have been promoted. Smith has been promoted to manager with the firm’s Tax Division. Smith works out of the Destin office and specializes in federal taxation, business consulting and compliance, tax accounting, and estate planning. Costello has been promoted to a senior manager within the firm’s Audit Division. Costello specializes in the areas of audit and tax, specifically serving governmental entities, nonprofit organizations, and government contractors, and is responsible for managing and reviewing attest engagements within the Destin Audit Division. To learn more about Warren Averett, visit WarrenAverett.com. 

Support the History & Fishing Museum During the Destin Seafood Festival
The Destin History and Fishing Museum will provide parking for the Destin Seafood Festival visitors for a donation of $10 per car. Parking will be provided at the two parking lots adjacent to the Museum’s 108 Stahlman Avenue location behind WhatABurger on Highway 98. Parking spaces will be available Friday, Oct. 3, from 3 – 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Each car parked will receive two “2for1” museum admission coupons, and coupons redeemable at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar. For more information, call (850) 837-6611 or email kathydestinhistory@gmail.com.

Sacred Heart Acquires New Air Ambulance 
Sacred Heart Health System is flying a new air-ambulance helicopter that is larger, faster, and has a higher patient-weight capacity. The new member of the AIRHeart team, the Bell 407 helicopter, arrived on Aug. 26, and is based in Crestview. The new bird is 20 to 30 mph faster than the helicopter it replaces and holds more fuel, enabling it to make longer transport flights, if needed. Currently, AIRHeart travels the region of Northwest Florida, South Alabama, and Southwest Georgia. For more information, please call (850) 978-1186.

Debra Kirk Joins World Impact Real Estate Broker Rodney Elkins of World Impact Real Estate announced that Debra Kirk has become a part of the WIRE Team. Kirk has lived in the Destin area for more than 14 years and says real estate has always been a passion. Her goal of enabling others to realize their dream home is the most rewarding part of the business for her. You may reach Kirk at (850) 974-5795. For more information about World Impact Real Estate, call (850) 225-7000 or visit WorldImpactRealEstate.com.

United Way Loaned Executives Visit Children in Crisis The United Way of Okaloosa-Walton Loaned Executives visited Children in Crisis (CIC) during their annual orientation and training day. The Loaned Executives are from organizations and business all around the counties. These specially selected volunteers will be the front-line contact for the community United Way Campaign. The goal this year is to raise $1,225,000 to support local charities and their on-going missions of providing services to those in need in the local area. Seen here, Ken Hair, CIC President & CEO, welcomes and thanks the executives during their visit. For information about CIC, please call (850) 864-4242 or visit ChildrenInCrisisFL.org. For information on the United Way, please call (850) 243-0315 or visit United-Way.org.

Wyndham Vacation Rentals® is an Official Sponsor of the 2014 IRONMAN® Florida Triathlon
Wyndham Vacation Rentals announced that it is participating as an official sponsor of the IRONMAN® Florida triathlon, taking place Nov. 1, in Panama City Beach. Now in its 15th year, the IRONMAN Florida triathlon features a competitive two loop, 2.4-mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico; a one loop, 112-mile bike race; and a two loop, 26.2-mile marathon parallel to the shoreline. Wyndham Vacation Rentals is offering 15 percent off select Panama City Beach vacation rental accommodations for event participants. For more information, visitWyndhamVacationRentals.com. Offer is valid on travel dates from Oct. 26 – Nov. 4, with a minimum stay of two nights. To take advantage of this special rate, call (844) 255-3913 or book online using Promo Code IRONMAN by Oct. 24.

ECCCF Holds Annual Golf Event, Raises Money for Local Efforts The Emerald Coast Community Cares Foundation (ECCCF) held its annual Golf Event at Burnt Pines Country Club this year. The well-attended event included a great dinner with music the night before. All proceeds are dedicated to LOCAL organizations/families in need of assistance. For more information on ECCCF, visit ECCCF.org or follow Facebook.com/ecccf. The ECCCF board is seen here: (left to right) Mark Violette, Bill Potter, Cathy Augustine, Dave Fredericks, Michael Kelly, Elizabeth McLeod, Wade Anderson, Crystal Watkins, Wayne Anderson, and Audrey Jacobs. The photo is courtesy of Steven Perkins of Boyd Perspective.

Life’s A Beach Publications Celebrates 10 Years In October 2004, the first edition of the Life’s A Beach Visitor’s Guide hit stands, and a new publishing company began to bloom. It now publishes its visitor’s guide three times a year. Life’s A Beach has more than 300 distribution points along the Emerald Coast and prints more than 500,000 copies of its guide annually with 165,000 copies of 11 different in-room directories, all reaching more than 1.5 million readers. It is also the proud publisher of the Destin Visitor’s Guide & Membership Directory, Currents: Greater Fort Walton Beach Community Information Guide and Membership Directory, and Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast Vacation Guide. It has won numerous awards, including ADDYs and Inhouse Design Awards. Life’s A Beach contributes to its community through donations and time to local charities and events. For more information, visitLifesABeachllc.com. Publication owners Rick and Sam Seevers are seen here.

Joseph Biamonte Joins World Impact Real Estate Broker Rodney Elkins announced the addition of Joseph Biamonte to the World Impact Real Estate Team. Biamonte has worked in the Florida, Boston, Maine, New Hampshire, North and South Carolina, New York, and Tennessee real estate markets. He enjoys representing buyers and sellers of local homes, land, commercial properties, and businesses, and he has 30 years of experience in all facets of real estate investment. He retired from a successful mortgage banking career in 2007. His real estate philosophy is “Simple, Efficient and Accommodating.” For more information, call (850) 227-5318. For more information about World Impact Real Estate, call (850) 225-7000 or visit WorldImpactRealEstate.com.

Sinfonia Receives Continued Grant Support From Boeing Company
Sinfonia Gulf Coast announced its continued partnership with The Boeing Company in recognition of the non-profit symphony orchestra's mission of educating, inspiring, and entertaining the community with innovative and imaginative performances. The grant will assist the organization and its music education outreach initiatives during the upcoming 2014-2015 season. Sinfonia is entering its ninth season as the only fully professional symphony orchestra along the Emerald Coast. Season tickets for the 2014-2015 Season entitled "Seeing is Believing," include the US premiere of Chris Brubeck's "Brothers in Arts: 70 Years of Liberty," the world premiere of Nico Muhly's "Seeing is Believing" for electric violin and orchestra, and "Disney Pixar in Concert," are on sale now. For details, visit SinfoniaGulfCoast.org or call (850) 269-7129.

Opportunity to Advertise in Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Festival of the Arts Guide
Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation's Festival of the Arts is Oct. 25 - 26. There is still some space available in the official Festival Guide, which is open until Oct. 1. 20,000 will be inserted into The Destin Log and Walton Sun. It will also be the primary marketing piece distributed directly into the hands of Festivalgoers. For details, click here.

Belk Charity Sale Nov. 8
It is that time of year and the fall Charity Day Sale at Belk is being held on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 6 – 10 a.m. Tickets to this private sale event are available at Belk Destin Commons at this time for non-profit organizations and schools to begin selling. For details, click here. If you are interested in participating, call (850) 650-4091 x202 or email brandy_hafely@belk.com. In addition to raising money on ticket sales, all charities and schools that participate in selling advance tickets and volunteer the morning of will be registered to win $1,000. A company-wide drawing will be conducted, and there will be three winners.

Howard Group Welcomes Moore to New Community Affairs Division Howard Group welcomed Leigh Moore to the company’s new Community Affairs division. Moore will work with local, state, and federal governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and private companies as an advocate for responsible growth and development. In addition to years of business, management, and human resources experience, Moore served as executive cirector of the Scenic Corridor Association. She represented the organization throughout the region, provided external and internal communications and coordinated the implementation of a $700,000 median beautification project. The mission of Howard Group’s Community Affairs division is to serve as an advocate by working with government officials and citizens to promote a balance between a robust business environment and the sustainability of the local communities. For more information, visit HowardGRP.com or call (850) 837-1886.

Concealed Weapon License Application Available at Tax Collector’s Office
Local residents will be able to apply for their statewide Concealed Weapon License at the Okaloosa County Tax Collector’s Office starting this month. Tax Collector Ben Anderson has partnered with Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam to pass legislation that extends this opportunity to residents of Okaloosa County and the panhandle beginning Sept.22. Florida concealed weapon licenses are processed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Due to rising demand, five Tax Collector Offices have been given authority to take applications, fingerprint the applicants, and send the information securely to the department for final determination. There are currently more than 1.3 million concealed weapon permits in Florida, and the department processed more than 177,000 new licenses last fiscal year. For more information or to schedule your appointment, visit OkaloosaTax.com.

Regatta Chiropractic and Laser Center Launches BrainCore Therapy Scholarship
Regatta Chiropractic and Laser Center of Destin is offering a $3,000 BrainCore Therapy Scholarship to one local student in need. The BrainCore Scholarship includes two QEEG brain maps and 20 neurofeedback sessions valued at more than $3,000. Students and/or parents are being asked to submit why they should be chosen in 1,000 words or less to drhogan@regattachiropractic.com by Sept. 30, at 5 p.m. 

Neurofeedback is used to address the symptoms associated with a wide range of neurological conditions, including ADHD/ADD, anxiety, depression, Insomnia, Fibromyalgia, PTSD, migraines, chronic pain and more. For more information, call (850) 424-7856 or visit RegattaChiropractic.com. 

O’Reilly Auto Parts Donates to Children in Crisis The Niceville O’Reilly Auto Parts Store showed its support to the community by donating $200 to Children in Crisis (CIC) during its recent grand-opening event. The Niceville location on Highway 20 is the latest store to open in the area. Seen here, Niceville O’Reilly Auto Parts store manager David Beck presents a donation of $200 from its recent grand opening event to CIC volunteer & events coordinator Laura Moore, along with CIC president & CEO Ken Hair, O’Reilly events marketing specialist John McMillan, and O’Reilly district manager Craig Garrison. For information about CIC, please call (850) 864-4242 or visitChildrenInCrisisFL.org.