As I
sit and reflect on the past year and formulate how to keep the Destin Area
Chamber moving in a forward-thinking direction, it is important to recap the
key points.
First of all, it is my honor
to recognize Amy Perry, outgoing chairman, for all she has given to the Chamber
over the past year of service. And to
her husband, David, we thank you for supporting Amy during her year.
As we look ahead to 2015, I
see great things. At our Board’s planning retreat in November, we took a
look back at the last five years and saw what we’ve done well, where we needed
to improve, and what we needed to change. I’m pleased to say that there
was plenty of positive to see.
Thanks to the Board,
membership is the highest it’s been in several years, our major events are
drawing more attention than ever before, and our members are receiving more
benefits. We want to continue that trend.
The Board determined that the
Chamber’s efforts need to continue in the direction we are headed. We’ll
continue to grow our tourism-related events, like Destin’s Bayou, Bay &
Back 5K, 10K & Half Marathon, and we’ll begin preparations to add a full
marathon to the event in 2016. I want to thank Shoreline Church for its
continued title sponsorship.
Paddle at the Porch is still
growing, and we cannot thank BOTE enough for its immeasurable support of the
Chamber and this event. Plans are already underway for the most
successful Paddle at the Porch over its four year history.
For our members, we’ll
continue to provide networking opportunities, while improving the existing
events. The monthly Leaders in Business Lunches will continue to be the
leading monthly networking event. Our Business After Hours will continue
to provide you the social aspect of networking. Bourbon at the Bay should
continue to grow and be one of the most talked-about events in town. The
success of our events is paramount to driving membership retention and growth
due to the added value and immeasurable benefits we’re bringing to you, our members.
I haven’t even mentioned the Multi-Chamber Business Expo and the Tax Relief
Golf Tournament, two events that are staples for business development each
year. We want you doing business with each other. You’ve heard it
said at many of our functions – buy and shop
local – and we want to emphasize that.
We will continue our efforts
in community and economic development programs. The Chamber’s community
education and leadership development program Destin Forward is receiving rave reviews and is stronger than
ever. We know you’ll agree when you see the Class of 2015’s project in
May! This project is one of the ways we work with the City of Destin to
improve the community and economic viability Destin enjoys, which leads us to
the spectacular quality of life we all love. We’ll work hard to maintain
and improve our working relationship with the city and Okaloosa County.
We’ll continue to monitor
pro-business legislation at the state and federal levels of government and take
needed positions, and we’ll be the voice of the business community of the
Destin area.
We’ll be sure that your Chamber
stays involved regionally and statewide and be the advocates on managed growth
and quality of life.
We want to ensure that the
Destin Harbor is known for its history and economic impact, and we want to
preserve that history. We understand that the harbor is the heart of our
community, and we want residents and visitors alike to understand that history
and heritage. We want quality, controlled growth there, and, above all
else, we want the harbor to become a pedestrian friendly atmosphere so more and
more families may safely enjoy it.
As always, we will continue
to support our military through our Military Affairs Council.
So we hope that all business
professionals agree on this plan, but the plan cannot be realized without all
members' input and participation. We feel it’s aggressive, progressive,
and just what the Chamber needs at this time. So how do we achieve
this? We achieve this by working with the business professionals
representing you on your Chamber Board. When you have something to
suggest or would like to be a part of any aspect of the plan, please speak up,
step up, or show up.
If you’ve attended a New
Member Reception in the past 18 months, you’ve heard Shane tell the new members
he wants them to think of the Chamber as only three things. He suggests
that you look at the Chamber as access, opportunities, and relationships –
that’s all we are and that’s all we provide. If you, our members, take
advantage of the access to people and information we provide, you’ll create
opportunities for you and your business to build relationships with others in
the community. And as those relationships are built, you create more
access, more opportunities, and more relationships. Just think how strong
this Chamber, this community, and this economy could be if we all did that.
We look forward to serving
you in 2015.
Ken Wampler
2015 Destin Area Chamber Chairman
Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, Inc.
Realtor Jason Parkhurst with 
Local artist Charlotte Arnold, in conjunction with Artful Things Art Gallery in Niceville, donated $570 to help give a home to the abused, neglected and abandoned children at 
The 
Originally from Panama City Beach, Gaiser ran track for the University of Alabama, where he graduated with a degree in Human Environmental Science. No stranger to the business, Gaiser sold real estate for more than 3 years throughout the Panama City Beach area, where he was also a personal trainer and the owner/operator of a jet ski rental and dolphin tour business.
Sales associates Jerry Bielawski (left) and Mark DeSalvo (center) were recently awarded 2014 Top Producer status in
The 
Destin, Fla., Jan. 9 –
The Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort helped 
Looking for electric car charger stations around town? 
The Eglin Fire Department donated $3,250 and lots of toys to the kids living at the 
Thomas and Kari Zingale, owners of 
Let your creative side go wild as you team up with one of