April 2016 Business Briefs / Member News Part 1

Thirteen World Impact Real Estate Agents Complete Certified Luxury Home Marketing Designation
Broker Rodney Elkins, Kim and Brad Bellville, Ken Blanton, Gena Bolton, Diane Cheng, Lona Downs, Larry Kingrey, Justin Myers, Yolanda Salas, Sherry Ruth Sherrer, and Blake and Paul Shorey successfully completed the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Designation. This designation is the path to success in the upper-tier market. This 2-day class held at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa was a luxury home marketing course that sets the standard for luxury sales training in the industry.  This course increases agents’ visibility and credibility with affluent buyers and sellers, branding agents as a luxury expert.

Board Member Takes CIC Teens Shopping
Children in Crisis Board Member and supporter Judy Wiseman gave the transitioning foster teens living at the CIC Neighborhood a real shopping treat last week.  She volunteered to take a small group of teens to find that special Easter outfit and other items needed to present a professional look while going for job interviews. She is seen here with teens Amber, Brandi and Shontique.

Century 21 Fine Homes & Estates Blue Marlin Announces Commercial Merger 
Century 21 Fine Homes & Estates Blue Marlin proudly announces the recent merger of PURE CRE, Inc., a Northwest Florida-based commercial real estate company with expertise representing buyers, sellers, landlord, tenant, investment, and land sales. Since 1999, founder and commercial realtor Doreen Baca and her husband Jerry have had an unfailing drive to measure success by client satisfaction. Having worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies and being fiscally responsible for managing company assets for the buy, sell, and leasing of real estate and aviation - it was all about pleasing shareholders in those days. The Baca’s work eventually led them to the state of Florida, where today they sit with their wealth of knowledge on the other side of the negotiating table, having formed their locally recognized brokerage firm PURE CRE, Inc., based in Florida. 

Mentors Needed in Okaloosa and Walton Counties
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida is in need of mentors in Okaloosa and Walton counties. There are currently 30 children on our waiting list who are ready to be matched with a caring and supportive Big Brother or Big Sister, and 70% of those children are boys waiting for a Big Brother. It takes as little as two times a month to make a lasting difference in a child’s life and start them on a path to success. Mentors can choose to see their LITTLE through the school-based program, where you meet with a child at his/her school once a week; or through the community-based program, where you spend time with the child wherever you would like to in the community two to four times a month. For details, call 850-684-KIDS (5437). 

Snowbirds Adopt Children in Crisis – Help Kids
Ken Hair (left center), Children In Crisis (CIC) president and CEO, thanks John Cleary (right center) and other snowbirds, (from left to right) Allan Schelfhout, Dave Smith, Bob Patoka, and Ken Schelfhout. Cleary started helping at the CIC Children’s Neighborhood five years ago with maintenance and repairs and has now recruited four of his friends too. The maintenance crew has been a Godsend to CIC and the more than 100 children that will call the CIC Neighborhood home this year.


Cox Charity Auction Kicks Off Saturday for Covenant Care
Attention, shoppers! Get ready to place your bids for amazing auction items right from the palm of your hand anywhere you may be. The Cox Charity Auction to benefit Covenant Care kicks off Saturday, April, 9 at 6 p.m. This online auction, presented by Cox Communications, is a virtual fundraising event featuring four one-week auctions hosted online at www.CoxCharityAuction.com. Each auction will feature a variety of packages starting at 40 percent off the retail value. All you have to do is log on and place your bid, it’s as easy as that.

Local Dentist Chosen to Teach Advanced Level II Botox and Dermal Fillers Training Course
Dr. Amber Wiebe, DMD, MAGD, FICOI of Smileology - Santa Rosa Beach Dental has been chosen to travel to Denver, Colo., to train dentists, physicians, and nurses at the Advanced Level II Botox and Dermal Fillers Live Patient Training Course, presented by The American Academy of Facial Esthetics (AAFE), on April 8, 2016. The course will focus on training dental and medical professionals on a number of techniques and treatments using Botox and facial fillers. Wiebe is uniquely trained in facial volume esthetics specifically lower, middle, and upper facial volume loss, as well as wrinkles.  She also has technique sensitive training in prevention and treatment of neck aging. 


CBA Partners to Host Earth Day Coastal Cleanup Effort
The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) of Northwest Florida State College in collaboration with the City of Destin, City of Fort Walton Beach, FedEx, and Nick’s Seafood Restaurant, will host an Earth Day Coastal Cleanup effort to reduce and to raise awareness for, the negative impact imposed by marine debris (trash) along coastal environments in Okaloosa County, Florida. The partnership between the four entities will host two sites - Norriego Point Public Beach Access and Liza Jackson Park - on Friday, April 22, from 8 – 10 a.m. Public participation is welcome and encouraged. For details, please contact Sarah Davis, CBA outreach coordinator, atdaviss26@nwfsc.edu.   

CIC Golf Tourney Raises $30,000
The 10th Annual Children in Crisis Charity Golf Classic, held recently at the Ft. Walton Beach Golf Course, raised almost $30,000 for the abused, neglected, and abandoned children of our community. More than 130 golfers competed for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes, including longest drive and closest to the pin awards.  Seen here, Laura Moore, CIC volunteer and events director, is pictured with the winning team of Mike Davis, David Boyd, Rich Chase, and John Hicks, along with Ken Hair, CIC president and CEO.