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Superior
Lifestyle,
Boundless
Opportunity
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Our
Members Make it Happen
Thank
you for your support!
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EDC
2010
Installation of Officers
On
October 27, 2009 the EDC hostes the
annual Installation Reception at the Ramada
Plaza Beach Resort on Okaloosa Island. This
event serves as gathering for the recognition of
the outgoing Board members and the introduction of
the incoming Officers. This year also included the
recognition of EDC companies attaining
5 years of membership and those companies that
joined us during the 2009 Fiscal Year.
2010
Executive
Committee
Chairman
Gordon
Eldridge BAE Systems
Vice
Chairman
Dale
Peterson DEP
Companies
Treasurer
Tim
McDonald Ft
Walton Machining
Secretary
Wayne
Campbell FWB Medical
Center
Past
Chairman
Paul
Hsu
Total Parts Plus
Member
at large
Jim
Heald
InDyne
Member at
large
Barry
Steiner
L-3 Communications
EDC
President
Larry
Sassano EDC
serving Okaloosa
2010 Committee
Leads
DSI
Chairman
Sam
Burkett Jacobs
Technology
TeCMEN
Manager
Jim
Breitenfeld
Breitenfeld Consulting
Outgoing
EDC Board of
Directors
Tom
Conner
NWF Daily News
John
Forrester Regions
Bank
Jim
Heald
InDyne Inc
John
McGee First
City National Bank
Randy
Wise Randy
Wise Homes
Angela
Balent O'Sullivan
Creel CPA
Tony Gonzalez General
Dynamics
David Sanders North
Okaloosa Medical
Members
Celebrating
5
Years of
Membership
Advanced
Concept Enterprises
Matthew
& Hawkins, PA
PowerSouth
Energy Cooperative
Newman-Dailey
Resort Properties
Blackhawk
Management Corporation
New Members
in 2009
COLSA
Corportation
Premier Community Bank
Eagle
Cleaning LLC
Revive
Media Services
Grand Boulevard
Sandestin
Shanklin
Enterprises, LLC
Hawkins
Construction
Troy
University
Integrity
Unlimited
Vision
Bank
Keefe, Anchors, Gordon & Moyle, PA
L-3
Communications Enterprise Solutions
Wavenet
Technologies
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Please
welcome our new executives and members when
you see them around the
community! |
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News Inside the
EDC
The
EDC is happy to announce Jim Breitenfeld as
the new Technology Coast Manufacturing and
Engineering Network Manager (TeCMEN). Jim
was actually on-board with the EDC when Dr.
Goetsch first introduced the TeCMEN concept to
Okaloosa County business leaders in
1989.
Jim plans on revamping the
TeCMEN format and has already pulled together a
small group of business leaders to collaborate on
their ideas on how TeCMEN can truly benefit the
technology-based businesses in our area.
This first meeting created excitement for the EDC
because TeCMEN has always been a beneficial
program for our technical business community and
now it can evolve to a new level of support that
will involve many of the original objectives for
this collaborative group of manufactures and
engineering companies.
 Kay
Rasmussen, Director of Defense
& Economic Initiatives for the Economic
Development Council has graduated from the
University of Oklahoma's Economic Development
Institute, the only multi-year professional level
program of its type in the United States.
The Economic Development Institute provides a
broad spectrum of advanced education for the
economic development professional and is
accredited
by the International Economic Development Council.
The OU/EDI curriculum focuses on
three major core areas of Business Retention and
Expansion, Real Estate, and Finance with support
concentration in Marketing, Strategic Planning,
Entrepreneurship, and Management. Kay has
accomplished advanced studies in marketing and
strategic planning. Along with Ms.
Rasmussen's decade of experience, she now has the
most up-to-date knowledge and tools necessary to
succeed in diversifying our economy in today's
competitive
marketplace. |
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PRESIDENT'S
CORNER
TECHNOLOGY
GIVES US REASON TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT OUR
ECONOMY |
 Economists had to give us
another theory to explain long-term growth in
regards to the current economic
conditions. Leading economists from
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) developed a model
in which long-run output is determined by the
quality and quantity of land, labor and capital
that go into the productive process. The
model shows that technological growth generates
the demand that pushes our economy forward and
stimulates a rise in standard of
living.
We have
learned that in the initial stages of a recovery
businesses are hesitant to bring on workers.
This is particularly true in the technology fields
which we whole-heartedly embrace in Okaloosa
County and Northwest Florida. Though our
real growth is generated largely by the defense
sector, we are fortunate to have research and
development (R & D) at the root of the
technology that is developed at Eglin AFB.
This R & D overlaps into the private sector
through the abundant contracts that are awarded to
national and local firms that also employ the
greatest percentage of technical employees in
Northwest Florida.
The
Economic Development Council's efforts in
supporting these technical firms are not always so
apparent until these firms announce their
expansion plans. This is the EDC's
opportunity to publicize its work in assisting
with networking opportunities, grant and business
assistance programs and other support initiatives
that help add value to the growing company's
bottom line. DRS C3 Systems newest
acquisition of the former Burton Golf Building
(See Daily News Article from November 22, 2009) is
technology growth based and will create 150 new
jobs for our community. The EDC has been
working with DRS locally and with their HQs for
over eleven months on this project. The City
of Fort Walton Beach also played an important role
in the development of this project through their
efforts to establish a Brownfield Redevelopment
Program in the Fort Walton Beach Commerce and
Technology Park where DRS currently employs
approximately 865 full-time employees. The
State will now offer special tax incentives to DRS
as a result of the Brownfield program's existence
and their new expansion.
The City
of Crestview and the County Airports Office can
also be proud of their joint efforts to retain
Sunshine Aero Industries in the Bob Sikes
Industrial Airpark. This EDC-driven effort
with the County and the City has led to the
securing of an Economic Development Transportation
Fund Grant (EDTRF) that will provide State funding
for a critical taxi-way into Dr. Paul Hsu's
property for the development of a new 20,000 sq ft
hangar for Sunshine Aero Industries.
Sunshine Aero Industries provides aircraft,
aircrew, maintenance, hangers, office space,
ground support equipment, engineering and aircraft
modifications to conduct flight test support
operations for Government and other contractor
flight test organizations.
Recently,
Okaloosa County announced an On-Line Permitting
Assistance Program allowing for permits or
inspection to be rewarded on Okaloosa County's
website at www.co.okaloosa.fl.us. This is
indicative of the positive business attitude that
our local County Government has toward being more
user-friendly to the businesses in Okaloosa
County. The City of Fort Walton Beach has
also unveiled efforts to strengthen local
businesses growth through its special planning
area (SPA's) tailored incentives and performance
program which will be implemented next year.
Efforts such as these do not go unnoticed by the
local business community, especially when these
new programs allow them to save time and as we
know, time is money.
Tim
McDonald, President of Fort Walton Machining also
is in an expansion mode at his manufacturing
operation in Fort Walton Beach. Tim appeared
on the EDC's TV show, Vision of Growth and
outlined his new plans to add up to 50 full time
employees to his current 180 employees and operate
under expanded facilities of 42,000 square feet in
a former Chromalloy Building in the Fort Walton
Beach Commerce Park. Tim's precision
manufacturing operation provides sophisticated
precision machining to many of the leading defense
contractors in our area, such as The Boeing
Company and L-3 Communications. Tim has done
an incredible job in building Fort Walton
Machining into a premier manufacturing
operation. He is one of the reasons why
Okaloosa County is one of the leading Metropolitan
Statistical Areas (Fort Walton
Beach-Crestview-Destin) in manufacturing growth in
the U.S.
These examples of local
expansions tied to technology are reasons to show
optimism about our local economy. As the
world emerges from this financial crisis,
Northwest Florida and especially Okaloosa County
are reasons to smile because technological growth
is brighter than ever.
Larry
Sassano
President,
EDC
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Introducing
the EDC FY2010
CHAIRMAN
|
 Gordon
Eldridge is
Vice President of Business Development for BAE
Systems, Technology Solutions and Services Inc.
(TSS).
TSS employs more than 8300 people in over
50 locations in the US and internationally. TSS
primarily serves the sustainment for readiness and
the operations support services markets Gordon has
overall responsibility for leading the TSS
Business Development organization.
He is responsible for new business
identification, competitive analysis, marketing,
strategy, proposals and capture for BAE Systems
technical services in DOD, FAA, and international
agencies.Prior to his current assignment,
Gordon managed the Integrated Operation and
Maintenance Solutions (IOMS) business area within
TSS.
IOMS has annual revenues of over $150M and
primarily supports the US Air Force, the US Army,
the US Navy and international customers including
France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Egypt,
Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and the United
Kingdom.
In this assignment, he was responsible for
a workforce of over 1000 employees and his role
included responsibilities for business planning,
customer relations, execution of contracts, new
business development and fiscal performance.
Prior to this role, Gordon served as
Vice President of an electronics systems division
within BAE Systems and developed an extensive
background in managing, designing and deploying
highly sophisticated ground based radar and
electro-optical tracking systems for both domestic
and international test range customers. He
has first hand knowledge of test range operations
and instrumentation systems through his extensive
world-wide support of range customers and their
end users.
Other positions previously held by
Gordon within BAE Systems' legacy companies are
President, Vice President, Department Head,
Program Manager, Systems Engineer and Design
Engineer. Gordon has been employed with BAE
Systems for over 20 years.
Gordon is a 1983 graduate of
Mississippi State University and holds a Bachelors
of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He
and his wife, Robyn Eldridge, currently reside in
Fort Walton Beach, FL. They have
two children, Scott and Courtney. Courtney
is a high school student and Scott will be
attending the University of Central Florida in the
Fall of 2008.
BAE Systems is the premier global
defense and aerospace company, delivering a full
range of products and services for air, land, and
naval forces, and advanced electronics,
information technology solutions, and customer
support services. With 105,000 employees
worldwide, BAE Systems had 2008 sales that
exceeded $34
billion. |
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Welcome
NEW MEMBERS |
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INTREGRITY
UNLIMITED, is now one year old this month, is a
small consulting company based on Pat
Hollarn's twenty years of experience in
elections on the local, state, and national level,
with major emphasis on federal laws covering all
military voters everywhere and overseas
civilians. Targeted customer base for that
goal includes secretaries of state and state
election directors, for pilot projects similar to
the historic first in the country remote
electronic voting project that Pat and her office
conducted in the November 2008 presidential
election.
Also available to state and
local jurisdictions are workshop presentations and
training programs for one-day and longer
sessions. With years of working
relationships with Florida and other state
legislatures as well as US Senate and House
members, Pat develops training programs customized
to states, combined with federal laws.These
resources are valuable to many jurisdictions in
the US who need assistance to interpret and
implement the federal laws serving these
voters: UOCAVA (Uniform and Overseas
Citizens Absentee Voting Act), HAVA (Help America
Vote Act), and
MOVE (Military and Overseas Voters
Empowerment). Pat worked very
closely with the US
Senate Rules Committee and staff this past year in
writing the MOVE bill, passed in October as part
of the 2010 Defense Authorization Act.
As Pat has
resided in Okaloosa County for nearly 40 years and
has been active in so many aspects of the county
as well as being in government, her organizational
skills, contacts, and experience in management,
training, and legislation are now available and
utilized by local companies and
organizations. The name of her company is
based on her reputation. For additional
information: integrityunlimited@cox.net or
850-651-1543.
POOLE ENGINEERING & SURVEYING
INC is a
WBE/ DBE certified firm which has operated in
North Florida for over 30 years. They provide
services including residential/commercial
development, and public projects, through a
multidisciplinary approach. Their combination of
specialized services, which includes advanced
technology, and personalized communications with
clients, has made their firm an intricate part of
the growth and development in the North Florida
area.
Poole Engineering &
Surveying Inc is expanding their services
throughout Northwest Floirda. Cheryl Poole,
P.E. Vice President of Engineering, will be
managing the Northwest Division of Engineering.
Barbara Bergstrom, P.S.M., Vice President of
Surveying, will oversee the land surveying
division.
For more
information contact kim.poole@pooleengineering.co
or
850.386.5117
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MEMBERS
IN THE NEWS
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The
MATTIE KELLY ARTS
FOUNDATION has been
endorsed with a $1 million challenge grant towards
Phase One, The Amphitheater and the Village Green
for the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village in
Destin. In addition to the Village's
educational, entertainment and artistic outreach,
the Foundation and its programs will continue to
have a huge economic impact on the
community. The scope of the project and the
development will result in job creation, as well
as direct spending on construction. A
thriving cultural life in the area will provide
income and tax revenue for the state and local
governments.
The Mattie Kelly
Cultural Arts Village will be significant to the
community by helping to realize Mattie Kelly's
dream for Destin. This development project
is vital for our community's cultural, artistic
and financial success. Supporters are
investing into a piece of a unique vision that
will directly influence and impact our community
for years to come. Call 850-650-2226 to
pledge your support that can be matched dollar for
dollar.
"All of the
greatest destinations have a quality venue for the
performance arts and our coastal region should be
no exception. We must be proactive and
forward-thinking about the quality of life we
offer to our children as well as the cultural
experiences available to the visitors of our
dynamic region." Rick Severance, Board &
Advisory Committee Member, Mattie Kelly Arts
Foundation.
Randy and Debbie Wise, of
Randy Wise
Homes, Inc.recently became part of the
select group of professionals nationwide to earn
the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS)
designation, identifying themas some of the
building industry's top professionals with skills
and knowledge specific to home modifications for
aging-in-place.
The CAPS
designation identifies remodelers that have been
trained to help retirees and older adults remain
in their homes safely, independently and
comfortably, regardless of income or ability
level, and continue to live in a familiar
environment throughout their maturing years. CAPS
program graduates are required to maintain their
designation by attending continuing education
programs and/or participating in community service
projects.
Cindy Frakes, Okaloosa County School
Board member
and Governor Appointee to the West Florida
Regional Planning Council was elected chair of the
Florida Regional Councils Association (FRCA) for
2009-2010. FRCA serves as statewide forum for the
eleven regional planning councils in Florida to
discuss and partner on growth management,
economic, emergency planning and
environmental issues affecting our
future
Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood
(GMC) opened
an office at 171 SE Brooks Street in Ft. Walton
Beach and named Chuck Faulkner, P.E. as Ft
Walton's office and Regional manager responsible
for dailyoversight of operations.
Current
clients include City of Ft. Walton Beach,
Choctawhatchee Bay Alliance, City of Pensacola,
Santa Rosa County and Florida's Great
Northwest.
Bill Wallace,
Executive Vice President of Goodwyn, Mills and
Cawood remarks, "Locating a new office in Ft.
Walton will strengthen the level of service we are
able to provide for our clients in the
area.
Randy and Debbie Wise, of
Randy Wise
Homes, Inc.recently
became part of the select group of professional
builders, remodelers, and other industry
professionals nationwide who have earned the
Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation,
identifying themas having knowledge of the best
strategies for incorporating green building
principles into homes. The CGP curriculum
incorporates training by leading building industry
practitioners and academics on a range of topics,
including strategies for incorporating
green-building principles into homes using
cost-effective methods of construction, and how
green homes provide buyers with lower maintenance
and good indoor air quality.
Joanie Pape has joined Beach Community
Bank to manage
their Navarre office. Pape has been in banking for
over 20 years. She is a native of Fort Walton
Beach and has lived in Navarre for 15
years.
DooleyMack Constructors of
Northwest Florida displays their
five Excellence in Construction awards earned at
the North Florida Associated Builders and
Constructors annual awards ceremony.
Denise T. McLeod, Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer, Landrum Staffing
Services, has
been appointed to the newly formed Labor,
Education and Health Council of the Federal
Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Fort Walton Beach Medical
Center is
among the top 10% in the nation in Cardiac Surgery
and Overall Orthopedics care and in the top 5% in
the nation in Spine Surgery and General Surgery
according to the recently released twelfth annual
HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study.
The HealthGrades study annually assesses patient
outcomes - mortality and complication rates - at
virtually all of the nation's nearly 5,000 nonfederal
hospitals.
In addition to their Cardiac Surgery
Excellence Award, Orthopedic Surgery Excellence
Award, Spine Surgery Excellence Award and General
Surgery Excellence Award, Fort Walton Beach
Medical Center is a recipient of five star ratings
in Coronary Bypass Surgery, Spine Surgery, Hip
Fracture Repair, Back & Neck Surgery, Overall
Orthopedic Services, Appendectomy, Bowel
Obstruction, and General Surgery.
Fort Walton Beach Medical Center is seeking
permission from the State of Florida Department of
Health to open a trauma center at their Fort
Walton Beach location. Find out more at www.traumanow.com
Bullock Tice Associates
is providing Master Planning
and Architectural design services for the initial
phase of Pensacola Junior College's South Santa
Rosa Center. This project includes a $9.4 million,
two-story, multi-use facility. The new
center will be constructed utilizing the latest in
green construction techniques and will meet
Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED)
standards. Sustainable elements will include high
efficiency mechanical systems, captured
daylighting and wetlands preservation to enhance
the natural surroundings. Construction is
projected to begin in the second quarter of 2010
and will take approximately 18 months to
complete.
Okaloosa County School
District's teachers are focusing on the need
for their students to be equipped with 21st
century skills in order to compete in our global
economy. Technology integration and collaboration
connect students with the digital resources and
information available to them from a variety of
sources and media. Their teachers have just
submitted grants to purchase equipment and
software to support technology integration. These
grants focus on activities that encourage
participation and exploration. Technology in their
classrooms will continue to support student growth
in the content areas and prepare them for a life
where they can think critically, analyze data, and
effectively function in a world that is heavily
dependent on technology.
The Beaux Arts Ball & Artist
Market took place in Grand Boulevard at
Sandestin® on September 25 and 26. The event
last took place in 1992 and was brought back to
life by the Cultural Arts Association and Grand
Boulevard. The event raised nearly $12,000 dollars
for the Walton County arts community, with some
proceeds going to Sinfonia Gulf Coast and Seaside
Repertory Theatre.
Kelly Rye is the new owner/operator
of Johnny Rockets in Grand Boulevard at
Sandestin®. Rye, who spent his summers as a
child in the Sandestin area, is dedicated to the
Johnny Rockets mission of providing its customers
with quality customer service and a premium dining
experience. Johnny Rockets menu features a variety
of dining specials, and every Wednesday children
eat for free from 5 - 8 p.m. Over the next couple
years, Rye plans to open additional Johnny Rockets
restaurants in different areas of the region.
Magnolia House, a popular upscale
gift shop and home furnishing store, has relocated
from Grayton Beach to Grand Boulevard at
Sandestin®. The popular
boutique with a loyal following originally opened
off of County Road 30-A 17 years ago. The new
store offers more space for owner Nancy Veldman's
eclectic array of merchandise.Veldman expects her
new store will attract more people but she is
determined to maintain the peaceful space her
loyal customers have come to know and love.
Silver Sands Factory
Outlet
Upcoming
Events
JANUARY -1/15-18: SILVER SANDS BIG
WINTER SALE
Shop our designer's biggest
clearance event of the year and register to win a
$1,000 shopping
spree.
JANUARY -
FEBRUARY SILVER SANDS SNOWBIRD PRIVILEGE CARD.
Snowbirds came pick up a complimentary privilege
card at Shopper Services, located near Michael
Kors, to receive exclusive discounts and
promotions at select stores.
Visit
www.silversandsoutlet.com or call 850-654-9771 for
details.
New arrivals
at Silver Sands
Factory Outlet -Talbots, a retailer of
women's apparel, shoes and accessories,
Journeys is a true leader in the teen
retail scene; Lacoste high-end clothing,
footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches,
eyewear, and most famously, tennis shirts.
JobsPlus One Stop Centers operated
by the Workforce
Development Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties
is pleased to
announce they have increased their trained and
knowledgeable staff of Business Services
Representatives to serve our community. The
Business Services team is available to assist
employers with finding qualified job seekers to
fill vacant positions using Employ Florida
Marketplace, electronic job board. The
Business Services team can also assist local
businesses and employers with labor market
information, employee testing and screening, job
fairs, bonding and tax credit programs, Ready to
Work, and information on other resources available
in our community.
Troy University
Southside is hosting a Grand Opening
in Crestview -on Thursday, January 21, 12:00
- 3:00 PM. Ribbon Cutting will be at
12:30. The
Troy University Crestview Site is located in the
Southside Elementary building at 650 South Pearl
Street off Ferdon Blvd. Call 301-2104 for more
information. Troy
University Class Registration December 9- January
3 for Spring Semester Term 3 by web at
fwb.troy.edu
Crystal Boyles, CPA, joined
O'Sullivan
Creel as a senior
auditor in the Fort Walton Beach office. Crystal
was previously the CFO of EJM Aerospace Services
where she managed the accounting department,
developed accounting procedures, and ensured
compliance with the DCAA. Crystal also worked five
years as the Controller with Control Systems
Research, Inc. With her background in government
contracting, Crystal will work within the firm's
government contracting niche.
WAVEnet
Technologies is hosting a
QuickBooks User's Group on Thursday, January
21st from 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM at their Fort
Walton Beach office (417 Racetrack Road NW,
Suite C). Lunch and user's group are
both free of charge. To register call, (866)
255-6500. |
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TECHNOLOGY
NEWS |
TeCMEN TO STRENGTHEN ITS
ROLE
By Jim
Breitenfeld, TeCMEN Manager
TeCMEN,
the EDC's premiere technology, manufacturing and
engineering network, is itself undergoing a
re-engineering as it reaches it 20th anniversary
serving the Emerald Coast. Founded in 1989 by Dr.
David Goetsch to provide support to the area's
technology-based business community, TeCMEN has
provided a strong forum for area firms to come
together and share common challenges and
opportunities.
With these technology-based firms
constituting the core of Okaloosa County's private
industry sector, the EDC recognized then, and
still does today, that strong community support is
essential in maintaining and growing a healthy,
high-income sector in Okaloosa. Born in large part
due to the presence of the high-tech missions at
Eglin AFB, these firms collectively help ensure a
strong national defense and a local economy with
the strength and staying power to weather economic
downturns that affect so many other regions around
the state and
nation.
As part of its
ongoing adjustment to changing conditions, TeCMEN
is currently undergoing a thorough
self-examination and redefinition of its core
mission. Discussions are underway with key
stakeholders and it is expected TeCMEN will
complete its repositioning early in 2010. Key
elements of this evaluation include identifying
emerging challenges and opportunities as well as
delineating specific steps the EDC can take to
ensure TeCMEN brings value to its members and the
community.
Jim Breitenfeld is the
EDC's TeCMEN manager and may be reached at jbreit@cox.net.
New Online Tool To Benefits Florida
Companies
Enterprise Florida, Florida's
economic development partnership, recently
launched a new tool designed to help Florida
companies "get out the word" about their products
and services -around the globe. The Florida
Export Directory
(www.FloridaExportDirectory.com) is a new tool
that can give Florida exporters international
market exposure at no cost!
Enterprise Florida
is offering exporters statewide a free listing in
the Florida Export Directory. By promoting
their products and services in the directory,
Florida companies can be contacted firsthand by
overseas buyers about direct purchases,
agent/distributorships, licensing and franchise
agreements, and joint venture
opportunities.
Companies
wishing to upgrade their listing and cross-publish
in the well-known online and print directory The
Export Yellow Page can do so at a discounted rate.
Enterprise
Florida will aggressively market this directory,
searchable by keyword, through partners worldwide
to drive traffic to the site. It will promote of
the directory at Enterprise Florida domestic
and international trade events, Enterprise
Florida's international representation offices,
through the U.S. Commercial Service network
worldwide and the American Chamber of Commerce
partners, international chambers of commerce and
industrial associations and also through
advertisements in trade publications.
The Florida
Export Directory offers Florida companies a great
platform to showcase themselves - and foreign
buyers a convenient way to find desired products
and services.
Sign up at
www.floridaexportdirectory.com today! |
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DEFENSE
NEWS |
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Defense
Support Initiative Update
As the new
DSI Chair, my first order of business is to thank
the outgoing Chairman, Jim Heald, for his strong
leadership during the past two years. During
Jim's tenure, the DSI successfully engaged in a
number of issues supporting the Eglin community
during the BRAC process and helping prepare for
the community impacts of those BRAC
additions. We appreciate all of Jim's hard
work and for a job well done!
As we
start another year, I would like to remind us of
the DSI's mission:
To support and promote the local
military installations and their positive economic
contributions to the tri-county area while
maintaining and nurturing the relationships with
the civilian community that house
them. I would also
like to review some of the basic economic
statistics associated with the military impact to
the Eglin Community. First, an astounding
70% of Okaloosa County's economy comes from the
military. Second, in the tri-county area of
Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties, the
military is 34% of the total economy. Third,
in tough economic times like we are in today, the
military's economic impact to our area is very
significant and preciously sustaining. It is
also interesting to note the unemployment rate
across the state of Florida is currently about
11%. Here in our area, the unemployment rate
is around 7%. Please know your DSI will
continue to focus on our mission of supporting and
promoting our local military installations and
their positive impacts to our
area! This coming
year will be very busy and primarily focused on
the Joint Strike Fighter and the 7th Special
Forces organizations moving to Eglin AFB.
The DSI strongly supports these two BRAC
initiatives and welcomes the military, civilian,
and contractor families moving to our area.
Additionally, we will be monitoring any off-shore
drilling decisions for potential impacts to the
military mission. Stay tuned as we report
our activities in subsequent editions of the Voice
of Growth.
In closing, we in the DSI
hope that you and your families had a wonderful
holiday season and wish you a very Happy New
Year!
Sam Burkett
DSI
Chairman For
additional information on the DSI and its
initiatives contact Kay Rasmussen, Director of
Defense & Economic Initiatives at 362-6467, or
kayr@florida-edc.org
BRAC
Families Transition Council
The EDC, in
recognizing the significant real and potential
impacts of the implementation of the BRAC 2005
directed growth at Eglin AFB, has offered its full
support to the BRAC Families Transition Council
established and managed by the Workforce
Development Board of Okaloosa-Walton
Counties.
The
Council, which currently includes participation by
nearly 40 community based organizations, has
identified five key areas where community support
is critical to the successful integration of the
military families that will be transitioning to
the region as a result of the relocation of the
Army 7th
SFG (A) and the creation of the Joint Strike Fight
Initial Training Center at Eglin. These areas
include Health Care, Education, Employment,
Housing and Family
Support.
According to
Larry Sassano, EDC President, "Our community
stands ready to see tremendous benefits in a
myriad of economic, social and community aspects
as a result of the growth on the military in our
area. Unlike so many communities around the state
and country, we have a great opportunity to build
upon the growth we will see. Beyond the actual
military mission impacts, we are set to receive a
tremendous boost from the families that will be
accompanying these military personnel to the area.
These are talented, dedicated individuals and it
is incumbent upon the community to welcome them
and integrate them into our economic and social
community." "I applaud the Workforce Board for
taking the lead role in bringing together the BRAC
Families Transition Council and the EDC is pleased
to offer it's support and
cooperation."
EDC staff members Kay Rasmussen and
Debbie Bodenstine are supporting the Transition
Council with active participation on the Housing
and Business Competiveness Working Groups and the
full Council itself.
For a look at the new "Welcome to
Northwest Florida" website built specifically for
this effort, visit www.welcometonorthwestflorida.com
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Sincerely,
EDC serving
Okaloosa County
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