Northwest Florida Business Climate December 2012/January 2013

December 2012/January 2013

New Hotel

Will Bring Visitors and Revenue to Okaloosa Island

Is Your Company Naughty or Nice?

Dr. Susan Davis

Sacred Heart Hospital Gets a

New President and CEO www.nwflbusinessclimate.com

from the

publisher’ s pen Malcolm Ballinger Publisher

As we transition from this year and into the next, we’re looking ahead at the many developments on the horizon in our area. Many segments of Northwest Florida are continuing a trend of growth, and the healthcare industry is no exception. The Sacred Heart Health System is one of the area’s largest employers, and the main hospital is in the midst of a largescale expansion as a new president and CEO takes the reigns.

We’ve got an interview with Dr. Susan Davis about her new responsibilities as she goes from interim to permanent CEO of a healthcare network that spans the region. With a background in nursing and plenty of leadership experience, Dr. Davis certainly has the expertise to guide the hospital system through its continued growth and improvement. For more, turn to page 54.

Also included in this issue is an article about an exciting development on 17 acres of waterfront property on the beaches of Okaloosa Island. The Holiday Inn Resort Hotel will provide a boon to the economy of Northwest Florida by bringing vacationing families to the area and housing them in topnotch accommodations, and is estimated to have an annual impact of $40 million once it’s opened in 2014. Additionally, because the beachfront property is owned by the Air Force, the development will provide lease revenue that will greatly benefit military members and families based at Eglin Air Force Base. See more on page 52.

Also in this issue is a helpful piece on keeping your company’s customer service standards high during what can always be a stressful holiday season, and IT tips from Mike White.

Here’s to a prosperous and successful New Year!

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C ontents >

f e a t u re s

54. Sacred Heart Hospital Gets a

New President and CEO 54.

in every issue 60. AroundTheRegion 62. BusinessScene

52. >

departments

50. Customer Service Is Your Company Naughty or Nice?

52. Hotels New Hotel Will Bring Visitors and Revenue to Okaloosa Island

59. IT Tips Your IT Tips 48

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December 2012/January 2013

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49

>Customer Service

By Ron Kaufman

Is Your Company Naughty or Nice?

How to Stay On Your Customers’ “Nice” List This Holiday Season How will your customers view the service they receive from you this holiday season?

Will you delight them…or disappoint them? Ron Kaufman provides a breakdown of service behaviors that will decide whether you land on their naughty or nice lists this year.

Generally, companies try to stay on their best behavior all year long. But during this holiday season—with decked halls, crowded malls, shrinking bank accounts, and frayed nerves— providing great service is even more critical than usual. Much like Santa, customers have their own “naughty or nice list,” and Ron Kaufman says they won’t hesitate to give you the business equivalent of a stocking full of coal (i.e., taking their business somewhere else) if you make your way into the wrong column.

“There’s no better time of the year than the holiday season to uplift your customers with great service,” says Kaufman, author of the New York Times bestseller Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet. “Unfortunately, there’s also no easier time of the year to do or say exactly the wrong thing.”

Often at the holidays companies find themselves overbooked and short staffed. Supplies of popular items run out of stock.

Departments aren’t prepared for the increased volume of customer inquiries and complaints. Employees are too distracted by holiday events or travel plans or shopping lists to give customers their full attention.

“These practices are precisely what land companies on customers’ naughty lists,” says Kaufman. “But usually, these are not isolated incidents. Instead, they are evidence of a bigger problem in the organization’s overall service culture.”

Kaufman is at the head of a growing worldwide movement to uplift service in general—for customers and for colleagues. His new book takes readers on a journey into a world of uplifting service with dynamic case studies and perspective-changing insights. Readers learn how the world’s best-performing companies have changed the game in their industries through service and the action steps anyone can take to achieve an uplifting service transformation.

“Holiday happiness and great service needn’t be incompatible,” says Kaufman. “In fact, one of the true forces driving the holidays is our desire to take care of the people we love. And that’s what’s at the core of uplifting service—taking

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care of the needs and concerns of other people. When companies build a service culture that keeps this top of mind, they’ll find themselves on the nice list every time.”

How can you be sure to land on your customers’ nice lists?

What behaviors will banish you to their naughty lists? Read on for a few tips from Kaufman: To Stay on the Nice List: Make it seamless. For many of your customers, the holiday season is the busiest time of the year. They will be shopping, ordering, and asking more questions than ever across every possible channel: in person, over the phone, at their computers, on their mobile devices, at work, in their cars, and from home.

“When you provide integrated, smooth service across channels, you’re making your customers’ lives a lot easier,” he says. “From web to email to ATM, to counter to SMS to phone calls, to social platforms and home deliveries, when all information about your customers accumulates and moves seamlessly, then your customers can get what they need from you quickly and get back to doing everything else in their lives.”

Customize for your customers. Sure, your customers know they aren’t your only customer, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to be treated that way. Personalized service makes people feel special.

“When you offer options, choices, range, and variety and create more value through customization and personalization, your customers will feel like they’re your favorite,” notes Kaufman. “Implement processes that allow you to recall your customers’ questions, preferences, and choices in all future interactions. Then customize your offers and suggestions for their next visit or purchase. This increases your value each time a customer comes to you, and helps you become the vendor, store, or supplier they are glad to talk about and comfortable recommending to others.”

Say “Yes!” to service recovery. Companies on the nice list know that great service recovery turns “oops” into opportunities.

Don’t treat customer complaints like they’re annoying or a waste of time, advises Kaufman. Instead, be grateful when unhappy customers give you a chance to win back their business. Why? Because for every customer who does complain, there are several others who had the same problem, but didn’t give you a

second chance.

“Companies that ‘get’ service recovery understand when a customer complains, he is really telling you what he values,” points out Kaufman. “If he says you weren’t fast enough, he values speed. If he says he’s tired of not being able to get anyone on the phone, he values human interaction. ‘Nice’ companies quickly seek to identify what complaining customers value. And then they make sure that employees are empowered to make amends and offer an appropriately generous and valuable new action.”

Remember that happy (engaged) employees = service with a smile. Especially during the holidays, it can feel like the businesses, stores, and restaurants we frequent have been invaded by employee drones. Many service providers seem exhausted, frazzled, and too overwhelmed to do anything more than provide the minimum service to keep customers moving along.

“Companies on the nice list know how important employees—both customer-facing and non-customer-facing—are to providing uplifting service,” says Kaufman. “Your employees should be switched on and energized by their role at your company. When they’re clearly aligned, vigorously supported, and joyfully connected to the brand, to colleagues, and to customers, then job satisfaction fuels customer satisfaction in a virtuous cycle.”

Weave yourself into the fabric of the community. Uplifting service works because it makes everyone feel good, from employees to customers to other community members. When your company plays a socially responsible role in the community, then good feelings of service spread farther, and employees want to provide great service because it is so gratifying.

“When your company contributes and participates in the wider community, uplifting the commercial, civil, cultural, environmental, and economic eco-systems, people notice,” says Kaufman. “They’ll want to give you business because they know you give right back to their community. Being your customer makes them feel like they’re contributing, too. Many companies do this with local sports team sponsorships, school internship opportunities, highway and park adoption schemes, and other neighborhood development programs.”

To Get Stuck on the Naughty List: Specialize in the run-around. Doing business with a company should be a choice, not a chore. But unfortunately, many companies make receiving service very difficult for their customers.

“Companies on the naughty list aren’t streamlined,” notes Kaufman. “Customers have to give the same information to one person after another as they’re passed from department to department seeking help. Departments are so siloed that customers can feel like they aren’t even talking to people who work at the same company.”

Treat customers like a number. Have you ever been to a business, office, or other facility where you had to literally take a number and wait for it to show up on the electronic sign before receiving service? It doesn’t feel so great, does it? That’s how customers feel when you don’t bother to get to know them as individuals.

“When you don’t personalize service by taking the time to learn your customers’ names or implementing systems that remember their needs, you make customers feel like they’re just

one of many,” says Kaufman. “There’s no bond, nothing to make them feel any loyalty to you. Make one mistake and they will immediately go somewhere else.”

Exhibit a “the customer’s always wrong” mentality. If turning unhappy customers into loyal customers is what lands companies on the nice list, then the quickest way to land on the naughty list is to treat complaining customers like they’re ruining your day. This can mean anything from blame shifting to “punishing” an unhappy customer by making the interaction even less pleasant than it already is.

“Companies that don’t have a solid service recovery program react to complaining customers by seeking to avoid blame,” notes Kaufman. “Employees point the finger at their colleagues or back at the customers themselves and say, ‘It’s not my fault!’

They’re too focused on passing the buck to even take notice of the customers’ real needs. And to make it even worse, these companies tend to bog down customers even more by requiring a morass of receipts and time-consuming paperwork before they receive even a mediocre level of service.”

Put unhappy, clock-watching employees in front of customers. Naughty companies hire employees who are interested only in working for a wage, and it shows.

“For these companies, service with a smile is a pipe dream,” says Kaufman. “More like service with a grimace! You know you’re at a naughty company when a service representative won’t look you in the eye, has no energy to smile, and treats you like the service they provide is a chore. You might leave having received the product or service you need, but you won’t leave feeling uplifted or wanting to return.”

Put the bottom line on a pedestal. Some companies on the naughty list treat customers like a number; others treat customers like a dollar sign.

“Companies that put the bottom line on a pedestal above their customers can make customers feel like they’re being tricked or swindled,” notes Kaufman. “They offer deals that aren’t backed by great service. Or run ads touting low-cost products that don’t offer real satisfaction. Customers end up feeling as mercenary as the companies they buy from. Both parties may have completed a deal, but neither was uplifted by any lasting value.”

“What companies should be asking themselves now is, How can we make sure we’re on our customers’ nice lists?” says Kaufman. “There’s no better time of the year to assess your company’s service culture. What are your customers experiencing today? What will they expect from you tomorrow?

Are you ahead of your competitors, or lagging behind?

“When you commit to creating an uplifting service culture where everyone is fully engaged, encouraging each other, improving the customer experience, making the company more successful, and contributing to the community at large, you’ll spend every holiday season on your customers’ nice lists,” he adds. “And you will reap the benefits year-round.”

About the Author: Ron Kaufman is a popular keynote speaker and is the author of the New York Times bestseller Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet (Evolve Publishing, 2012, ISBN: 978-0-9847625-0-7, $24.95, www.UpliftingService.com). He is the world’s premiere thought leader, educator, and motivator for uplifting customer service and building service cultures in many of the world’s largest and most respected organizations, including Singapore Airlines, Nokia Siemens Networks, Citibank, Microsoft, and Xerox.

He is the founder of UP! Your Service, a global service education and management consultancy firm with offices in the United States and Singapore.

About the Book: Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet (Evolve Publishing, 2012, ISBN: 978-0-9847625-0-7, $24.95, www.UpliftingService.com) is available at bookstores nationwide and all major online booksellers.

December 2012/January 2013

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>Hotels

New Hotel Will Bring Visitors and Revenue to Okaloosa Island

By Josh Newby

The beautiful beaches of Okaloosa Island will soon feature another fun, economy-stimulating dot on the horizon. The Emerald Breeze Resort Group recently hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for a $25 million, 152-room Holiday Inn Resort Hotel in Ft. Walton Beach.

The development will occupy 17 beachfront acres near the popular resort area of Destin, Florida in Okaloosa County.

The land is owned by the United States Air Force and will be leased to the Emerald Breeze Resort Group for 50 years at fair market value. The lease was awarded after a competitive process initiated by a public request for qualifications four years ago.

The property was made available for private development via the Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) program. This program is managed by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) and identifies underutilized military properties with ongoing mission requirements. In this case, the Air Force will maintain a passive radio receiver dish and camera equipment on the hotel’s roof.

Revenue generated from the lease will be contributed directly to the Eglin Air Force Base budget, to help improve the lives of men and women living on base. Additionally, the Holiday Inn Resort will contribute approximately 4,000 discounted room nights at selected times to both active duty and retired military members via the hotel’s Military Appreciation Program.

Emerald Breeze Resort Group is a partnership between Gulf Coast based Innisfree Hotels and the Creek Indian Enterprises Development Authority–the investment arm of

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Above left: Groundbreaking ceremony for the Holiday Inn Resort Hotel in Ft. Walton Beach.

Above: The artist rendering of the Holiday Inn Resort Hotel.

the Poarch Band of Creek Indians from Atmore, Alabama.

This is the second regional hotel development this economic power duo has collaborated on in less than a year: they’re currently building a 127-room Hyatt Place hotel at the Pensacola International Airport. The groundbreaking celebration for that $24 million project took place last January, and local workers were honored in a topping out ceremony in August. That hotel is scheduled to open in the spring of 2013.

“Our relationship with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians has spanned almost two decades and we’re extremely proud to partner with them once again,” said Julian MacQueen, Innisfree’s founder and CEO. “This hotel will have a positive impact on a diverse range of stakeholders in our regional economy including local residents, visitors and military families.”

The general contractor and co-developer on the project is dck North America who is planning on employing approximately 500 regional trades people during the construction phase.

“Dck has proven to be an invaluable asset due to both their contracting expertise and their rich knowledge of

governmental processes,” said Rich Chism, Innisfree’s director of development. “They’ve made an invaluable contribution to the success of this project thus far.”

Architect Larry Adams of Bullock Tice Associates has designed the resort.

Design elements will focus on creating physical spaces that nurture fun and memorable vacation experiences. This is in keeping with Innisfree Hotel’s corporate motto of “having fun.”

When completed, the Holiday Inn Resort will offer a range of family friendly amenities. The focus will be a $1 million Gulf front swimming pool outfitted with a lazy river and tiki bar.

There will also be 16 family suites with kid’s rooms and gaming systems, supervised children’s programs, and an arcade. The hotel lobby and Gulf front room balconies will offer expansive views of the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The hotel will have 2,500 square feet of meeting space.

Pen Air Federal Credit Union and Navy Federal Credit Union provided $19 million in project funding. Both said they are proud to make such a significant contribution to the Gulf Coast regional economy. Navy Federal provided 90 percent of the loan. Navy Federal, with its focus on serving the military, said it is especially appreciative of the positive impact this development will have on the United States Air Force and of the benefits it will provide to military families.

This is the third successful Innisfree hotel development project financed by Pen Air and Navy Federal. These local credit unions also debt financed the Holiday Inn Resort in Pensacola Beach, which won an IHG brand award for Development of the Year in 2011.

The Okaloosa Island resort is scheduled to open in the spring of 2014 and is expected to employ approximately 120 people during peak season. It will also have a positive economic impact of about $40 million per year.

The project master plan includes an out parcel on Highway 98 that is available for a ground lease by others where the developer hopes a restaurant will be constructed. Okaloosa County and the U.S. Air Force has already approved phase two of the project. It currently includes a second 124-room Gulf front hotel.

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53

Sacred Heart Hospital Gets a

New President and CEO 54

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Dr. Susan Davis

T

By Josh Newby

The area’s largest employer and one of the premiere medical facilities in the Florida Panhandle recently promoted interim leader Dr. Susan Davis to the permanent role of president and CEO. Dr. Davis, who began her career as a nurse in New York City, succeeds former CEO Laura Kaiser and brings with her more than 20 years of health care experience, 18 of which are in leadership roles.

“After discussions over the past few months with the leaders of Ascension Health and Sacred Heart’s Board of Trustees, I decided to make a long-term commitment to lead Sacred Heart,” said Davis. “I am excited about the opportunity to lead a great team of employees and to build stronger relationships with the many loyal physicians who have made Sacred Heart a leader in excellent patient outcomes.”

Dr. Davis currently leads a health system that includes hospitals in Pensacola, Walton County, Panama City and Port St. Joe, as well as a network of physicians stretching from Gulf Shores, Alabama to Apalachicola, Florida.

She received a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Mount St. Mary College, a Master of Arts in nursing administration and a Doctorate of Education with an emphasis in management from Columbia University. She is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dr. Davis has received both local and national recognition for her commitment to the community and to volunteerism. She has been actively involved with the United Way, hospice and the American Cancer Society, and has been recognized for her service in New York and Connecticut.

In addition to her role at Sacred Heart, Dr. Davis will also serve as Ascension Health’s Ministry Market Leader for Florida, the Gulf Coast, New York and Connecticut. Ascension Health, the parent organization for Sacred Heart, is the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health care system.

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BC: Tell me a little about your background in health care and hospital administration.

SD: I am a registered nurse and very proud of my nursing background as a cardiothoracic ICU nurse. My views about health care were formed early in my career when I worked at the patient’s bedside. I have a passion for the patient, quality, safety and improvement. I have been fortunate to have a number of wonderful mentors in my career who have taught me a great deal about leadership, accountability and the importance of developing relationships with staff, physicians and the community.

BC: What first interested you in health care?

SD: I see a job in health care as a privilege because you have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, and you can touch their hearts with your caring and compassion.

BC: How are the leadership roles you've served in before similar or different to this one?

SD: They are really very similar. The organizations are very different but the leadership roles and expectations are the same.

BC: What do you believe inspired the board to promote you from interim to permanent CEO? SD: I honestly cannot speak for our board, but for me, the decision to become the permanent CEO was easy

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– it was all about the people at Sacred Heart, their dedication to the mission, and their desire to improve the care we provide to the community. The level of pride and the desire to move Sacred Heart forward was very apparent from the first day I arrived at Sacred Heart. The people – the board, the medical staff, the volunteers and the staff are dedicated to this organization and that is foundational for achieving the greatness that is within the potential of Sacred Heart.

BC: What qualities do you believe you bring to the job, and what will you do to continue Sacred Heart's tradition of being Northwest Florida's leading provider of high-quality care?

SD: I have a great deal of passion and enthusiasm for the work I do. I would like to think that I am a servant leader who is a role model for transparency, quality and safety in patient care. I am always looking for ways to improve. Some would say I am never satisfied because I believe we can always do better.

BC: Are there any new and exciting plans for the hospital that you hope to pioneer under your watch?

SD: The new construction on the Pensacola campus is very exciting because it gives us the opportunity to recreate the patient experience. Many people in the Pensacola area have seen the steel framework of the construction under way and the tall crane over the

hospital. By early 2014, we are going to add five floors to our hospital. That includes 115 private rooms, 40 of which will be dedicated to critically ill patients. It is a $52 million project that is creating hundreds of construction and health care jobs. We will be able to add the latest technology and digital medical records systems, as well as more comfortable private rooms. Every aspect of this project is focused on enhancing the patient experience and improving the quality of care.

Beyond the expansion of the hospital, Sacred Heart has the opportunity to broaden the regional presence of our womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services, cardiology, oncology, trauma and orthopedics. So we are focused both on the quality of our care and expanding the scope of the services we can provide to all of Northwest Florida through our hospitals in Pensacola, Walton County, Bay County and Gulf County.

BC: You are obviously in charge of an extensive network of hospitals and physicians. How do you keep track of it all?

SD: The key to managing a health system as broad

as Sacred Heart is to hire great people, people with passion for excellence in patient care. We have to be intentional with what our goals are and hold people accountable.

BC: How long have you lived in Pensacola? How do you enjoy it?

SD:I have lived in Pensacola for less than a year and love the diversity of the community. It has the beach, the arts, the military, the ballpark and the list goes on.

BC: What is your favorite aspect about the city?

SD: I love the Downtown area; the fact that there has been such a focus on rebuilding the Downtown is beautiful. Downtown is the heart of the community.

BC: If there was one thing about yourself or the hospital that you wished the public knew, what would it be?

SD: I love what I do and am honored to have the opportunity to be part of the Sacred Heart family.

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57

IT Tips<

Your IT Tips

By Mike White

Greetings, Gulf Coast business owners! This is Mike White and I am an IT Consultant and partner with Your IT Solution of downtown Pensacola. I will be writing a monthly Tech Tip article for the next couple months for Northwest Florida Business Climate Magazine. I will do my best to give you concise, informative advice without going fullon geek, unless I am performing a diagnostic on your network. That’s when things get real.

As this is my first article I would like to give a bit of credit where it is due: Dr. Raymond Wolf of Pensacola State College, I hope I make you proud.

An IT “solution” is actually a process. It’s a combination of up-to-date hardware, software and duediligence on the part of the “network administrator/neighbor’s kid/nephew/niece/in-house computer expert.” I have seen the luck run out and the nightmares come true. Here is a simple but very important question I pose to you: are you doomed if your in-house computer expert quits?

Most business owners think it would only be a temporary inconvenience when, in fact, the opposite is usually true. Want to know how much you are at risk?

Ask yourself the following six questions: 1. Do you really have control of your network? You should have documentation about your computer network, including but not limited to: critical administrator passwords to your systems and devices, how your network is structured, and the hardware you own and when the warranties expire. You should never allow a single IT person to keep this information under their full control over your network and company. If they suddenly left for any reason, this could lead to huge consequences for your company.

2. Do you know where your backup files are stored and if they are being stored properly? If you are like most business owners, you’re too busy dealing with the “crisis of the day” to think about system backups and probably

leave these tasks to your internal expert. If your database gets fried and your tech is nowhere to be found, you might be in a lot of trouble.

3. Do you have a written plan for restoring your network fast in the case of a disaster? If you don’t have a fully tested disaster recovery plan for your office, you could be at serious risk without ever knowing it until something happens.

4. Do you know where all of your software is stored and how many licenses you own? Bad things can happen to computers and servers, and the situation can be made worse if you are not prepared. Taking a minute to organize and store your software in a secure place can save you a considerable chunk of money in the event that you need to restore a program on your workstations. If you don’t have access to the software or don’t know where it is located, you might be forced to buy the software again.

5. Do you know what routine maintenance must be done to your network? I know that the very idea of learning about and keeping track of all the servers, workstations, and peripherals on your network probably gives you a major headache, but it is important information to maintain. If your in-house expert leaves, you should clearly know who would take over.

6. Do you know how to protect yourself from an ugly security breach if your in-house computer expert leaves and has access to your company’s network? As soon as humanly possible, you should disable his or her access, including remote access to your network and all cloudbased applications.

There is an easy way to keep your computers and network running faster, cleaner and problem-free without the expense of a full time IT staff. Do a little research and partner with a reputable Managed Services Provider.

Thank you and good networking.

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59

>AroundTheRegion

business news bits you should know

Pensacola 19th out of Pitney Bowes’ Top 50 Cities for Projected Growth The number of households in the Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent metro area is expected to grow by more than 10,400 over the next five years, according to a study of U.S. Census Bureau data. This ranks the city among the top metropolitan areas projected to grow quickly over the next five years. The list includes cities like Las Vegas, Chicago and Nashville.

Gov. Scott highlights Navy Federal Credit Union’s expansion Gov. Rick Scott recently toured Navy Federal Credit Union’s Brian L. McDonnell Center Campus in Pensacola, where 2,700 of the company’s employees are based. At a press conference following the tour, the Governor highlighted Navy Federal Credit Union’s continued expansion that will result in 700 new jobs and a $6.75 million investment into the area. Partner organizations that were instrumental to the project’s success included Escambia County 4H, the Greater Pensacola Chamber, Escambia County, Enterprise Florida, Inc. and the University of West Florida.

Holiday Inn Resort on Air Force land expected to bring millions of dollars to local economy The Emerald Breeze Resort Group recently hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for a $25 million, 152room Holiday Inn Resort Hotel in Ft. Walton Beach. The land is owned by the United States Air Force and will be leased to the Emerald Breeze Resort Group for 50 years at fair market value. The lease was awarded after a competitive process initiated by a public request for qualifications four years ago.

Revenue generated from the lease will be contributed directly to the Eglin Air Force Base budget, to help improve the lives of men and

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women living on base. It is projected to open in early 2014.

Two-county region to receive $7.5M from BP fund The Greater Pensacola Chamber and its tourism arm, Visit Pensacola, announced on November 21 that Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will receive grants in excess of $7.5 million as part of the British Petroleum (BP) Gulf Tourism and Seafood Promotional Fund. By collaborating closely with the Greater Pensacola Area’s tourism entities, nonprofits and governmental entities, the Chamber and Visit Pensacola developed strong alliances to ensure a varied mix of grant applications from across the region, thus maximizing the potential and reach of those available funds.

Florida unemployment rate falls to 8.5 percent Florida's unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent in October, reaching the lowest point in nearly four years, the state's Department of Economic Opportunity reports. The state added 14,700 jobs over the month while the number of unemployed Floridians fell by 20,000, knocking the total number of jobless below 800,000.

University Mall to undergo renovation Simon Property Group is taking steps to renovate the old University Mall on Davis Hwy. A slew of new stores are expected to be added to the current land, which now features anchor stores JCPenney, Belk, and Sears.

UWF Business Enterprises, Inc. announces interim leadership On December 6, UWF’s Business Enterprises, Inc. Board of Directors, in consultation with UWF President Dr. Judy Bense, named Dr. James Barnett, interim CEO for UWF BEI, effective immediately. The board

December 2012/January 2013

also voted to begin a search after the first of the year for a permanent executive officer. As interim CEO, Barnett brings with him first-hand knowledge of the current UWF BEI and UWF activities, as well as significant experience with UWF facilities management and development.

Ft Walton Beach Medical Center names new CEO Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, an affiliate of HCA, announces the appointment of Mitch Mongell, FACHE, to the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2013. Mongell brings more than 30 years of hospital administration experience to the role, having served as Chief Executive Officer at Colleton Medical Center in Walterboro, South Carolina for the past five years. His prior experience includes serving in administrative roles in several Florida-based hospitals, including Chief Operating Officer at Atlantic Medical Center in Ormond Beach, Lawnwood Regional Medical Center in Fort Pierce, and Memorial Hospital Jacksonville, as well as Chief Executive Officer at Specialty Hospital in Jacksonville.

New Gulf Winds Branch Now Open in Downtown Pensacola Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce that a new downtown branch is officially open for business. The new convenient branch is located at 400 West Garden Street, on the corner of West Garden Street and North Reus Street. To better serve the members of Gulf Winds and the downtown community, this new, convenient location was recently purchased and renovated. The Garden Street branch replaces the small branch on Government Street and the former office on L Street, which closed after sustaining severe flood damage in June 2012.

December 2012/January 2013

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Ernie Lee Magaha stands by the plaque commemorating the naming ceremony of the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building

Pell and Angela Moore greet guests at their beautiful Gulf Breeze home

Admiral & Mrs. Quinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Holiday Open House

Harry White & Maren DeWeese

2nd Lt. Erin Fawcett, Maria Davis, Nan Harper and Master Gunnery Sgt. Rivera

Escambia County Schools Foundation Lunch

John Hutchinson, Jan Miller, Kyle Marrero

Dick Baker, Barry Cole

Keynote Speaker - Quint Studer

Association of Fundraising Professionals Social

Outgoing board of Association of Fundraising Professionals

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Vete Senkus, Holley Moseley

December 2012/January 2013

Phillip Woolley, Patrice Whitten, Andrea Rosenbaum