The Palm Beaches Kenneth Spillias Talks

Kenneth Spillias

RETIRED ATTORNEY AND FORMER PALM BEACH COUNTY COMMISSIONER AND BOARD CHAIRMAN OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY FILM AND TELEVISION COMMISSION

Kenneth Spillias recently retired after a four-decade career in law and government service. He served as a Palm Beach County commissioner from 1982-1986, chairing the board in 1984. He is the former chair of the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council, Children’s Services Council and a variety of other governmental and civic boards. He wrote two novels, the “Widow’s Walk” series, and a nonfiction account of his family’s experiences in Greece and Germany during the Nazi occupation of World War II.

Q: As the former chair of the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission’s Board of Directors, what was your role in the development and creation of The Palm Beaches TV? As state financial incentives for filmmakers to film in Florida disappeared from the Florida Legislature’s annual budgets, big- and small-budget filmmakers alike began shifting to states like Georgia that vigorously courted the industry by providing the incentives that could no longer be found here. The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission, being legally and financially bound to the county’s Tourist Development Council (TDC) and the requirement to utilize most of its funds to attract tourists, sought a different approach to fulfill its mandate. What better way, thought the leaders and staff of the FTC, than to utilize the film and production skills available to develop a programming approach designed to highlight the varied beauty, charms and activities of Palm Beach County and target them directly at tourists and potential tourists through the medium of television?

So was born The Palm Beaches TV (PBTV), a Film Commission and TDC venture, offering original programming featuring local and internationally known travelers and adventurers, to showcase and highlight all that Palm Beach County has to offer. Showing on its own dedicated station, easily accessed through various media such as Facebook, Roku, mobile apps and in more than 4,000 county hotel rooms (and expanding), this novel approach to informing visitors and potential new visitors of the rich experiences available to them in the county is a first of its kind in tourism development. In conjunction with the TDC’s Executive Director, Glenn Jergensen, Film Commissioner Chuck Elderd and his staff, and the Commission’s Board of Directors, the Palm Beaches TV was born. To date, it has exceeded all expectations.

Q: How have you supported tourism initiatives at the local level? After leaving the County Commission, I served for a period of time on the board of the Palm Beach County Council of the Arts (now known as the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County) while Will Ray was the council’s director. As one of the organizations that benefited from TDC funds, it has grown over time into an outstanding innovator and supporter of culture and the arts in Palm Beach County. In 2013, I published two novels, which qualified me to be an official member of its artist community, and have proudly served as such a member.

Q: Knowing that Palm Beach County has a plethora of assets to engage any tourist, from beaches to outdoor wildlife, golf and great cultural attractions like museums, which asset are you most proud of and why? What became known as the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts was the dream of Alex Dreyfoos and other Palm Beach County patrons of the arts and culture.

At the time, that part of downtown West Palm Beach was dilapidated. The city was struggling with how to improve the area. Alex proposed to me to move the selected site from John Prince Park to downtown West Palm Beach next to Twin Lakes High School. The city was supportive from the standpoint of jumpstarting a downtown renovation program. The county agreed.

As it turned out, the center (named after Henry Kravis in honor of his seven-figure donation) ended up costing $50 million. But as Alex promised, he never asked for another dollar from the county. The Kravis Center provided the spark for the revitalization of that portion of downtown West Palm Beach.