Inweekly jan 25 2018 issue

RISING STARS 2018

Independent News | January 25, 2018 | Volume 18 | Number 55 | inweekly.net | Photos by Greg Riegler

winners & losers

outtakes

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news

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The hair on my neck wouldn't stop standing up.

cover story 11

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Michael Daw

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Duwayne Escobedo, Jennie McKeon, Jeremy Morrison, Shelby Nalepa, C.S. Satterwhite, Stephanie Sharp

a&e

calendar

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contact us info@inweekly.net

Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2015 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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winners & losers

Sprout / Courtesy Photo

winners

SPROUT The two-year-old female golden retriever recently joined The Children's Hospital team as a fully trained and certified facility dog. With the help of her handler, Inweekly Rising Star Julia Humphries, Sprout works with patients and families in the Pediatric Infusion Center, the outpatient pediatric hematology/ oncology office and on the inpatient floors of the Children's Hospital. She comes to Pensacola from Canine Assistants, a non-profit organization based in Milton, Georgia that trains and provides service dogs for children and adults with physical disabilities or other special needs.

STACY TAYLOR Beck Partners announced

the promotion of Stacy Taylor, CCIM to vice president. This promotion is due to his consistent and increasing sales volume, over 15 years of experience, designation and representation of Beck Partners. Taylor has completed over 1,500,000 square feet in real estate transactions and an estimated $150 Million in sales for Beck Partners. Prior to moving to Pensacola, he focused on tenant representation with Grubb & Ellis Company and office development with Workstage in Atlanta. Taylor then formed Taylor Real Estate that led the development, marketing, leasing and selling of office developments in North Atlanta.

PENSACOLA In its third annual study, Smart-

Asset ranked Pensacola as the second most affordable beach town in America. The median home in the Pensacola area is worth $145,700 and costs $850 per month. The top town was Gulfport, Miss., where the median home is worth $116,000.

losers

IAN CHRISTENSEN The Florida Su-

preme Court disbarred the former Jacksonville lawyer who charged sick people nearly $800 for a "patient identification card" he claimed could keep them from getting arrested for having or growing marijuana.

Several of his clients were arrested and prosecuted. Christensen stopped practicing law in 2015 and no longer lives in Florida, according to an affidavit filed with the court last year.

CHRIS JONES The First District Court of Appeal denied a motion by Escambia County Property Appraiser Chris Jones to stay the Court's rulings in Beach Club Towers v. Jones and Portofino v. Jones. In those two cases, the First DCA held that the Property Appraiser's taxation of land owned by Escambia County was unlawful.

In arguing for a stay, the Property Appraiser said he intended to seek review of the appellate decision by the Florida Supreme Court and was likely to succeed in the getting a reversal. The First DCA disagreed.

CARL HIGBIE The chief of external affairs for the federal volunteer service organization resigned after CNN cited racist, sexist, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT comments he made on the radio. In 2016, Higbie served as the spokesman for the Trump-aligned Great America PAC. He was appointed to the Corporation for National and Community Service in 2017 to direct its public messaging. After his resignation, Higbie tweeted that the comments from 2013 no longer reflect who he is.

Stocks. Bonds. CDs. IRAs. Mutual funds.

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outtakes

by Rick Outzen

A SMALL REBELLION In the movie "The Post," Washington Post managing editor Ben Bagdikian says, "I always wanted to be part of a small rebellion."

The newspaper had published the Pentagon Papers in defiance of a court order that had stopped the New York Times from releasing any further articles based on the federal study that revealed the White House had misled the citizens about the Vietnam War for decades. The "rebellion" was that newspapers across the country followed the Post's lead and also published the documents that the Nixon White House fought to keep secret.

Several movie critics have called the "small rebellion" line one of the best movie lines of 2017. I agree.

Pensacola also has a small rebellion brewing. It has been building up over the years in neighborhoods as city hall has ignored their concerns. We've seen citizens protest the state placing its regional parole and probation office near North Hill, the permitting of a Dollar General Store on Summit Boulevard, a Manna warehouse and a ECUA tank on N. Palafox Street, a radio tower being built in a conservation district, construction of a stormwater pond in a residential area and repaving over brick streets.

And sadly, Mayor Ashton Hayward and his buddies at city hall have yet to recognize they have a problem. Instead, they brag the city's Instagram account reached 200,000 #upsideofflorida tags-a genuinely historic

accomplishment worthy of a city holiday.

Civiccon, the public conversation sponsored by the Pensacola News Journal and Studer Community Institute, has been feeding Pensacola's small rebellion. Strong Towns Institute founder Chuck Marohn argued the wisest investment for a city government is in its older neighbors with ideas being developed from the ground up, meaning starting with what the citizens want.

Marohn's views are the opposite of Mayor Hayward's plantation master approach to government. The mayor believes he knows what's best for the city—fish hatchery, Chick-fil-A at the airport, spending the 10 years-worth of gas tax revenue in three years, building an $8-million community center near his home— and anyone speaking out against his wishes is considered a malcontent.

Sen. Bob Graham last week talked about how people can play an active role in the communities where they live. He asked, "What does a citizen need to know to make their government work for them?"

With the Pensacola City Council only meeting one week of every month, the mayor's absence from most meetings and citizens only allowed to speak for three minutes at those meetings, the role of the citizen has been reduced to merely being an audience.

City government working for the citizens—that truly would be a small rebellion. {in} rick@inweekly.net

City government working for the citizens—that truly would be a small rebellion.

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BRUCE BEACH'S PLACE IN HISTORY

By Jeremy Morrison

Bruce Dry Dock Company, Pensacola, FLA. by Charles T. Cottrell, c. 1930.

Photo Courtesy of UWF University Archives and West Florida History Center

The fish hatchery and marine research center slated for the slice of downtown Pensacola waterfront known as Bruce Beach has both proponents and critics. Their conversations typically center on highest-and-best-use or lease specifics.

But lately, voices within the AfricanAmerican community have spoken in favor of the project for another reason altogether: the preservation and recognition of local black history. But what exactly will that recognition look like at Bruce Beach? A series of historical plaques? Or perhaps something more, like an African-American Heritage Museum?

Among its varied incarnations over the years, Bruce Beach spent the middle of the 20th Century as a popular recreation site for African-Americans, who were prohibited from enjoying themselves in other venues.

"That history is really very important to a lot of folks," Dr. Marion Williams, a former Escambia County School District official, said recently, recalling an era when the beach, featuring a municipal swimming pool, buzzed with activity and provided a community with a hub of sorts.

"There was a whole culture that grew up there with the pool," Williams said. "(It was) very successful."

Tony McCray also remembers that time and place fondly. His father, and later his cousin, managed the Bruce Beach pool. It's where he learned to swim.

"It was during segregation. I was 8-yearsold or 7-years-old. They threw me into the water to try to teach me how to swim," McCray said, adding that he later worked as a lifeguard at the pool during college.

The city of Pensacola intends to lease the Bruce Beach property to the Florida Fish and Wildlife, which will operate the planned Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Hatchery and Enhancement Center. The project is progressing, though a lawsuit has been filed aimed at derailing the effort.

During a recent discussion in a meeting of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, both McCray and Williams were among those lauding the project. They contended the hatchery effort would ultimately result in helping recognize an important part of local history.

As part of the project, which is funded with restoration money related to the 2010 BP oil spill, environmental improvements will

PEDIATRIC SPECIALTIES 66

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Congratulations to CO:LAB’s Rising Star

Clancy Bambrick Panton Leslie Trading Post Tan Yard Area / TT Wentworth, Jr. Collection, UWF Historic Trust be made to the property. The project will also mean public access to the beach and possibly a pedestrian bridge to link the site with Community Maritime Park. The city has reportedly applied for an enhancement grant for walking trails and a kayak launch.

HERITAGE COMPONENT

There are also plans for four plaques to be installed, detailing aspects of the property's history. The bid documents for the construction of the hatchery include an allowance of $8,000 for "UWF Historic Signage."

"Just hitting the high points," said Robert Overton, executive director of University of West Florida Historic Trust of the signage.

Overton said the plaques will be a continuation of the ones already installed along other stretches of the bayfront as part of the Trust's Maritime Heritage Trail.

"We did about 10 of 'em," he said. "We stopped at Community Maritime Park, so it's logical just to continue."

The steel signs will be around two feet by three feet. They'll cost a couple of grand each.

"They're National Park-quality," Overton said.

The four signs planned for Bruce Beach will detail four different angles of history: The first sign will address environmental changes on the site, such as the covering over of Washerwoman's Creek; another sign will touch on the history of the Tanyard Neighborhood; a third sign will tell of the site's use by the African-American community; and the final sign will detail the site's use as a dry dock.

Such signage is nice. But, McCray would like to see something more.

"The signage is part of it. It's complimentary. It sets the stage." Tony McCray "The signage is part of it. It's complimentary. It sets the stage," he said, explaining that he thinks the subject matter merits a dedicated venue, a museum.

McCray said that he hopes that the adJanuary 25, 2018

dition of the marine research center on the site will provide the "impetus, be the catalyst" for further developments to occur as well. Specifically, he's looking to the project to open the door for a successful fundraising campaign aimed at ultimately realizing a center on the property and recognizing its place in local history.

McCray stressed that the goal was an informal "idea," or "seed." He described the effort as a "kind of low-profile, unofficial process," but said he had discussed the issue with city officials.

"We have talked about a venue," he said.

"There have been discussions."

Pensacola City Councilwoman Jewel Cannada-Wynn said that she was unfamiliar with any plans to place a history venue on the Bruce Beach site.

"I can tell you that's not a part of it," she said. "There should be no confusion about that."

Assistant City Administrator Keith Wilkins has applied for additional grant money to ensure the project's enhancement aspects won't get shrunk due to budget constraints He told Inweekly that he had heard about McCray's intentions for a museum. He described it as "a cool idea," but "outside the scope" of the project.

"Tony would still like to see that. That's his vision," Wilkins said. "It was never included in any of the plans."

Wilkins also said that the addition of a history venue to the property wouldn't really be up to the city anyway. He said, "I guess in a legal sense, we've leased that property to Fish and Wildlife."

He also questioned whether the site had usable land available for a museum.

"I don't know if there's enough land there or not. There's really not a lot of land," Wilkins said, adding that he did "respect [McCray's] efforts."

McCray conceded that any eventual history venue might be a long shot. But he's willing to play the odds for the chance.

"Now, I grant you we have a challenge in fundraising," McCray allowed, "but I'm not one that looks at challenges as insurmountable mountains to climb." {in}

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TORRENS SEEKS AG Tampa attorney Ryan

Torrens is seeking the Democratic nomination for Florida Attorney General. He spoke with Inweekly publisher Rick Outzen on "Pensacola Speaks" about his campaign.

Torrens is a fifth-generation Tampa native and consumer attorney. He talked about growing up in a working-class family.

"My father is a locksmith and my mom stayed at home to take care of my sister and me," he shared. "I learned old school values, like most of you probably did, about hard work and integrity, and if I did those things, I'd get ahead."

Torrens said his law practice has trained him to be Attorney General.

"In my own practice, I've seen a lot of the misdeeds by a lot of big corporations and banks," he said. "I realized that we needed an Attorney General who was going to fight for our consumers, and so I decided to get in the race."

Torrens explained, "Our Attorney General and that office used to be much more aggressive about fighting for our consumers. People have now forgotten because it's been so bad in that office, that our Attorney General is supposed to be our top consumer advocate."

"People have now forgotten because it's been so bad in that office, that our Attorney General is supposed to be our top consumer advocate."

Ryan Torrens He said the Attorney General must hold large corporations like Wells Fargo and Equifax accountable for their misdeeds. He believes that hasn't happened to the full extent it should under current Attorney General Pam Bondi.

"The people need a champion who's going to fight for them because we know that Wells Fargo, Equifax and all of them already have

their lawyers; they already have their champions. And they've got plenty of politicians who are their champions. Our people need a champion, too," said Torrens.

He has a plan to attack the opioid crisis, which he called "the crisis of addiction." Torrens said, "I think the first step is to have a leader with the courage to hold the big pharmaceutical companies accountable for lying to patients, lying to consumers and lying to the FDA like they've been doing for the last 20 years without being held accountable."

He continued, "They're the ones manufacturing this stuff, they're the ones lying that it doesn't have any addictive qualities, and now so many Floridians are hooked on it or have now turned to heroin and are dying. It shouldn't be the taxpayers that should be stuck footing the whole bill for getting our fellow Floridians into recovery. These drug companies should bear responsibility as well and should have to chip in for that."

Torrens wants to expand our mental health and drug court systems. He said, "When folks come in on charges for drug possession, try to get them diverted into drug treatment programs so they can actually become contributing members of society again and get them out of the grip of addiction."

He has also pledged to not accept any campaign contributions from the drug companies.

"A lot of folks run for office, and they take a lot of campaign contributions from big pharmaceutical companies and they're basically puppets of Big Pharma," said Torrens. "We've taken a pledge in our campaign that I'm not going to accept a penny from big pharmaceutical companies because I want to be the Attorney General who's actually going to hold them accountable."

To learn about Ryan Torrens, visit ryantorrens.com.

SAVING OUR DEMOCRACY The University of West Florida College of Arts, Social Sciences

and Humanities hosted Sen. Bob Graham on Jan. 16 for the inaugural event of the Seligman First Amendment Lecture Series.

When he left the U.S. Senate in 2005, Graham's first commitment was to be with his 11 grandchildren, and his second priority was citizenship.

"I was concerned with some of the things I saw in terms of a decline in some of the essential values of America," Graham said. "In terms of citizens seeing it was their responsibility not just to sit in the stands and watch democracy being played, not just devote every other year (to an election), but to actually be a participant in our democracy."

He felt like government had drifted away from citizen involvement, and he wanted to do what he could to bring back that spirit because democracy was never intended to be passive.

"Before you can be involved you have to be aware that there is either a missed opportunity, something that my community could be doing that would make this a better place, or a problem that is keeping us from being a better place."

Graham said for a long time Pensacola was a missed opportunity.

"I remember Pensacola as a sleepy, southern town with a lot of buildings that even in the 1950s and '60s looked as if they needed a fresh coat of paint and some refurbishment," he said.

"You wouldn't recognize Pensacola of that era with the Pensacola that exists today—a vibrant city, progressively taking opportunities to make itself even better."

He believes the metamorphosis began with public dialogue. Graham said, "Somebody had a dialogue about Pensacola, and somebody through that dialogue reached the conclusion that Pensacola could be an even better place if a number of steps were taken, and then they committed themselves to taking those steps."

He added that for ideas to become a reality it takes citizens with the same commitment, persistence and skills to make it happen. He

said, "Pensacola has clearly gone through that process and is continuing to do it today."

Graham is worried about the state of democracy because of the voting history of younger Americans. In the last presidential election about 55.7 percent of Americans voted. The oldest voters, whom he called the "greatest generation", had 72 percent of its age bracket vote. The millennial generation, the youngest voters, only had 48 percent of people vote.

"Something is wrong that young people don't see the same importance of participation in our democracy as their grandparents see it to be," Graham said.

One of the reasons for the voting gap between generations might be that most schools no longer teach civics. He said, "When I went to high school, I took three one-year classes in civics, and most of my grandchildren have taken zero because their schools stopped teaching civics."

Once civic clubs were great places for dialogue to identify opportunities, problems and chart the path towards reform.

Unfortunately, civic organizations have been on the decline and that also has hurt citizen participation.

"Nationally today, less than six percent of Americans belong to any organization that has a civic mission, and unfortunately in Florida, less than four percent of any Floridians belong to an organization that has a civic commitment," Graham said.

At a recent conference at Yale University, the question on the state of democracy in America was debated, and the outcome of that discussion by that group was a significant percentage of them felt that our democracy would only last another 20 years going at its current course.

Graham said, "If that is anywhere close to reality, we don't have much time to waste in getting people involved in democratic activities."

Congratulations, Brandi!

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Rising Star 2018

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SUNDAY'S CHILD DIVERSITY WORKSHOP Sunday's Child, a Pensacola-based

non-profit organization dedicated to promoting equality and inclusivity, is hosting a free diversity workshop on Wednesday, Jan. 31 in downtown Pensacola.

At a community workshop entitled "Transgender Dynamics in the Workplace," nationally recognized LGBT advocate and corporate trainer Gina Duncan will discuss the vital importance of diversity in the workplace, give attendees an understanding of gender identity and expression-related terms, and identify ways for employers and citizens to make their workplace and community more inclusive.

"With this first-of-its-kind workshop here in Pensacola, our goal is to not only educate and raise awareness about transgender discrimination and inequality but to also leave attendees with a sense of hope," said Drew Buchanan, president of Sunday's Child. "Right now, we're having a national dialogue and we think with that comes education and a greater understanding of issues of diversity and inclusion."

Two identical sessions will be held from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31 at the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center at 117 E. Government Street in downtown Pensacola.

Pensacola-area employers and local nonprofits are encouraged to attend, and anyone is welcome. The workshops are free and open to the public, but seating is limited, so please register to reserve seats. Light refreshments will be provided. Upon conclusion of each workshop session, attendees will receive a certificate of completion.

To register for the workshops, visit sundayschild.org/2018-diversity-workshop/. To learn more about Sunday's Child, donate or apply for a grant, visit sundayschild.org.

BALLOT AMENDMENTS UPDATE The "Voter Control of Gambling Amendment" has enough petition signatures required to go before voters in November. The amendment, financed primarily by a Disney company and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, would require voter approval for any form of casino gambling, an issue now largely controlled by the Florida Legislature. It will be on the ballot as "Amendment 3."

An amendment to restore the voting rights for felons has won approval from the Florida Supreme Court for the wording of its proposal, and is close to reaching the ballot. It has submitted 750,723 valid petition signatures to the state, just under the 766,200-ballot threshold.

Meanwhile, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission's Ethics and Elections Committee approved two proposals for January 25, 2018

consideration by the full commission. Proposal 7, sponsored by former Sen. Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale, is identical to a constitutional initiative launched by Floridians for a Fair Democracy. Proposal 21, sponsored by Sen. Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg), would also automatically restore felons' voting rights after sentences are completed, but it lists more than a dozen types of felonies that would prevent automatic restoration, including such things as carjacking and burglary.

HUSH ARBOR MEMORIAL The Florida

Public Archaeology Network and UWF Historic Trust's Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site are hosting "Admiring the Hush Arbor: Memorial and Remembrance of Enslaved People" on Friday, Feb. 2, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with light refreshments served. The event will be held at the Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site located at 5709 Mill Pond Lane, Milton.

In honor of Black History Month, the Admiring the Hush Arbor event is an evening of learning and remembrance through music and stories, all framed by a traditional hush arbor.

During the antebellum period, a hush arbor was a meeting place, usually secret, that took place outdoors where enslaved African-Americans practiced religious traditions. These sacred spaces were typically wooded and secluded.

Welcoming remarks will begin at 6 p.m. inside the Arcadia Mill Visitor's Center/Museum, and the event will conclude outdoors at 7:30 p.m. Guests must RSVP prior to this free event to reserve a spot, and space is limited. To RSVP, go to historicpensacola.org/explore-arcadiamill/ and follow the event link.

Congratulations to our 2018 Rising Stars:

Cameron Gore Peyton Williams Laurel Woodfin

Voted Pensacola's Best Charity Event and Runner-Up Best Non-Profit!

www.onbikespensacola.org

MARK YOUR CALENDARS The Women

for Responsible Legislation will meet on Thursday, Jan. 25, 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. in Pensacola City Hall, 222 W. Main St. Guest speaker will be Dr. William R. Lile, Jr. Companies from across Northwest Florida are expected to be on hand at the 23rd Multicultural Job Fair set for Friday, Feb. 2, in WSRETV's Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio, 1000 College Blvd. Sponsored by Pensacola State College's Black History/Multicultural Committee, Student Job Services and WSRETV, the job fair is free and will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on the Pensacola campus.

Junior Achievement of Northwest Florida's Mardi Gras Bowl fundraiser will be held Feb. 16-17 at Cordova Lanes Bowling Center located on Airport Blvd. For those who would like to volunteer at Mardi Gras Bowl, help is needed on the afternoon and evening of Friday, Feb. 16 and all-day Saturday, Feb. 17. Call 477-1420 to register a bowling team. The cost is $20 per person. Cost includes lane fee, shoe rental, and event t-shirt. {in} 9

Congratulations RISING STARS 2018 SHANNON REEVES Event Sales Manager The Studer Family of Companies

ALAN BATES General Manager The Bodacious Shops

University of West Florida Rising Stars 2018

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DRIVING CHANGE ON CAMPUS AND IN OUR COMMUNITY

TORI FISH

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010 1

PEYTON LIPSCOMB

Retention Initiatives Coordinator, Division of Academic Engagement

KEATON WEST

Assistant Director for Campus and Community Involvement, Student Involvement

KYREE WHITEHEAD

Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions

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Talent and passion must be nurtured, mentored and encouraged.

In the first five years of this newspaper, we saw some of our best and brightest seek opportunity elsewhere. Local young professionals were frustrated with doors being shut in their face and being told to wait their turns.

During the height of the Community Maritime Park debate in 2006, we facilitated the creation of the Pensacola Young Professionals (PYP) because we knew that unless they were given a seat at the decision-making table, we would continue to lose the talent and enthusiasm of the next generation and Pensacola would become a minor player in Florida's future.

January 25, 2018

The park referendum passed and PYP members were asked to serve on several community boards.

However, we thought we could do more to spotlight the tremendous talent this age group had to offer.

In 2008, we created Rising Stars to help the community put faces to the names of those young leaders seen by their peers, clients and bosses as up and coming leaders in their fields.

Since its inception, over 550 men and women have been named Rising Stars. Several have gone on to seek and win political office. Dr. Megan Pratt was elected to the Pensacola City Council in 2008. Lumon May won the District 3 seat on the Escambia County Commission in 2010, and Clay Ingram, Frank White and Jayer Williamson have been elected to the Florida House of Represen-

tatives. The year, we have even more Rising Stars seeking elected office.

One might think that after eleven years the number of nominations might dwindle. That hasn't happened. We received 148 nominations and chose 64 people for the 2018 Rising Stars class. Just like their predecessors, they have a wide variety of professions—including dentists, nurses, lawyers, accountants, artisans and teachers. We are particularly proud of the number of small business owners in this year's group.

The 2018 Rising Stars class will have a meaningful impact on our community. We look forward to seeing how they help the Pensacola area grow and improve. {in}

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RISING STARS CLANCY BAMBRICK

Operations Manager, Co:Lab Pensacola What makes your job 'click' for you?

My interaction with the tenants and my mentor, Kelly Reeser. I love meeting new people and getting to know them.

I look forward to going to work every day truly because I am always interacting, whether that be with tenants, other economic development professionals, or entrepreneurial enthusiasts.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Say what you mean and mean what you say. If you haven't failed, you haven't tried. Open your heart and let the sunshine in.

What's on your regular reading list?

Inweekly, theSkimm, Southern Living, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur and any topic on TED Talks.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Techstar's Startup Weekend in Pensacola. The concept of having an idea for a legitimate business and then using the next 48 hours to put together a business plan is inspiring. The weekend entails experts in their own field taking the time to volunteer and offer advice. Plus, it's a blast.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I am at home. I was raised here and there's nowhere I'd rather be. We have so much to offer in our community and I hope to be able to contribute to the growth and prosperity of Pensacola.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."-1 Corinthians 10:31

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Being a part of an organization that impacts the city and a church that impacts the world is my most rewarding project.

ALAN BATES

General Manager, The Bodacious Family of Shops What makes your job 'click' for you?

Service. Making those around me happy is something I've been trying to do my whole life and serving others is both challenging and rewarding.

What's on your regular reading list?

The Bible, Roast Magazine, plus anything

by Dan Heath, Malcolm Gladwell and, of course, Quint Studer.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

This growing and vibrant city holds my family, church and place of business. My home will always be right next to my wife though.

KEVIN BOGERT

Director of UF Health/Sacred Heart Health System Programs, UF Health What makes your job 'click' for you?

Reading and hearing about our pediatric patient success stories. Our young patients' positive attitudes and strong will to get better, accompanied by the relentless hard work of our physicians, nurses and staff to reach this goal, humbles me every day and is the most rewarding part of my job.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

From a young age, my parents consistently

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Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I get a lot of joy from helping small and new businesses like Perfect Plain, Bluejay's Bakery, Wild Lemon, Wilfrid's and End of the Line Cafe.

JEFF BERE

What's on your regular reading list?

The Onion, Paste Magazine, Inweekly and Pensacola Magazine.

What makes your job 'click' for you?

Surrounding myself with creative people and environments.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

My daughter and the community we are building with the makers downtown. The sense of community is growing as we provide outlets for others to succeed.

Owner, Losobe Woodwork and Bare Hand Collective

encouraged me to work hard, be honest and to be respectful of others. They also taught me to, above all, be empathetic; particularly in a hospital environment, you never know what struggles patients and colleagues may be facing.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Working on a team to combine the expertise of the only children's hospital in the region, The Studer Family Children's Hospital at Sacred Heart, with the premier academic health system in the Southeast, UF Health, to provide the highest level of pediatric subspecialty to the region's most vulnerable patients.

What's on your regular reading list?

My regular reading list includes the Advisory Board Daily Briefings, Becker's Hospital Review, CNN and ESPN. What keeps you in Pensacola?

The vision and mission of the leadership team at Sacred Heart Health System is the driving force that keeps me in Pensacola.

This leadership team has an unwavering mission to provide care to any and all children in the region, regardless of their financial means.

inweekly.net

2018 What's the best advice you've ever been given?

My freshman high school English teacher may have taught more about life than he did grammar. My favorite piece of advice was his recipe for a successful life: "Live your life with ZGAVIVF and L (Zest, Gusto, Animal Vigor, Intellectual Vitality, Fun and Love)."

KRISTIN BURKE

Interior Designer, Dalrymple | Sallis Architecture What makes your job 'click' for you?

As a transplant to the area, it has been exciting to watch Pensacola flourish over the past two years. Knowing that our projects are contributing to the revitalization and continued growth of the place I now call home is what makes me truly passionate about my work.

IDGROU P BRANDING.CO M

•

85 0.4 38.7 82 3

Our team creates brands that out-shine the competition...

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

It has been a pleasure to work on the interior renovation of the historic Isis theatre into the new IRIS office on North Palafox Street. I feel privileged to work on a space filled with such fascinating history and a client eager to blend the old with the new.

What's on your regular reading list?

I enjoy following politics, health/fitness and nutrition blogs, Mind Body Green, Interior Design Magazine and PNJ. What keeps you in Pensacola?

The beach and warm weather are what initially drew me to Pensacola. The small, tight-knit community rich with the attributes of a larger city is what keeps me here.

Erin Wachtel Stubbs & Danielle Kelly 2018 Rising Stars

Because our team shines just as bright.

My reply: "Nah, I am more of the creative guy." His response was, "Until you think of yourself as a business man, you will not make any money." I would answer differently today.

HURST BUTTS

Creative Director/President, VolumeONE Salon What makes your job 'click' for you?

The creativity, not only of our craft but that of the business as well.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

I was asked once by a mentor of mine if I thought of myself as a "businessman."

January 25, 2018

At idgroup, building people is as important as building brands. We are honored that for six consecutive years, an idgroup team member has been recognized as an Independent News Rising Star.

Congratulations to our All-Star Team!

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Wilfrid's was an amazing project. Watching not only the business flourish, but the historic Blount building and surrounding area slowly come alive has been rewarding.

Erin Wachtel Stubbs & Danielle Kelly 2018 Rising Stars

What's on your regular reading list?

I just finished "The Autobiography of Gucci Mane." I'm also a big fan of Simon Sinek and his "why" formula, Inc. magazine, Fast Company and the New York Times.

Somi Choi 2015 Rising Star

What keeps you in Pensacola?

As much as my career has been about my craft, it has become so much more. Building and providing young professionals with careers that they enjoy in a community that they love keeps me grounded. I also love contributing to the culture of the growing community.

Mariah Singerman Crawford 2017 Rising Star Carly Quina 2016 Rising Star

Kris Poore 2014 Rising Star Lindsey Braxton Shook 2013 Rising Star

A BRAND TRANSFORMATION FIRM

13

RISING STARS What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Love what you do and you will never work a day in your life.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

A quote that was shared with me in a time of distress: "Strength does not come from a physical capacity, but from that of an indomitable will." I read and try to shape my life by that statement every day.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

It would have to be my continued involvement with the Pensacola Humane Society. As chairman, helping to steer the organization to better our community is a reward that can be shared by all.

JOSHUA M. CARTER

Senior, Tax and Accounting Services, Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund What makes your job 'click' for you?

Accounting is a perfect fit for me, being detail-oriented and financially-minded.

In a complex environment, I strive to achieve success by contributing to the success of my clients.

What's on your regular reading list?

Online news outlets, Pensacola News Journal, Journal of Accountancy, Garden & Gun and Inweekly.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

The city keeps me here. As a Pensacola native, there is no place like home.

CAMERON CAULEY

Commercial Realtor/Property Manager, NAI Halford Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc. What makes your job 'click' for you?

The relationships created. Commercial real estate is an extremely diverse environment with a vast array of individuals and companies.

Each deal demands a special amount of care and finesse. The attention required by each transaction is what creates such a strong relationship between my clients and me.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

The "Lads to Leaders" religious conference.

Our youth group traveled to South Florida and we participated in multiple philanthropic activities. We built two homes, fed the less fortunate and created areas for the impoverished to take relief. I will never forget those people and their gratitude. We are truly blessed.

What's on your regular reading list?

Real estate magazines, a wide variety of business-oriented books, memoirs, biographies and anything written by Quint Studer. I also enjoy magazines like Inc., Fortune and Forbes.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

The people and it is paradise. Blessed to be born and raised in Gulf Breeze, I was fortunate enough to have a loving family, great friends and a leading education. In an attempt to relocate, it only took me three days to realize my true home. Pensacola is where I belong.

Powering leaders.

Powering innovators.

Powering the future.

Gerald Ramsey

Power Delivery Support Supervisor and Rising Star

Trang Huynh

Budget Supervisor and Rising Star

MyGulfPower.com 414 1

inweekly.net

2018

Congratulations

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Stay true to yourself.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

In my personal time, I volunteer with Kidz Praize at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church. I absolutely love working with the kids and helping them grow in Christ.

TIFFANY CAYTON

Patient Care Manager, Infant Toddler and School Age Adolescent, The Studer Family Children's Hospital at Sacred Heart

What's on your regular reading list?

I enjoy reading books focused on personal growth. I am currently reading "Grace not Perfection" by Emily Ley and "Leaders Eat Last" by Simon Sinek.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I was born and raised in Pensacola. Being close to our family and friends is important to my husband and I.

What makes your job 'click' for you?

I've always had a passion for serving others.

My job allows me to not only serve children in the community, but also enables me to foster that same sense of passion to each of my staff members.

2018 rising star

Sid Williams-heath January 26-28, February 1-4, 8-11 ’s Pensacola Little Theatre Amateur Production of

of entrepreneurship and knowing that I can handle any challenge I come up against takes courage. I consistently have to remind myself to listen to my intuition and do what feels right and it's never failed me.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I'm working with the UWF Historic Trust on reviving their letterpress exhibit at the Museum of Commerce. Part of that has been restoring a beautiful old press, showing staff how it works and collaborating on educational programs with new technology, which has pushed my creative boundaries in a great way.

CAITLYN COONEY

Owner, Charlotte Mason Printing Company What makes your job 'click' for you?

I have a passion for the history of letterpress printing and how modern culture has rediscovered a deep appreciation for it. Any form of classical printmaking has a rhythm and a practice to it and I find endless inspiration in letterpress as an art form and as a creative outlet.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

To simply trust myself. It's hard to take the leap

January 25, 2018

What's on your regular reading list?

The Pulse for local news, Pensacola Magazine, Inweekly and Downtown Crowd. Skillshare isn't necessarily for reading, but it's a goldmine for advice, education and inspiration.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I'm consistently impressed by Pensacola's culture, particularly the makers community. I try and foster that with Bare Hand Collective, the non-profit makerspace I help manage and work out of. The community has been supportive and commiserates over the need for an interconnected creative network and that's what I live for.

850.432.2042 / www.PensacolaLittleTheatre.com JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLORÂŽ DREAMCOAT is presented through an exclusive arrangement with R & H Theatricals and The Really Useful Group Limited. www.rnh.com

15

RISING STARS EBONY CORNISH

Medical Office Secretary, Baptist Health Care What makes your job 'click' for you?

Helping others has always been a passion of mine. Being able to collaborate with the clinical team for quality patient care is gratifying for me. My current position allows opportunities for growth in the healthcare administration sector.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

To have a servant's heart and treat people the way I'd want to be treated.

ANSLEY CROOKE

Director of Marketing, Logo Motion; Owner/ Esthetician at Ansley Aesthetics What makes your job 'click' for you?

Logo Motion is not just a job for me, I love what I do and enjoy coming into work every day. I work alongside the owner, running the day to day business, gaining client relationships and even getting to express my creativity through graphic design.

What's on your regular reading list?

Currently reading "Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man and Life's Greatest Lesson" by Mitch Albom. Regular reading includes local newspapers and blogs.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola is my home with beautiful beaches and a supportive environment. My amazing mother, family, friends, Greater Little Rock Baptist Church and my sorority sisters of Zeta help keep me motivated to go above and beyond in my community.

Pensacola has helped shape me into who I am today.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

One day when I was overwhelmed at work, my boss advised me to read the verse from the Bible: Matthew 6:25-34. It begins, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life." I printed this verse out and reflect upon it when feeling stressed or worried.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

While at Entrecon this past year, something Liz Jazweic said really stuck with me: "When you permit, you promote." These four words made me focus on and drive out some of the small negative habits I was "permitting" (therefore promoting) myself to do each day.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

This past year I volunteered as the marketing head for the Pensacola Cattle Baron's Ball. I helped with graphics, promotions and the overall execution of the event. The Cattle Baron's Ball was effective in raising over $110,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

My time spent with Habitat for Humanity, as a builder and a team leader, helping local women build strength, stability and independence through housing and assisting Habitat to eliminate the housing issues in our community was some of the most rewarding work I have ever done.

What's on your regular reading list?

As a licensed esthetician, I read a selection of daily newsletters from skincare companies to keep me updated on new trends for my skincare business.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola is so special to me because it is where I was born and place I have called home for 25 years. I have enjoyed watching Pensacola grow and feel like I get to be a part of the growth and development of our beautiful city.

TORI FISH

Major Gifts Officer, University of West Florida What makes your job 'click' for you?

On a daily basis, I get to build relationships and share my enthusiasm for the University of West Florida. Connecting alumni, donors, friends and community members to UWF is an opportunity to enhance the lives of others and the future of Northwest Florida.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Every day I try my best to live by the words of Maya Angelou, "...people will forget

616 1

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I have been blessed to work on many rewarding projects. My most rewarding project has been Project Self. Change begins with oneself and it is imperative to remember that there is always room for improvement and growth.

AIMEE DUMAS

Executive Assistant, James J. Reeves, Esq.; Social Media Director, Deluna Coffee International What makes your job 'click' for you?

My work environment can often be challenging, pushing me to be adaptable and to learn from each challenge that comes across my desk. Not knowing what's in store for me each and every day really drives me to be innovative and to do my best.

what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Being involved in UWF's largest fundraising goal and capital campaign of $50 million was such an exciting time. Traveling near and far to share the UWF story and convincing others to invest in our university has been one of the most rewarding projects I have ever worked on. Go Argos!

What's on your regular reading list?

I read the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed daily, as well as a few lifestyle, social media and leadership blogs.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I was raised in Pensacola and have watched it blossom into the bustling city it is today over the years. I love everything about it, from the beaches to the history, the shopping and the food. Pensacola is home to me and always will be.

daily, along with the Huffington Post and local publications.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Being a Texas girl, I never thought I would start my career in Pensacola at UWF. With that being said, nothing compares to Pensacola's community and quality of life it provides its residents. I love the people, food and the small-town historic downtown. The beaches are pretty great too.

What's on your regular reading list?

I read theSkimm and "Notes from Joana" inweekly.net

2018

Congratulations!

team, stick together, work collaboratively to find meaningful solutions and everyone wins.

Caitlyn

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Three years ago, we expanded our orientation process using a team model for coaching and mentoring new nurses with a focus on the extremely challenging first year of nursing. We have dramatically decreased new nurse turn over. New nurses report feeling well supported and safe in this team environment.

KALA FRENTRESS

Nurse Manager, West Florida Hospital What makes your job 'click' for you?

I am a nurturer. I became a nurse because caring for others makes me tick. In a nursing leadership role, I care for nurses as well as patients. Mentoring, coaching and encouraging nurses who will impact the lives of others is satisfying beyond measure.

A Rising Star Attorney with

Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz

What's on your regular reading list?

"Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni, "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek and "How Successful People Lead" by John C. Maxwell.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

This has been my home for 14 years. The culture, the professional opportunities, the beach are all great and getting better.

There's nowhere else I would rather raise my family, contribute to the community and pursue my career.

and to all of the 2018 Rising Stars!

chard Caitlyn C. Pri Law Attorney at

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Most problems are process problems, not people problems. Assume the best of your

—2018 RISING STARS— What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Be the person you would want to work with.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

For the last two and a half years, my coworker and I have been working on a downtown development geared towards young professionals who can't afford the big, expensive downtown condos but still want to be downtown. It's been one set back after another, but we just broke ground last week.

MEGHAN GILROY-TRIOLO

What's on your regular reading list?

NAR Realtor Magazine and website, Pensacola News Journal, Bella Magazine and a lot of parenting blogs.

What makes your job 'click' for you?

The competitive nature of real estate and because it's 100% commission there is no ceiling. You really earn based on how much time you put in.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Family and my career. Pensacola is growing rapidly and I want to be a part the growth.

Real Estate Agent, A Door Properties, LLC

Cameron Cauley

24 W. Chase St | 850.433.0577 | NAIHalford.com January 25, 2018

17

RISING STARS What's the best advice you've ever been given?

There is no place too big or too small that you can't make a difference in this world.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

The best advice I've ever been given has never been verbal. It's come from watching a myriad of former bosses handle all sorts of situations that has taught me how to run a successful business.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Two years ago, a friend asked if I wanted to help start a new non-profit, onbikes Pensacola. This year, onbikes gave away its 900th bike to a child in need in Escambia County. onbikes is the most rewarding project that I have the privilege to be a part of.

What's on your regular reading list? theSkimm, PNJ and whatever book of the month is on my night stand.

CAMERON GORE

Associate Attorney, Clark Partington What makes your job 'click' for you?

I love helping people and enjoy finding solutions for our clients' needs while learning from talented attorneys within my firm and on the other side of the table. I have the privilege of working for a firm that values its community and encourages me to get involved as a leader.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola is where I grew up. Seeing the progress that Pensacola has made is what keeps me here. I want to be part of the change that keeps Pensacola moving forward. There is still a lot of work to do and I want to be a part of it.

JUSTINE GUDMUNDSON-MCCAIN

Owner/Executive Pastry Chef, Bluejay's Bakery What makes your job 'click' for you?

Opening Bluejay's Bakery has been a longtime dream of mine. Nurturing this business from a cottage food kitchen to a retail storefront has been the best roller coaster of an experience I could ask for.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Bluejay's is definitely the most rewarding project I've ever worked on. I've helped open restaurants and businesses in the past, but growing something of your own from nothing and then watching it turn into more than you could imagine is the best feeling in the world.

What's on your regular reading list?

At this stage, I don't seem to even have time to sleep let alone read, so I prefer anything that's on audio.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I grew up in this area, so I am devoted to making sure the city grows and nurtures other creative businesses in a way that will turn Pensacola into a destination for food, art and culture.

Congratulations to our Rising Stars!

Amanda Smith

Lauren Westwood

Trey Johnson

www.studergroup.com 818 1

inweekly.net

2018 When I first began to market Boneheads, Ron Spradling told me, "Sell yourself before you sell your business." This helped me to know that I needed to meet the people of our community first, not just be a walking commercial.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

For me, it has to be building this business.

I was fresh from college and didn't know what to do. I just did it. It was hard work and late nights, but in the end, when we opened it was rewarding to know that I was able to do it.

KENDRICK HOBBS

Owner, Boneheads Fire Grilled Restaurant What makes your job 'click' for you?

Freedom is what makes my job click for me. The freedom to choose the schedule I want, the availability to work on the task I set for myself. Next would be the ride you get to experience. Winning awards, going to events and getting acknowledged are all very exciting.

What's on your regular reading list?

"The E-Myth Revisited" was the best read I have had in a long time. I also like to read Quint Studer's articles.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Family. None of this would be possible if I didn't have the support from my family. My parents who have been there every step of the way, my wife and kids who have never doubted me.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Concentrate on what you can control. You can't control what happens to you all of the time, but you can control how you react to those things.

JOHN HODGDON II

Financial Advisor, Edward Jones Investments What makes your job 'click' for you?

It is an incredibly rewarding experience putting together a financial plan, especially working with a client on the verge of retirement. There are so many stress factors navigating Social Security, Medicare and not working anymore. When I can help reduce and even eliminate that stress, it makes my day.

January 25, 2018

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I sit on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Northwest Florida. I'm proud to say that I recently I had the opportunity to chair our banner event and fundraiser, Hall of Fame, which raised over $50,000 to put volunteers into classrooms to teach financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

What's on your regular reading list?

Inweekly, Time Magazine, Fortune, Money Magazine and Wall Street Journal.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I actually left Pensacola after college to pursue some opportunities in Orlando. I've been back for nearly two years because Pensacola and its people are vibrant, beautiful and always evolving. Pensacola truly is the "Western Gate to the Sunshine State."

@VOLUMEONESALON 19

RISING STARS SARAH HOWLE

thon, not a sprint. I tend to have a hard time sitting back and relaxing.

podcasts. I do a daily devotional and I read a few orthodontic blogs and journals.

What makes your job 'click' for you?

A person's smile is usually the first thing I notice. I love that my profession uniquely combines science and art in a way that allows me to completely transform someone's smile. I'm very lucky to work with a compassionate team who aims to provide the best care for our patients.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

During dental school, I traveled to Nicaragua on a mission trip to provide dental services to five underserved communities, including a Nicaraguan prison. Prior to the trip, I never realized the extent to which we could impact the lives of others both physically and spiritually.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

My husband and I moved here last June from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I completed my residency. We love living on the Gulf Coast and being close to both of our families again. Pensacola has so much to offer and we plan to call it home for a very long time.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Someone once told me that life is a mara-

What's on your regular reading list?

I've recently been listening to quite a few

Orthodontist, Fishbein Orthodontics

JULIA HUMPHRIES

Facility Dog Coordinator/Child Life Specialist, Studer Family Children's Hospital at Sacred Heart What makes your job 'click' for you?

I have the unique privilege of being a part of the team (with facility dog, Sprout) that brightens everyone's day. Knowing my team is able to turn a tearful or fearful moment in a child's hospital experience into one filled with smiles and peace is such an honor.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Your reaction to a situation literally has the power to change the situation itself.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

When it comes to tough decisions, always do what lets you sleep at night.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

The creation/development of the new Facility Dog Program at The Studer Family Children's Hospital at Sacred Heart. The addition of this program allows our hospital to provide a therapeutic model that blends high-tech medicine with the joy and compassion that only a four-legged friend can provide. Rewarding is an understatement.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I joined the company as an intern and became the first full-time conversion from the program of its kind. I was asked to join the program's leadership team and provide my "graduate" perspective in developing the program. It's been rewarding to see the students that have successfully transitioned to employees.

What's on your regular reading list?

Any/all biographies and magazines (especially Bon Appetit, Rolling Stone, Garden & Gun and National Geographic).

What keeps you in Pensacola?

The heart of our community. The citizens of Pensacola believe in one another, support local and care about their neighbor. I love how Pensacola has managed to incorporate its small-town character and charm into every aspect of its booming growth and expansion. And the downtown scene and beaches are amazing.

KELLY JASEN

Development Director, United Way of Escambia County What makes your job 'click' for you?

I have the incredible privilege of connecting caring individuals and companies to nonprofit needs in our community. Every day is different and brings exciting challenges. I have a sense of purpose, wonderful team and the ability to make Escambia County a better place. I couldn't ask for anything more.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

I am constantly inspired by the words of 020 2

TRANG HUYNH

Budget Supervisor, Gulf Power Company What makes your job 'click' for you?

My current position at Gulf Power is my first role to have direct reports. In the 10 years I've been with the company, it has been my greatest challenge, but also my most rewarding experience to develop and lead others.

What's on your regular reading list?

Most of my reading is energy businessrelated (utility industry, economy and regulation), so when I do get to read for myself, it's mostly "brain candy."

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I moved here two years ago thinking I would be moving back to Atlanta around this time, but the quality of life and the relationships I've developed keep me here.

I see Pensacola growing right before my eyes and it's so exciting to be a part of it.

Plus, no traffic.

Margaret Mead, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

What's on your regular reading list? theSkimm is part of my morning routine. I also enjoy PNJ, Studer's columns, Joan Garry's Nonprofit Leadership blog and Inweekly.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I was able to lead Junior League through an exciting transition where we introduced leadership training and development to our monthly meetings. It was humbling to see key community leaders interested in facilitating our trainings. Having a small part in strengthening the leadership qualities of 200 plus members was very rewarding.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

This community has blessed me with unique opportunities for professional growth which I may not have experienced living in a larger city. I feel like my voice, my time and my support matter and I have the ability to make a difference. The compassion and southern hospitality keep me here.

inweekly.net

2018 What's the best advice you've ever been given?

"Never underestimate the difference you can make."—Quint Studer.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Alongside a determined team with the appropriate skillet and communication plan, we successfully lead an effort to merge IT infrastructure environments from two organizations without disruption to the internal or external business.

TREY JOHNSON

IT Services Manager, Studer Group What makes your job 'click' for you?

Within Studer Group IT, we have a tremendous opportunity to help facilitate technology tools needed to drive meaningful outcomes for those we serve in education and healthcare. Through these outcomes, we improve the lives of others, which is extremely worthwhile.

What's on your regular reading list?

Newsweek, PNJ, Drudge Report and Rick's Blog.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Now is an exciting time to grow with Pensacola. Businesses are settling here, families are settling here and there's more to offer both than ever before. The beaches, Blue Wahoos and our spirited downtown beat that of any other city I've seen.

Congratulations to the all the Rising Stars including our very own Kendrick Hobbs!

10015 N. Davis Hwy. • (850) 477-4002 boneheadspensacola.com see neat places and in return gained more appreciation for others. As an adult, I lean on advice from various leaders that your habits will make or break you and procrastination is evil.

KASEY JONES

Station Admin Coordinator, WSRE, a service of Pensacola State College What makes your job 'click' for you?

WSRE provides a fun, creative work environment and opportunities to develop my skill-sets. I work with a talented team that truly cares about the mission of bringing educational, quality programs and events to Northwest Florida. Pensacola State College and WSRE also support my volunteerism. I have always treasured nonprofit work.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Growing up I was often told, "Travel while you are young." At first, I expected just to

January 25, 2018

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

It is humbling to reflect on the experiences gained over the past year during WSRE's 50th Anniversary. From taking part in vision casting to receiving guidance from volunteer mentors and colleagues, I was exposed to the creative processes of on-air promotions including the production of testimonials and short history spots.

What's on your regular reading list?

I regularly read the Bible, news and my Facebook feed. I also listen to audio books and podcasts on servant leadership, selfmanagement, relationships, biographies and current events.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I value the small-town feel, generosity of so many and the opportunities for continued growth. I continue to meet Pensacolians who serve with churches and organizations that genuinely care for others and are working together to make a difference. It is enriching to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

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RISING STARS used to say, "This day will never be again."

As simple as those words were, they remind me on a regular basis to make the most of every moment and to never go a day without making an impact.

marketing, it is easy to be over connected.

Put down your phone or tablet and make quality time with friends and family true quality time.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Being an idgroup team member, I get to work closely with our Brand On Us initiative. Through the Brand on Us process, we can provide a comprehensive and integrated branded makeover to a deserving non-profit; allowing the organization to better tell and live their story throughout our community.

DANIELLE KELLY Project Manager, idgroup

What makes your job 'click' for you?

As a project manager, I am able to listen closely and put meticulous detail into each client relationship ensuring projects are done on time, on budget and on target. I always strive to exceed expectations for those I work with and for.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Unplug the last few hours of each evening. With a career in public relations and

222 2

What's on your regular reading list?

I enjoy reading books that challenge my perspective on mental toughness and maximizing one's potential. Most recently I have read "Chasing Excellence" by Ben Bergeron.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola is constantly evolving. It has an energy that cannot be stopped and is an incredibly giving community. It's the perfect location to be a young professional, but also a great city to plant your roots and start a family.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I am currently serving as the SunTrust Small Business Movement leader. On a daily basis, I get the opportunity to speak with starts up and small businesses along the Gulf cCoast to give them the tools and resources needed to succeed.

PETE LAUTER

VP-Small Business and Retail Banking, SunTrust Bank What makes your job 'click' for you?

I'm fortunate to say that I work for a purpose driven organization. Every day, my team and I can light the way to financial confidence for our clients and truly make a difference.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

My grandfather, Willard Brown, always

What's on your regular reading list?

I am a big fan of Garden & Gun, Golf Digest, PNJ.com, Field & Stream and anything outdoor related.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

My wife Jane and I would never think of raising our family anywhere else. The passion we have for this great city runs in our veins and has for many generations. I am beyond proud of this city and the strides it continues to take.

inweekly.net

Rising Stars LYNSEY LISTAUT

Director of Student Conduct

MIKE LISTAU

Continuing Education, Recreation and Leisure Coordinator

LAYLA ZANDI

Donor Campaigns/ Reporting Manager

KASEY JONES

WSRE-TV, Station Administrative Coordinator

CONGRATULATIONS

PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE CONGRATULATES OUR RISING STARS

PensacolaState.edu January 25, 2018

23

RISING STARS JESS LAWS

Owner, chizuko

What makes your job 'click' for you?

Everything clicks when I take a step back to observe what's going on in the bar. It's the best feeling seeing everyone having a good time. Mostly I love that people are comfortable enough at chizuko to let loose and be themselves.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

A few years back, a therapist suggested

that I start using a planner. I did and it changed my life. I might be a bit obsessed—I write down even the simplest tasks. I get so much done and it helps me to not feel overwhelmed with my life.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

This first year of chizuko has been incredibly rewarding. The best part about my job is having the means to help local charities and organizations. I'm looking forward to doing even more fundraising type projects in 2018.

RACHEL LEY

Associate Quality Assurance Analyst, AppRiver What makes your job 'click' for you?

I'm a problem solver. It's very fulfilling to see a project go from the early dream stages to something concrete and user-friendly, all while hearing and improving upon the constructive criticism you receive along the way.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

My mother told me to make time to care

What's on your regular reading list?

I read National Geographic and Vogue, along with blogs like Women on the Fence and Emily Ley. Other than that, I love podcasts and NPR. What keeps you in Pensacola?

I grew up here and absolutely love it. It's home. Now, we have one young child with one on the way (possibly here by the time this is published). My husband and I adore the area and couldn't imagine growing our family anywhere else.

424 2

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I'm writing this while sitting at my own bar in a brewery I helped create. This project is and continues to be, the best and most rewarding work experience of my life.

What's on your regular reading list?

The Beverage Journal, The Great Employee Handbook, endless invoices and Reddit.

BRYANT LIGGETT

General Manager, Perfect Plain Brewing Co. What makes your job 'click' for you?

This is the industry I love, the industry of creating exceptional experiences for every person in Pensacola. I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by a team that shares my passion.

PEYTON LIPSCOMB

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Hold the vision. Trust the process.

What makes your job 'click' for you?

In my role, I help students navigate their first year. Often students come to me with an issue or struggle they are facing. During our talks, when the student finally grasps the concept or solution and I can tell they're having a "light bulb" or "Ah-Ha" moment. That's when my job clicks for me.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Last summer, I helped UWF launch the GRIT summer bridge program. Working with this cohort every day, each win for them felt like a win for me. Now, when I see GRIT students around campus serving as leaders and contributing to the community, I feel an immense sense of pride.

Retention Initiatives Coordinator, University of West Florida

What keeps you in Pensacola?

The warm weather. But, also, I've really enjoyed watching Pensacola blossom since I moved here four years ago. It's exciting to have chizuko be a part of the city's growth and I want to stick around to see how Pensacola progresses.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Never rest on your laurels.

for my soul. Whether that's exercising, hiking, reading, or simply doing a puzzle with my daughter, I make it a point to set time aside to intentionally keep myself happy.

It's even written in my planner so I won't neglect it.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Outside of the corporate world, I'm a Certified Labor Doula (support person for birthing women). I work mostly with abuse survivors who are giving birth. I'm not sure I can describe how incredible it is to witness a human being confidently regaining what they feel was taken from them.

What's on your regular reading list?

I like to read books and magazines about food and business. And memes. Lots of memes.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I was born and raised in this incredible city and am so proud of its growth and progress.

I want to continue to be part of that.

What's on your regular reading list?

I try to read daily: The WSJ, PNJ, Buzzfeed, Inside Higher Ed. and articles by and Higher ed. associations (ACPA, NODA, NACADA, etc.).

What keeps you in Pensacola?

What keeps me in Pensacola are my family, friends, a god-daughter named Shelby coming this February and because I want to give back to the community that gave so much to me growing up.

inweekly.net

2018 What's the best advice you've ever been given?

When you first start a job, take the time to get to know the culture and make a point to be the one to reach out and start establishing relationships in order to develop strong working partnerships.

At one of my first jobs, I had a supervisor who told me to view every obstacle not as a problem, but rather as an "opportunity." This has stuck with me and I try to keep this in mind every day as I strive for constant improvement "opportunities" in everything I do.

MICHAEL LISTAU

Continuing Education Coordinator, Recreation and Leisure Department, Pensacola State College What makes your job 'click' for you?

I have one of, if not the only, position at PSC that serves the community by offering programs for students starting as young as preschool age all the way up to senior citizens. Serving such a diverse group solidifies the importance of my position in positively impacting the community.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Our Kids' College program sees hundreds of children ages 6-12. Entering it's 28th year, many children return to PSC as college students.

Knowing that I am involved in building a strong foundation for children to return to PSC is a gratifying experience and is something that I am proud of.

What's on your regular reading list?

I consider myself a lifelong learner and enjoy reading anything that helps accomplish this. I enjoy reading about history, biographies and leadership development.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

As a transplant from Wisconsin, the mild temperatures and beaches definitely have an impact. However, I believe that Pensacola has a lot of opportunity for young adults and there are many good things going on in our community. Pensacola is a great place to live, work and start a family.

LYNSEY LISTAU

Director of Student Conduct, Pensacola State College What makes your job 'click' for you?

My position provides me the opportunity to interact with a variety of students and help them create plans to be successful at the college while also working collaboratively with faculty and staff to provide important resources, activities and training for our entire college community.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Last year PSC held their first Campus Safety Month on campus for faculty, staff and students which is now an annual event.

Being part of the team that planned the events and brought important training, workshops and programs to campus was incredibly rewarding.

What's on your regular reading list?

The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed. What keeps you in Pensacola?

The people, opportunities and the beautiful location. Pensacola has grown so much since I arrived here and continues to grow. I am looking forward to continuing to give back to the area and seeing what is next for Pensacola.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR

2018 RISING STARS!

Lauren Long Baptist Health Care Director of Organizational Development

Ebony Cornish Baptist Medical Group Medical Receptionist

850.434.4080 / e BAPTISTHEALTHCARE.ORG January 25, 2018

25

RISING STARS LAUREN LONG

Director of Organizational Development, Baptist Health Care What makes your job 'click' for you?

I say this a lot, but I truly feel lucky to be able to call what I do my "job." It is a blessing to build relationships, develop others and their teams, as well as serve our community.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

We all make mistakes, but how we deal with mistakes is what sets us apart. When you make a mistake, take ownership and learn

FREDERICK V. LONGMIRE Assistant State Attorney, Office of the State Attorney

What makes your job 'click' for you?

"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against."— Malcolm X. Each day, I am honored to protect our citizens by upholding the law and pursing truth, justice and the betterment of our community.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

KRISTEN MCALLISTER

Member, Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors What makes your job 'click' for you?

I love the challenge of working with various industries and entities. Every day is different for me. I also enjoy working with my colleagues and building a great team together.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

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from it. I'm grateful I learned ownership and accountability early in my career. It helps me overcome the fear of failure and positions me for continuous growth.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I feel most fortunate to be able to build and lead a team that is truly passionate about developing themselves and others. Over the last year, we've worked together to develop a completely new leadership and management training model to position the leaders at Baptist Health Care for success.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference." When I was a child, my mom displayed this prayer in our home.

I still strive to abide by these simplistic words of wisdom.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

While not a project per se, serving as a volunteer firefighter was a rewarding and humbling experience. I was blessed with the ability to help thankful and apprecia-

What's on your regular reading list?

I am currently reading "Daring Greatly"

by Brene Brown. I feel it is essential that I continue my personal growth in order to serve others.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Family. My husband grew up here and his entire family is here. It is very important to us that we have a strong family bond as we begin to expand our own family. Pensacola's beauty is an added bonus.

tive citizens by responding to service, medical and fire calls. It was a reminder of the fragility and preciousness of life.

What's on your regular reading list?

Florida Bar News Journal, Florida Law Weekly, books on leadership and motivational speeches.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Family and friends.

Keep moving forward and don't focus on the past. Also, tackle your largest project first. "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, eat the biggest one first."—Mark Twain

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Best life advice: "Stay positive." Best Construction related advice: "Treat everyone with respect" and "You get what you inspect, not what you expect."

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I have been a part of many professional projects that were exciting and rewarding in various ways, but nothing compares to being a mother. My son has taught me the true meaning of strength, determination and caring for others. He has changed my approach to life, my volunteering and my career.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I put so much time and energy into each project that they are all rewarding to me; it would be impossible for me to choose. The most rewarding thing for me is being able to meet our clients' expectations and develop lasting relationships with them.

What's on your regular reading list?

PNJ, Inweekly, The Wall Street Journal, Journal of Accountancy and Florida CPA Today.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

My family and the love I have for my hometown. I am constantly reminded that I am lucky enough to live where others vacation.

STEPHEN MILLER

What's on your regular reading list?

ESPN, Digg.com, Uncrate.com and anything LSU Sports.

What makes your job 'click' for you?

For me, every day is different from the last.

I love the challenge of managing so many different personalities and working with our subs to overcome issues in the field. Construction can be very frustrating at times, but the finished products are extremely rewarding for me.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

First and foremost, my job and my family. Pensacola is where I was born and raised. The quality of life here is fantastic.

The surge of downtown development has people excited and has brought new energy to Pensacola.

Vice President/Project Manager, Old South Construction, Inc.

inweekly.net

2018 BLAISE MOEHL

Communications Associate, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity What makes your job 'click' for you?

My position at Pensacola Habitat allows me to be creative and work on diverse projects—all while positively impacting our community. It's also important to note that I've been surrounded by immensely talented and authentic colleagues from the get-go.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Can I do two? You can't pour from an empty cup; and KISS it (keep it simple, silly).

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Back when I was an AmeriCorps member with Habitat, I was fortunate to be a part of a week-long blitz build called Build-aThon. During the week, about 100 others and I were able to build homes for three families. The feeling, the people and the experiences are all unforgettable.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Currently, I volunteer with the Guardian Ad Litem. More of a passion I have for the well-being of children not so much a project. Previously, I did a World Changers event in Birmingham, AL, which was hard work, but I loved every minute.

Marketing Coordinator, AppRiver What makes your job 'click' for you?

There are many reasons why my role clicks for me. Here are few that come to mind. I stay busy and I thrive in a busy role. New challenges are always thrown my way, helping me to sharpen my skill set. I work for a company that supports my growth.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

I've been given so much good advice but

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What's on your regular reading list?

Emails, plus I"m currently reading "A Walk to Beautiful" and I gravitate towards any article related to the well-being of children or lack thereof.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola is a city rich in history and entertainment that lacks the hustle and bustle of other large cities. Plus being the third generation to have been raised in Pensacola and to have birthed the fourth generation here, we know and care about many in the area.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Something about Pensacola just feels like home. Since moving here in 2008 to attend UWF, I have been met with a mountain of positive experiences. Being near Pensacola's vibrant downtown is great, but all the friends I've made along the way are what really seals the deal.

The best advice I've received is always be willing to help others and ask for help.

I have learned how important it is to not allow a job title confine you to a specific role. I especially respect and learn the most from leaders who are team players.

the advice I found the most useful would be that "a good work ethic and a positive attitude will take you very far in life."

Plain words, keys to success and can be tougher than they sound.

OLIVEA MOLLAK

What's on your regular reading list?

Inweekly, The Pulse, VICE News, The New York Times, Food52 and NPR.

CAITLIN OKRZESIK

Leadership Pensacola Program Specialist, Greater Pensacola Chamber What makes your job 'click' for you?

At this point in my career, I am constantly seeking ways to broaden my horizons and create new relationships. My job provides this opportunity and allows me to work with individuals on various levels across the professional spectrum. I very much enjoy being able to fine tune my professional skills.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

TALCUM POWDER ALERT

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

My most rewarding project has been managing the Leadership Pensacola program each year. Watching current and future leaders in our community become aware of issues outside of their everyday realm and applying themselves to address these problems and identify solutions has been incredibly rewarding.

What's on your regular reading list? theSkimm, Inweekly and PNJ are my daily reads. I enjoy reading books prior to watching movies they're based on; currently "Murder on the Orient Express."

What keeps you in Pensacola?

As a local, it's exciting to see the continued growth and potential that Pensacola offers both professionally and socially. I believe that Pensacola is heading towards its prime as a city and I intend to be a part of the history and invest myself in the future of this community.

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RISING STARS KYMBERLY PALMER

Charge Nurse, Sacred Heart Medical Group, Pediatric Subspecialty What makes your job 'click' for you?

Having a sense of purpose. I have been given the opportunity to work alongside the most caring, compassionate and committed people, who have all devoted their lives to caring for children. It is incredibly rewarding to be closely integrated into helping navigate families through some of their most difficult times.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

I've been lucky to have great mentors along the way who have taught me about the importance of honesty, integrity, kindness, generosity and moral courage. Integrating these principles into everyday decisions has helped me grow tremendously in my profession.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Sacred Heart Children's Hospital recently launched the new Pediatric Subspecialty Outpatient clinic. We host a large variety of specialists for our pediatric population in Pensacola and surrounding cities. It has been a huge undertaking but has proven to

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

In a now-closed case, I helped craft new theories of recovery for an international client after I mastered thousands of pages of documents, many in a foreign language. Using my detailed knowledge of vast amounts of evidence to achieve success for our client was an incredibly gratifying experience.

CECILY PARKER

Attorney, Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon What makes your job 'click' for you?

The opportunities to constantly improve my writing. Perfecting my writing in the service of my clients is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my practice. I also enjoy representing my clients before appellate courts and practicing strategies and tactics unique to appellate litigation.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

To always have faith. Faith has taken my

What keeps you in Pensacola?

The people and beauty. My parents and sister live in Gulf Breeze and my husband Brooks is an Internal Medicine Resident Physician at Sacred Heart Hospital. The legal, medical and broader communities are very collegial and supportive of my family's pursuit of our professional and personal dreams.

CAITLYN PRICHARD

Attorney, Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC What makes your job 'click' for you?

Part of the reason I became an attorney is because I enjoy writing, but now my job is so much more. Working in mass torts allows me to learn from extremely talented people, solve complex legal problems and most importantly, be part of something much bigger than myself.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

My grandfather told me doors open and 828 2

What's on your regular reading list?

My regular reading list consists of theSkimm, travel/lifestyle blogs, children's books and for local news I rely on PNJ and Inweekly.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I absolutely love Pensacola. Family, an active community, the revitalization of downtown, easy access to the most beautiful beaches and the growth of our pediatric healthcare system are some of the incredible aspects of our everevolving community.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

I once read that you should always be intentional with your time. This has been something that rings true for me when trying to find an appropriate work/life balance. Life requires multitasking but prioritizing where I devote time and energy has helped me find that balance.

life in positive directions that I never would have imagined. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful husband, parents, sisters and family who remind me of this advice often.

What's on your regular reading list?

I regularly follow the Volokh Conspiracy Blog, SCOTUS Blog, the How Appealing Blog and Florida Law Weekly (reporter for recently released appellate decisions).

be successful through its delivery of more comprehensive care for our children.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Raising my three beautiful children has by far been the most rewarding experience/project of my life.

ALEX POWELL

Associate Attorney, Autumn Beck Blackledge, PLLC What makes your job 'click' for you?

Family law can be an emotionally charged practice area. However, I find enjoyment in knowing that I am helping someone walk through what is often the most difficult time of their life.

close for a reason and without them, he would not be where he was at the time.

Because of my great respect for him, I've always tried to think about how to learn from each defeat and also how to maximize every opportunity.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Several years ago, I served as the Florida FFA State President. Through that experience, I became a better team player and communicator, attributes I constantly need in my job. I was also able to travel all around the state of Florida and made lifelong friends.

What's on your regular reading list?

Pensacola News Journal, Florida Bar News, historical fiction and pretty much any other books I get my hands on.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I was born and raised in Pensacola and many of my family members are still local to the area. I think Pensacola has so much to offer and it has been a wonderful community for my husband and me to raise our children. And of course, the beautiful white beaches.

What's on your regular reading list?

I regularly read Inweekly and The Economist. Next up on my book list is "Letters to Jackie," "Hillbilly Elegy" and "Shadow of the Wind."

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola is an incredibly generous and engaged community. I am involved in several charitable organizations and each one is wholly supported by businesses and community leaders. Where there is a need, the entire community steps up to meet it. I don't think that is something you find in many places.

inweekly.net

Studer Community Institute

Calendar of Learning

Better Jobs • Better Lives • Better Communities

Friday, Feb. 9

Workshop

Surviving Social Media in the workplace

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REGISTER: tinyurl.com/ycqumw85

Friday, Feb. 16 Mort O’Sullivan

Retired Managing Member Gulf Coast Region Warren Averett, CPAs and Consultants

Lunch and Learn

Avoiding the Small Businesses Graveyard

$29

with Mort O’Sullivan TIME: 11:30 AM – 1 PM LOCATION: 5 Eleven Palafox 511 S. Palafox St. Pensacola, FL 32502

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All events have a money-back guarantee January 25, 2018

29

RISING STARS GERALD RAMSEY

Power Delivery Support Supervisor, Gulf Power What makes your job 'click' for you?

Working for Gulf Power allows me to help people and solve issues they may arise. I get a chance to work with internal and external customers to meet their needs. Gulf also has a strong community involvement, which allows me to give back to the county in which I live.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

My grandfather told me that you never fail

when you try. I live by that advice and I always put forth my best efforts towards all my endeavors. Over the years, I found out that throughout the sea of trails, tribulation and failures, a pearl of wisdom may exist.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I am a board member for Chain Reaction in Pensacola. We help teens prepare for college through efforts of service projects, writing college applications and resume` preparation. Being a part of our Playing for a Purpose Dinner, which helps fund the teen's membership in Chain Reaction is very satisfying.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Know your worth.

BRANDI REEVES

Owner/Instructor, Wild Lemon; Bartender, The Magnolia What makes your job 'click' for you?

Wild Lemon lets me merge my creative side with my passion for movement and community. Between the studio and The Magnolia, I can socialize and meet people from all walks of life.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

The family I was born with and the family I have made through The Magnolia and opening Wild Lemon. Pensacola inspires me every day through the landscape and the people.

BENJAMIN SHELL

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorney, Emmanuel, Sheppard & Condon What makes your job 'click' for you?

Working at Emmanuel, Sheppard & Condon has been like a dream come true.

It's amazing to work for a firm that puts people over profitability. It is also nice to be a part of a firm that is committed to giving back to the Pensacola community.

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What keeps you in Pensacola?

I love working for Gulf Power Company because of its total commitment to safety, trust and performance. I also love being close to my family and friends along the panhandle. The beaches and the fresh seafood are top notch as well.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

My mom says that "grace and good manners will get you everywhere worth going."

She's always right and this advice will surely always be my favorite.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Opening Wild Lemon. I've been able to take all of the skills I've learned over the years and apply them to open my very own business with two of the most inspiring women I know.

What's on your regular reading list?

Pilates Style magazine, Into the Gloss, everything Katy Bowman has ever written and anything on the Wild Lemon Book club reading list.

What's on your regular reading list?

I love to read books by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Stephen Covey and Bill Nye. I am also an avid reader of the Pensacola News Journal.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Completely clichĂŠ, for sure. But being a mom to our three-year-old, Caroline. This will always be my best, most important job.

SHANNON REEVES

Event Sales Manager, Studer Family of Companies What makes your job 'click' for you?

"To improve the quality of life for the people in our community."—The Studer Family of Companies mission. Everything we do supports that. Every penny of profit goes back into the community and it's easy to be motivated when your work has such a direct, positive purpose.

What's on your regular reading list?

Reading=my favorite. An old, used book is always in my bag.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola is thriving and the community is embracing it. It's such a fun place to live and raise our little girl. Christmas lights and parades in the wintertime. Blue Wahoos games and boating all summer. Good friends, rewarding work, fun things to on the weekends. It's perfect for us.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Hoping and wishing is not a strategy, or at least not a good one. If you want something, you have to work for it. You can't just hope that everything will work out in the end.

than $5,000 to settle my client's case.

That was an amazing experience.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

This past fall, I had a personal injury trial where the jury returned a verdict in favor of my client in the amount of $134,755.50.

What made this special was the fact the insurance company never offered more

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I was raised in Pensacola. I grew up here.

I went school here. My friends and family are here. As the old saying goes, "There's no place like home."

What's on your regular reading list?

The Pensacola News Journal, The Florida Bar Journal, The Summation Weekly and Field & Stream.

inweekly.net

2018 What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Never stop learning and trying new things. If you get the chance to do something you've never done before, do it.

One of my mentors always uses the phrase "Never assume ill will." I think about this in every situation I am put in. It will change the way you problem-solve and ensure you are looking at each event in a positive light to get to the right outcome.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

While I was in dental school, I was a camp as a counselor for children with craniofacial anomalies. It was a lifechanging experiencing to get to know these kids in a stress-and judgment-free environment.

What's on your regular reading list?

I don't really have a regular reading list; it's kind of all over the place.

NEIL SIMMONS

Pediatric Dentist/Owner, Pensacola Kids Dentistry What makes your job 'click' for you?

The best part of my job is taking a potentially scary experience for a child or person with special health care needs and creating a positive experience they can build on in the future to live a more fulfilled life.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola is my home. I was born and raised here, my family lives here and my beautiful wife and daughter love it here.

It's hard to be away from its beautiful beaches and clear water.

AMANDA SMITH

Coaching Division Project Manager, Studer Group What makes your job 'click' for you?

The only thing about my job that stays the same is that there is constant change. It keeps me on my toes and I love that. Knowing each and every day that I, along with my company, are making a difference in healthcare is what keeps me inspired.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I worked on a project to create a certification program for our company. It was outside of my comfort zone and once it was completed, it was so rewarding to see my colleagues complete the program knowing they had the tools and skills they needed to be successful.

What's on your regular reading list? theSkimm, Becker's and PNJ. I love to read for fun, however, recently my reading for fun is children's books to my two-year-old.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola has always been home for me. I was born at Baptist Hospital. I am raising my two-year-old and another baby on the way with my wonderful husband. When deciding where we wanted our children to be raised, it was always Pensacola.

Committed. Collaborative. Responsive. Proven.

These are the pillars of the can-do, will-do spirit of our team. Distinguished in our craft - proven through performance.

Clark Partington congratulates Cameron Townes Gore, and all Rising Stars, on their selection. Cameron’s excellence in her profession and contributions to the community are key factors in Clark Partington’s commitment to delivering outstanding legal services.

Commitment. Trust. Expectations. Elevated.

888.777.510 5 | ClarkPartington.com

Cameron Townes Gore

Pensacola | Tallahassee | Destin Santa Rosa Beach | Orange Beach

Construction & General Litigation

January 25, 2018

31

RISING STARS ALI SONTAG

Recruiting Coordinator, AppRiver; Yoga Instructor, Breathe Yoga and Wellness Center What makes your job 'click' for you?

For AppRiver, I get to know individuals and help find them a path and home within our company. I've always said that I want to be in a career where I'm able to connect with and help others, so this allows me to do what I truly enjoy every day.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Change is an uncomfortable but necessary

piece of any journey. This is something I'm constantly working towards embracing. I often find myself returning to the following quote when I'm in need of a push, "The quickest way to acquire self-confidence is to do exactly what you're afraid to do."

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Professionally, assisting the ITEN WIRED planning committee with the implementation of the annual, local tech conference. Personally, serving as a volunteer yoga instructor for a teen group from Autism Pensacola, which allowed me to offer yoga as a tool to help them deal with everyday life and health obstacles.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

"If you can read, you can do anything" is advice on self-learning I received from my dad, which has proven true time and time again.

NICHOLAS THRASHER Editor in Chief/Chief Technologist, Naval Aviation Museum Foundation

What makes your job 'click' for you?

Having the rare opportunity to support worldclass institutions-the National Naval Aviation Museum and National Flight Academy-that advance STEM education while presenting the history of some of our nation's highest technological achievements and our service members' greatest acts of valor.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

The most rewarding project I've worked on was leading a complete renovation of the Foundation's Hall of Recognition in the National Naval Aviation Museum. That endeavor required every skill set I've acquired and resulted in a modern, inviting display area to honor those whose contributions have made the museum possible.

What's on your regular reading list?

A mix of print and online publications mostly dealing with technology (Tech Crunch, Wired) and aviation history (Naval Aviation News, Wings of Gold, Flight Journal).

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola offers many of the benefits of living in a larger city, without the detriments. It is just the right size, with a deep sense of history, a downtown area that continues to flourish, higher education opportunities and more.

KARLIE TRULL

Sales Associate, Voyage Real Estate What makes your job 'click' for you?

Making the connection between community growth and the opportunity real estate brings to those who will enjoy it for years to come is something that keeps me motivated. From business owners to the newlywed couple down the street I love helping clients invest their lives in Pensacola.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

"You can't change anyone in the world but 232 3

What's on your regular reading list? theSkimm, LinkedIn Daily Rundown, Thrive Global and many, many podcasts.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

My family, job and community are just a few of the wonderful things that keep me here and happy. The beach and lifestyle Pensacola allows for are nice added perks as well.

"The power of vulnerability." In it she says "Vulnerability is not about fear and grief and disappointment. It is the birthplace of everything we're hungry for." That talk changed my life. It didn't make me fearless, but it made me less debilitated by fear.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Hurricane season hit a little harder than usual in 2017 with Harvey, Irma and Maria.

Creating and leading our crisis communications efforts was a little chaotic at first, but so rewarding to help those affected in the midst of troublesome times.

ALYSSA TOWNSEND

Director of Social Media, Innisfree Hotels What makes your job 'click' for you?

People. What interests people, how people think, what people love, how people connect, what makes people smile. It all goes back to the gig. At Innisfree, we create "fun and memorable experiences," and that's different for every person, but priceless to be a part of each and every time.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

One of my favorite TED Talks is Brene Brown's

yourself."—my dad. While we have the power to influence those around us it's important to realize that it starts with ourselves. Put energy into those things that make you better for the world and the rest will fall into play.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Working as the marketing intern for Voyage has been the most rewarding project to date. Being a part of shaping the brand of a young company like this means the world.

Voyage has invested so much into making our community better. It really gives me hope for the future.

What's on your regular reading list?

My Twitter feed and 20 plus lists, Stanford Business Insights, LAUNCH Ticker, motto, Adweek, Sprout Social, TED Talks/articles and poetry. Whatever sparks my creativity and curiosity.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Since the first summer I spent here, Pensacola has been a gold mine for genuine connection and opportunity. I'm constantly finding new ways to engage in and serve the community as my authentic self, which means I'm constantly finding new ways to thrive.

What's on your regular reading list?

I read a good bit of real estate investing books including the classics like "Rich Dad Poor Dad" and "ABC's of Real Estate Investing."

What keeps you in Pensacola?

They say you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. I like to think that there are way more than five young professionals in my life who motivate me to stay here to help make Pensacola a thriving environment for everyone.

inweekly.net

Congratulations to Meghan Gilroy-Triolo for her selection as an InWeekly Rising Star!

Pensacola Real Estate Sales & Development Find out what all the fuss is about:

www.adoorproperties.com January 25, 2018

Warren Averett congratulates Kristen McAllister and all of the 2018 Rising Stars!

316 S. Baylen Street, Suite 300 | Pensacola, FL | warrenaverett.com 33

RISING STARS ALYSSA TUCKER

Director or Development, Episcopal Day School What makes your job 'click' for you?

My role at EDS combines my passion for education with my love of marketing and branding, fund development and events.

It's impossible to have a bad day when between deadlines and meetings I attend pep rallies, host 6th grade advisory classes and tie shoes during snack time.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

A wise Junior League sustainer once advised me to cast nerves aside and "take the

helm." While she was referencing the role of League President, this reminder, coming from someone I admire, has continued to push me to take the lead more often in all aspects of my life.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Chairing the Big Brothers Big Sisters Big Gala is one of my greatest accomplishments. While the funding we received was incredible, seeing how far the event itself has come and having my closest friends jump in to help pull off this spectacular evening was the most rewarding part.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Our Brand on Us initiative is close to every idgroup team member's heart, including my own. Each year we provide an integrated brand makeover for one deserving not-for-profit.

This process empowers the organization and increases their impact on our community.

Digital Manger, idgroup

What makes your job 'click' for you?

As a digital manager, my job is constantly changing and evolving. What worked a year ago may not work today. You have to always be learning and adapting to create the best results for clients. This ever-changing cycle keeps me on my toes and never bored.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Don't chase the money, chase the experi-

What's on your regular reading list?

At work, HubSpot, Moz and CoSchedule blogs are my go-to. At home, you'll find me in a hammock with a historical fiction book in hand.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I grew up in Pensacola and then moved away for 10 years. In that time, I lived in seven other states and visited many more, but at the end of the day, Pensacola was always home. I am proud of our beautiful growing community and excited to see what's next.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I'm a born and raised Pensacolian and my roots here keep me steady, but the growth I have witnessed and been a part of in our community are the reasons I can't imagine leaving. The enthusiasm towards continuing to improve my hometown is contagious.

Pensacola's future is bright.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

The best advice that I've been given is that you're always interviewing. Every interaction that you have could potentially lead to a new opportunity. When you are diligent, a team player and do good work, people notice. It's important to always work hard and put your best foot forward.

ence. When it comes to any profession, you'll be happier in what you do when you like who you do it with. Find a company with passionate people and people who you truly enjoy working with. That experience is always worth it.

ERIN WACHTEL STUBBS

What's on your regular reading list?

Trending Twitter topics are my fun way to begin processing the news, but the PNJ and NYT apps capture most of my morning.

KEATON WEST

Assistant Director for Campus and Community Involvement, University of West Florida What makes your job 'click' for you?

I love that no two days in my role are the same. Working on a college campus is so exciting and there are always opportunities to try new things. My favorite part of my job is working with our students. I really enjoy advising student boards because I get to teach and challenge them and they do the same for me.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

The most rewarding project I have worked on is revamping our student organizations registration and renewal process. It can be confusing to students and I am really proud of how we have improved our communication and streamlined the process.

What's on your regular reading list?

Inside Higher Education, the Chronicle of Higher Education and a variety of health and fitness blogs.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola is such a special place. It has grown so much over the past several years and I really believe that Pensacola has something for everyone. What keeps me in Pensacola is the constant growth, the beach, downtown, UWF and the people.

MARCH 9, 2018 UWF Conference Center Pensacola, FL Free conference featuring successful women in leadership including:

Dr. Eman El-Sheikh

Kara Cardona

Susan Story

Amie Remington

Mollye Vigodsky

Hosted by

Executive Mentor Program

850.474.3239 | executivementor@uwf.edu

Join Rick Outzen guest host of Pensacola Speaks weekdays at 5pm

REGISTER TODAY! Seating is limited. Visit uwf.edu/womeninleadership to register online.

434 3

inweekly.net

2018 What's the best advice you've ever been given?

K.I.S.S. ("Keep it simple, stupid"). This minimalist principle never goes out of style.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

It's a unique position I'm in where I get to witness the impact of my work daily. Every day I feel a sense of pride in what I do and you can't ask for anything more rewarding than that.

LAUREN WESTWOOD

Graphic Designer, Studer Group

What makes your job 'click' for you?

Being the in-house graphic designer at Studer Group allows me the opportunity to collaborate with my incredibly creative colleagues on projects that are making a difference and impacting both patients and employees in the healthcare industry daily.

What's on your regular reading list?

Anything about design, marketing, parenting, travel, cooking and home remodeling.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Much of my family is local and this city is blossoming. Having witnessed the evolution of Pensacola over the past 25 years, there is nowhere else I'd rather raise my two boys. I'm so grateful to have found a job that I love here in town.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

The best advice I've ever been given is to "just finish." No matter how long it takes, no matter how hard it is, no matter what it is. If I begin something, make sure I get to a place where I consider it finished.

KYREE WHITEHEAD

Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions, University of West Florida What makes your job 'click' for you?

As I was given the opportunity to attend a college and pursue my dreams (something I never thought I'd be able to do), I use my job now to assist those who have not been given similar opportunities to reach their maximum potential.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Working in Undergraduate Admissions, the best projects I've worked on have been working with students to meet their goals.

I've had multiple students over the years come to visit me before their graduation and that is the most rewarding feeling.

What's on your regular reading list?

I'm a news junkie more than anything else, so I'm often reading and searching for NPR stories and TED Talks. Comics are a close second.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I came to Pensacola to try something new and with each year I've been given new opportunities and projects to fill the time. As long as there is something that I feel I can continue to grow from in Pensacola, I'm happy to stay.

All Tickets $10 February 3, 2018 | 7:30 p.m.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF PENSACOLA

Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) Overture “Hai gia vinta la causa” from Le nozze di Figaro

Featuring Jerome Shannon, Guest Conductor Pensacola Opera Artists-in-Residence Evelyn Saavedra, Soprano

“Dove sono” from Le nozze di Figaro

Camille Sherman, Mezzo-Soprano

“Il mio tesoro in tanto” from Don Giovanni

Brent Hetherington, Baritone

Eric Dean Wassenaar, Tenor

“Parto, parto” from La clemenza di tito Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385 “Haffner Symphony”

850.435.2533 | WWW.PENSACOLASYMPHONY.COM January 25, 2018

35

RISING STARS truth and bringing a genuine energy to the table ensures consistency and integrity in all that you do.

you don't like something unless you try it."

Growing up he was just trying to get us to eat lima beans, but it means more now. I'll try new friends, social scenes and even jobs until I find where I'm truly happy.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Since joining PLT, I've tried to take us from "community theatre" to "the community's theatre," giving back the same support we receive from the community. Using our performances as platforms for other non-profits, local charities and educational programs give us all a louder voice, which is win-win in my book.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I am a director for onbikes Pensacola. It's a local charity where our aim is to provide every underprivileged child with a bike, helmet and lock. It's truly incredible to be a part of something so great and to see our community come together like it does.

PEYTON WILLIAMS

Owner, Whisk; Substitute teacher for Santa Rosa and Escambia County What makes your job 'click' for you?

With my business, I am able to not only use my creative side, but I'm able to make people happy. When I'm teaching, I get to connect with people on a different level and truly make a difference.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Dad always taught us, "You don't know that

What's on your regular reading list?

I'm currently rereading the Harry Potter series.

I feel like each time I read them I find new insight to life's problems and trepidations.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

My family is my support system and even my taste testers at times. I am extremely fortunate to be so close with them and to be able to be with them whenever I can.

SID WILLIAMS-HEATH

Executive Director, Pensacola Little Theatre What makes your job 'click' for you?

Bringing creativity not only onto the stage, but also into our business strategies is what makes PLT "click" for me. I'm surrounded by personality and creativity daily from all ends and it reflects in our community outreach.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

"Authenticity is key." I believe that both your work and your lifestyle should reflect your originality and purpose. Living your

What's on your regular reading list?

The New York Times, Huffington Post, WSJ, PNJ, Inweekly, Pensacola Magazine, Downtown Crowd, Southern Living, Garden & Gun and an ever-changing book on the nightstand.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

After stints in Savannah and NYC, my husband and I returned to Pensacola in awe of its growth and it's just beginning. We're excited to be part of that growth and offer our insight to keep that progression steady as we settle into our personal and professional lives here.

F R I D AY , F E B R U A R Y 9 – W E D N E S D AY , F E B R U A R Y 1 4

Valentine’s Day B MAKE IT SPECIAL AT OUR HOUSE

Celebrate early! From Friday, February 9, through Tuesday, February 13, we’ll be offering Valentine’s Day specials throughout each day as well as serving from our standard menus. On Valentine’s Day, Wednesday, February 14, Chef Billy Ballou will offer a special feature with lunch service from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., and two dinner features with dinner service beginning at 3 p.m. In addition, our current lunch and dinner menus will be available.

For details, visit fishhousepensacola.com.

(850) 470-0003 · 600 S. BARRACKS ST. · OPEN DAILY 11 A.M. 636 3

inweekly.net

2018 advice of not dwelling on it, learning from it and performing better in the future.

has always been one of my favorites. It's a simple reminder to work hard, but do not stress about the things out of my control.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

Preparing for donor events and raising money for students needing financial help is extremely rewarding. It's great knowing I have a part in helping students get their education and find their potential.

Tell us about the best/most rewarding project you've ever worked on.

I recently joined the team of onbikes Pensacola, a local nonprofit that works to provide a new bike and helmet to every child along the Gulf Coast. I am so proud to be a part of this awesome group of young adults making a difference in our community.

LAUREL WOODFIN Marketing Manager, Great Southern Restaurants

What makes your job 'click' for you?

I love that I have the opportunity to be creative. The marketing field is constantly evolving, so I am constantly learning and challenging myself with new project ideas.

It is never boring.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

"Do your best and God will do the rest"

What's on your regular reading list?

Social media, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post and online local news sources. I also stay pretty entertained by the memes my sisters send me daily.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

I moved back to Pensacola right after college (which was best decision of my life) and I cannot imagine living anywhere else.

My family and friends are the most important reason, but I also love Pensacola's rich history, growing downtown and, of course, the beach.

LAYLA ZANDI

Donor Campaigns/Reporting Manager, Pensacola State College What makes your job 'click' for you?

Being able to interact and build trusting relationships with donors to help provide scholarships for students and better serve the community.

What's on your regular reading list?

I enjoy reading non-fiction and leadership/ motivational books, but Pensacola News Journal is a daily reading must to stay current on what's happening in the community.

What keeps you in Pensacola?

Pensacola is a growing city with a smalltown charm. The weather is wonderful, the people are kind and friendly and there are fun and exciting things happening on a regular basis.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Everyone makes mistakes. I try to take the

Congratulations

Aimee Dumas and the rest of the 2018 Rising Stars! —From your fun-seeking co-workers!

January 25, 2018

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838 3

inweekly.net

WEEK OF JANUARY 25-31

Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...

A Timeless Classic

By Jennie McKeon

"It's beautiful, tragic, engaging and human."

That's how Director Josh Borths describes "Madama Butterfly," the upcoming show from Pensacola Opera.

From composer Giacomo Puccini, follows the story of a young Japanese geisha, Madama Butterfly, otherwise known as Cio-Cio San, and her love for an American naval officer, Lt. Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton. When it premiered in Milan in 1904, it was poorly received, but more than a century later it is regarded as one of the classic operas and Puccini's operatic masterpiece.

The opera has been performed on stages all over the world and will open Pensacola Opera's 35th season. But Borths said it doesn't matter how many times you may have seen the opera before. There's always something new to discover.

"Every time I direct a production, I treat it like it's the first time that any of us—including the audience—are approaching the piece," he said. "With that in mind, we've already made several discoveries that will color this production and make it feel fresh and visceral."

While "Madama Butterfly" will still be recognizable to the fans, Borths said they will also be digging deeper into the backstory and psychological trauma of Butterfly in a way that is very different.

As beloved as the opera is, it could be a load of pressure for performers and crew to present "Butterfly" as audiences may expect to see it. But Borths doesn't feel pressure to stay within the confines of tradition; instead, he believes it is an "inherently modern experience."

"Personally, I love an informed and passionate audience, and I am aware of the

100-year-old performance tradition of the opera," he added. "However, every time audiences sit in a theater to watch a piece of theater, it is inherently contemporary. It is inherently a modern experience, even if they are wearing gorgeous period costumes. I always promise to honor what has come before me, and I hope audiences are open to new ideas, new resonances, and new ways of approaching a beloved work. It's a two-way street."

John Riesen, who will be performing the part of Lt. Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, said he can see both the challenge and the advantage of working on a classic such as "Butterfly." On one hand, he said, there are a lot of recordings, books and performers to glean from.

"However, that means that there is an added level of scrutiny and expectation to such a show that can prove to add several layers of challenges," he added.

Riesen almost became a professional baseball player before he was introduced to opera singing.

"I was introduced to opera singing and quickly fell in love and saw the similarities between pitching and singing," he said.

He has been performing professionally for five years. This is his first time performing Pinkerton, but not his first with tragic love stories.

"I've had experience with other classic 'emotionally-heavy stories' such as 'Romeo et Juliette' by Gounod, 'La Traviata' by Verdi, and of course the most similar 'La Boheme' by Puccini," he said. "In my opinion, it is an absolute joy to work on such pieces of art. There are so many facets to prepare, and the outcome is hugely reward-

ing, particularly when you truly invest in the emotions of the piece and ride that wave through to the end."

Riesen first heard the music of "Butterfly" six years ago as a chorister at Chautauqua Opera. Like so many others, the opera had a lasting effect on him.

"The hair on my neck wouldn't stop standing up," he said. "Moment after moment I was blown away by the musical language and recurring thematic material. I think, that in the case of 'Madama Butterfly,' the tragic elements of the plot actually add to the power of the music because themes that were originally 'loving' or 'passionate' return at the end in stunning and heart-breaking ways.

There isn't a moment of this opera that I would ever see cut, and that is not usually the case."

Riesen said the entire Act One love scene between Pinkerton and Butterfly is his favorite to perform.

"It's hands-down the most stunning music I've ever had the pleasure of working on," he said. "Start to finish it is gorgeous."

Opera companies, like Pensacola Opera, work very fast with performers flying in with just a week or so to rehearse with the cast and crew. However, it's within that whirlwind that "theatrical magic happens," Borths said.

"For me, everything only comes together on opening night," he added. "Even if everything is going well, we need an audience to communicate with. We need someone to listen to your story, and that

is when everything comes together. Nothing is better than that."

No matter how many times they may have heard the music, Riesen said he hopes everyone in the audience responds to the music of "Madama Butterfly" the same way he did six years ago.

"The music of this opera uplifted my spirits, even with the tragic ending," he said. "I would love for the audience to experience what I felt the first time I saw this masterpiece—awe, appreciation, joy, reflectiveness, and enjoy the moments to cry with Cio-Cio San." {in}

MADAMA BUTTERFLY

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26 and 2 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 28 WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox COST: $30-$120 DETAILS: pensacolaopera.com

ADDITIONAL EVENTS: OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION

WHEN: 10:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26 WHERE: Saenger Theatre event room immediately following the production COST: $40-$50

DIRECTOR'S CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH

WHEN: 11:45 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 28 WHERE: Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox COST: $50

Adoption • Paternity • Dependency/DCF Hearings Prenuptial Agreements • Postnuptial Agreements Divorce • Child Custody and Timesharing Child Support • Child Support Modifications Alimony • Collaborative Divorce • Divorce Mediation • Pre-Suit Family Law Mediation

127 Palafox Place Suite 100 (850)466-3115 autumnbeckblackledge.com January 25, 2018

39

calendar MADAMA BUTTERFLY RECEPTION 10:30 p.m. $40-$50. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolaopera.com

SATURDAY 1.27

SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1

p.m. Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road.

PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques. Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com NAMASTAY FOR THE BEER 10-11 a.m. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco FAMILIES COOK: BRUNCH FROM THE PCK WINTER GARDEN 11 a.m. $50. Pensacola

Futurebirds / Photo by Jason Thrasher

THURSDAY 1.25

FRIDAY 1.26

Cinema Art, Voices of Pensacola Building, 117 E. Government St. pensacolacinemaart.com AWM WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. aragonwinemarket.com

tional Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org

'STRONGER' SCREENING 1 p.m. $5. Pensacola

PILATES MAT 1:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man EducaGREAT SOUTHERN WINTER RESTAURANT WEEK 5 p.m. Through Jan. 28. Three-course

6:30-9 p.m. $10. Salsa, Cha Cha, Bachata and more. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com

meal for $33. The Fish House, Jackson's Steakhouse, Atlas, 5 Sisters Blues Cafe. greatsouthernrestaurants.com WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. HAPPY HOUR COOK OUTS 5 p.m. Drink specials, free cookout. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com DATE NIGHT DANCING 6:30-8 p.m. $15. Learn the basics of several romantic ballroom and country dance styles in group classes that keep partners together. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftfl.com CROWN THE EMPIRE 6:30 p.m. $16-$18. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com OPEN MIC 7-11 p.m. Single Fin Cafe, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook.com/singlefincafe ICE FLYERS VS. HUNTSVILLE HAVOC 7:05 p.m. $15-$29. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

FMWESTON AUDUBON SOCIETY'S MONTHLY PRESENTATION 7-9 p.m. Free. Pensacola State

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT 7:30 p.m. $33. Pensacola Little

GREAT SOUTHERN WINTER RESTAURANT WEEK 5 p.m. Through Jan. 28. Three-course

meal for $33. The Fish House, Jackson's Steakhouse, Atlas, 5 Sisters Blues Cafe. greatsouthernrestaurants.com MEDITATION FOR PLANETARY PEACE 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org V. PAUL'S COOKING CLASS 6-8 p.m. $39 per person. $2 house wines and domestic beers. V. Paul's Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox. vpauls.com SOGOURMET COOKING CLASS: MINI CHEESECAKES 6-8 p.m. $64.50. SoGourmet, 407-D S.

Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com

SELECT LATIN DANCE LESSONS AND PARTY

College, Bldg. 21, Room, 2142, 1000 College Blvd. Guests welcome. FMWAudubon.org FUHC FOOD AND COAT DRIVE 7 p.m.- midnight. $5-$8. All food/water donations go to Food Not Bombs, proceeds to go to Florida Homelessness Action Coalition. chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. facebook.com/chizukopensacola 040 4

Cooks Kitchen, 3670 Barrancas Ave. pensacolacooks.rezclick.com WISDOM OF MYTH 11 a.m.-noon. Free lecture, public invited. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. JUNIOR HUMANE SOCIETY ADOPTION 12-4 p.m. PetSmart, 6251 N. Davis Highway. pensacolahumane.org NATURAL HEALING/CANCER STUDY 1:303:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SPIRITS AND CIGARS TASTING EVENT 3-5 p.m. $25. O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox. orileyspub.com

Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com MADAMA BUTTERFLY 7:30 p.m. $27-$112.

Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com AFTER GAME SKATE 9:30 p.m. $9-$12. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

SEVILLE QUARTER CHILI COOK OFF 4-7

p.m. $10 at the door. Proceeds benefit Five Flags Sertoma Club. Seville Quarter, 130 W. Government St. sevillequarter.com

GREAT SOUTHERN WINTER RESTAURANT WEEK 5 p.m. Through Jan. 28. Three-

course meal for $33. The Fish House, Jackson's Steakhouse, Atlas, 5 Sisters Blues Cafe. greatsouthernrestaurants.com FELLY 7 p.m. $17-$60. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com ICE FLYERS VS. HUNTSVILLE HAVOC 7:05 p.m. $15-$29. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com SWERVE DANCE FEAT. EMERALD COAST DANCE CONSERVATORY 7:30 p.m. Pensaco-

la State College Ashmore Auditorium, 1000 College Blvd. pensacolastate.edu

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT 7:30 p.m. $33. Pensacola Little

Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com DANCE PARTY 8-midnight. Partner dancing on the best wood dance floor in the area.

DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com AFTER GAME SKATE 9:30 p.m. $9-$12.

Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

SUNDAY 1.28

WAKE UP HIKE 7 a.m. Meet at Bay Bluffs

Park, Scenic Highway at Summit Ave., for a brisk one to two-hour walk with brunch to follow at an area restaurant. for more listings visit inweekly.net

Coats for a Cause

Pensacola has two upcoming opportunities to make sure no one goes without a warm coat this winter.

FUHC Fest (Feeding the Urban Homeless Community) will hold its FUHC Can and Coat Drive at chizuko on Thursday, Jan 25. Organizer Bubbs Harris said that the event is a warm-up, pun fully intended, for FUHC Fest 2018, also at chizuko on Friday, Aug. 17 and Saturday, Aug. 18.

To participate, bring a nonperishable food item or a gently used coat to be donated to Food Not Bombs and local homeless organizations. Proceeds from the night will also be donated to the Florida Homelessness Action Coalition. Hosted by Wiley Farrar of the Deadbeats of Comedy, the event will feature local bands Paracosm, Vessel and Losing Equilibrium; and comedians Brynne Mac, Ryan Pfeiffer, Joey Livingston, Carol Rivers and Compton Smith.

Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT) is also offering a special ticket deal for its production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Donate a coat for the Gulf Coast Kid's House through Feb. 11 and receive a 10 percent discount on a full price adult ticket. Donations can be turned in at the PLT box office from 12-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. {in}

FUHC CAN AND COAT DRIVE

WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25 WHERE: chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. COST: $5-$8 DETAILS: facebook.com/fuhctheworld

PLT "DREAMCOAT" DONATIONS

WHERE: PLT box office, 400 S. Jefferson St. DETAILS: pensacolalittletheatre.com

inweekly.net

January 25, 2018

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DIFFERENCE MAKERS

UWF LUNA SETTLEMENT PROJECT HONORED

The University of West Florida Division of Anthropology and Archaeology recently received the 2018 Daniel G. Roberts Award for Excellence in Public Historical Archaeology for the Tristan de Luna y Arellano project.

"Our Luna Project team has been working for several decades, first on the shipwrecks and recently on the settlement, to explore archaeological traces of Luna's ships and colonists after a hurricane destroyed the colony's food supplies, and left the survivors stranded on the shores of Pensacola Bay from 1559 to 1561," said Dr. Elizabeth Benchley, director of the Division of Anthropology and Archaeology and the Archaeology Institute.

"From the beginning, we have reached out to Pensacolians to share our findings through lectures, websites, tours, and hands on opportunities, as we piece together this important story. We are indebted to the support and interest from the community, and especially the Luna neighbors who have allowed us to excavate in their yards. We are very honored to receive this prestigious award for Excellence in Public Historical Archaeology from the Society for Historical Archaeology."

The award recognizes the efforts of a large team of faculty, staff, and students from the UWF Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, which includes the Department of Anthropology, the Archaeology Institute, the Florida Public Archaeology Network and Marine Services Center at UWF. The team has been studying the shipwrecks and land settlement linked to the 16th-century Spanish expedition led by Don Tristรกn de Luna y Arellano from Veracruz, Mexico to modern-day Pensacola, marking the earliest multi-year European settlement in the U.S. The Roberts Award, one of the SHA's top four annual honors, was created and endowed by the staff of John Milner Associates Inc., now part of Commonwealth Heritage Group Inc., to recognize and honor their colleague Daniel G. Roberts, one of the pioneers in public historical archaeology, particularly within a heritage management framework. Public archaeology entails a commitment to broad dissemination of the lessons learned from archaeology and the importance of preserving the archaeological record. The award recognizes outstanding, sustained accomplishments in public historical archaeology by individuals, educational institutions, for-profit or non-profit firms or organizations, museums, government agencies and private sponsors.

For more information about the Luna Expedition, visit uwf.edu/luna.

Sponsored by The Studer Family 242 4

inweekly.net

news of the weird WAIT, WHAT? Ikea has taken advertising in a whole new direction with its recent print ad for a crib. The ad, which appears in the Swedish magazine Amelia, invites women who think they might be pregnant to urinate on the paper to reveal a discounted price. "Peeing on this ad may change your life," the ad reads at the top of the page. "If you are expecting, you will get a surprise right here in the ad." Adweek reported that the agency behind the gimmick adapted pregnancy test technology to work on a magazine page.

RECURRING THEMES In more extreme weather news from Australia, The Daily Telegraph reported on Jan. 8 that record high temperatures near Campbelltown had killed more than 200 bats, found on the ground or still hanging in trees. Cate Ryan, a volunteer with WIRES, an Australian wildlife rescue organization, came across the flying foxes and put the word out for volunteers to bring water to rehydrate the bats that were still alive. "I have never seen anything like it before," Ryan said.

"Ninety percent of the (dead) flying foxes were babies or juveniles."

BRIGHT IDEA Chris McCabe, 70, of Totnes, England, escaped a frigid death thanks to his own quick thinking on Dec. 15. McCabe owns a butcher shop, and he had entered the walk-in freezer behind the shop when the door slammed behind him. Ordinarily that wouldn't be a problem, as a release button inside the freezer can open the door. But the button was frozen solid. So McCabe looked around the freezer and saw the shop's last "black pudding," or blood sausage, which he used as a battering ram to unstick the button. "They are a big long stick that you can just about get your hand around," McCabe told the Mirror. "I used it like the police use battering rams to break door locks in. Black pudding saved my life, without a doubt." He believes he would have died within a half-hour in the -4-degree freezer.

FAMILY VALUES Alyce H. Davenport, 30, and Diron Conyers, 27, of Southbridge, Massachusetts, couldn't make it to the funeral of Audra Johnson, Davenport's mother, on Jan. 5 because they were busy stealing a safe from Johnson's home. Southbridge police started searching for the pair after Johnson's boyfriend discovered the safe was missing, reported The Worcester Telegram & Gazette. When police stopped Davenport the next day, they found the safe in the trunk of the car she was driving (also registered to Johnson) and seized it. Davenport and Conyers were arrested at a Sturbridge motel, where officers found jewelry, keys, cellphones and other documents, and the two were charged with seven counts related to the theft. "Alyce has a history of larceny, identity theft and forgery," the police report said.

ARMED AND FRUSTRATED Linda Jean Fahn, 69, of Goodyear, Arizona, finally succumbed to a frustration many wives suffer. On Dec. 30,

by the Editors at Andrews McMeel

as her husband sat on the toilet, she barged in and "shot two bullets at the wall above his head to make him listen to me," she told Goodyear police when they were called to the scene. Fahn said her husband "would have had to be 10 feet tall to be hit by the bullets," ABC15 in Phoenix reported, but officers estimated the bullets struck about 7 inches over the man's head as he ducked.

She was charged with aggravated assault.

CREME DE LA WEIRD An unnamed 41-yearold Chinese woman who had been suffering from fevers and breathing problems for six years finally went for a checkup in early January at a hospital in Tongchuan, Shaanxi Province, China. Doctors X-rayed and found an inchlong chili pepper in her right lung. Metro News reported that Dr. Luo Lifeng tried to remove the pepper using a probe but was forced to operate because it was lodged too deep to reach.

He speculated that she had inhaled the pepper and then forgotten about it.

GO AHEAD, TAKE TWO An unnamed Russian man, apparently desperate for a drink, stole an armored personnel carrier from a secured facility on Jan. 10 and used it to ram a storefront in Apatity, Russia, reported United Press International. Surveillance video showed him climbing out of the tank-like carrier and into the store, where he retrieved a bottle of wine, then returning to the vehicle and ramming the storefront again as several bystanders looked on. He was arrested after leaving the scene.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS Pesto's Pizza Shop in Boise, Idaho, takes its pizza prep seriously. So when an employee burns a pizza, the discipline is swift and public: The worker must don an orange bag that reads "I burned a pizza," then "walk the plank," or the sidewalk, in front of the shop five times.

Pesto's owner, Lloyd Parrott, told KBOI TV: "You know, we gotta have some fun around here. It's all in good fun."

OOPS An unnamed man tried an unconventional method to kill a wolf spider in his Redding, California, apartment on Jan. 7: He set it afire with a torch lighter. Unfortunately, the burning spider ran onto a mattress and caught it on fire. Residents were able to put out the mattress fire, but not before flames reached nearby drapes and a flag collection, then a nearby closet, reported the Redding Record Searchlight. When a garden hose failed to douse the blaze, firefighters were called and prevented it from spreading to other apartments. The blaze caused about $11,000 in damage, and all the residents were able to escape unharmed. {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird Š 2018 Andrews McMeel

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com January 25, 2018

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Independent News | January 25, 2018 | inweekly.net