2011 October-November Issue of 850 Business Magazine

850 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 1

TALLAHASSEE VOLUME 30 NUMBER 3

THIS IS QUAIL COUNTRY

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FSU NURTURES CAMPUS-WIDE ENTREPRENEURS COOLER CHATS AT WORK CAN BE HEALTHY MIXING CHURCH AND BUSINESS IN TALLAHASSEE

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2011

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OCT-NOV 2011

A product of Rowland Publishing, Inc.

This is Quail Country

Northwest Florida’s commercial plantations prepare for a new, and hopefully more prosperous, 2011 hunting season

Tim Duff, Keith Hay and Paul Watts, COO Electronet Broadband Communications

RE AL CUSTOMERS . RE AL ISSUES . RE AL SOLUTIONS .

FSU Credit Union has multiple locations throughout Tallahassee and Crawfordville. We were experiencing problems with our communications provider, which was affecting many of our branches. We contacted Electronet for assistance and they provided new broadband connections.

After the new Electronet circuits were installed, our performance improved dramatically. We were so pleased that we had Electronet build ďŹ ber into one of our newest branches. We have been very pleased with the performance and the reliability. Plus, we like the fact that we can call on our local representative if needed, not some auto attendant or an 800-phone number.

We are very pleased that we made the switch to Electronet and highly recommend them.

FSUCU is pleased to announce the addition of a sixth location, 1412 Tennessee Street, opening in late summer.

Keith A . Hay

3 4 1 1 C a p i t a l M e d i c a l B l v d . Ta l l a h a s s e e , F L | 2 2 2 . 0 2 2 9 | w w w. e l e c t r o n e t . n e t

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850 Magazine October – November 2011

IN THIS ISSUE

Vi si ons of Bu s ines s Florida State University could become the nation’s first to put a campus-wide focus on entrepreneurism with the goal of spawning new businesses from every academic department.

850 FEATURES Seeking ‘Gentleman Bob’ 32 Dozens of plantations dot the landscape of North

F eeding the Entreprenurial Spirit 42 Jim Moran gained fame as an astute businessman

Florida and South Georgia. Many are private. But others are commercial enterprises that thrive on hunters who pay for the privilege to hunt deer, dove, turkey and the ever-popular Bobwhite Quail. As they stroll along the rolling hills and through the pine forests, these hunters — many of them from out of state — get a taste of yesteryear, when quail hunting was a sport enjoyed by the Southern aristocracy and Northern industrialists that flocked to the region.

By Linda Kleindienst

and wildly successful car dealer who made the cover of Time magazine when he was only 42 years old. Today, his entrepreneurial spirit lives on and inspires others through the work of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State University. The Institute strives to cultivate, train and inspire entrepreneurial leaders in the classroom and in the local community through world-class education programs and curriculum, intensive consulting assistance and mentorship, and leadingedge academic research and applied training.

By Margie Menzel

On the Cover: Ted Everett, owner of Hard Labor Creek Plantation, and doc, a bird dog owned by gary clark, survey the land where hunters will soon be seeking out Bobwhite Quail.

Photo by Scott Holstein

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850 Magazine October – November 2011

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27 Corridors

Departments

CAPITAL

THE (850) LIFE

52 The Rev. R. B. Holmes and the congregation of Tallahassee’s Bethel Missionary Baptist Church mix religion with a healthy dose of entrepreneurism.

FORGOTTEN COAST

54 Deadhead logging is a dangerous but prosperous business for those willing to risk the depths of North Florida’s rivers in search of logs that sank a century ago.

EMERALD COAST

58 Seaside’s Jenny and Tom King thrive in their dual business venture — an independent bookstore and an “indie” music shop — by mixing creativity with retail savvy.

BAY

62 John Wheat, the new director of Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, shares his vision for the future of the region and his airport.

I-10

64 After living in the fast lane with an Atlanta law firm and then as an executive in the National Football League, Jeff Goodman shifts gears and comes home to a less hectic lifestyle.

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14 Bill Smith grew up doing homework in the boardroom of Capital City Bank, where his dad was president. Now he’s the CEO of Capital City Bank Group.

GUEST COLUMN

16 David Wilkins, secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families, explains why business involvement is critical in helping needy children and families.

WI-FILES

18 Internet crime is running rampant. And the FBI warns that ignoring it is one of the biggest threats that businesses face. Here’s how to protect your company.

By Buddy Nevins

HUMAN ELEMENT

22 Exit interviews allow outgoing employees to their share insights into your company — and could

In This Issue

9 11 13 50 66

From the Publisher Letters to 850 By the Numbers Sound Bytes The Last Word from the Editor

be providing you with valuable information.

By Jon Burstein

LEADING HEALTHY

27 There’s little time at work for personal chitchat these days, but health professionals say a little nonwork related human interaction at the office lifts employee spirits.

By Angela Howard

Photos by Scott Holstein (pg 52 & 54) and by HBB Photography

IN THIS ISSUE

CONTRIBUTORS

L i sa Car ey is a Tallahassee-based writer and award-winning Realtor. You’ll also find her as the host of Tallahassee Matters on WCOT-TV. Lisa is a long-time Tallahassee resident who served as aide to the city’s mayor through three administrations.

She is a sustainer member of the Junior League and serves on the Leon High School Advisory Council and Tallahassee Alumnae Panhellenic board. She is married and stays busy managing two boisterous sons.

A ng ela H owar d is a mom on the go. She and her husband Tom have a two-year-old son, Zander, and another baby boy on the way. She works at WCTV in Tallahassee as the assignment desk manager and anchor of Live at Five and Eyewitness News at 5:30 p.m. She started her career at the CBS affiliate in Lansing, Mich., moved to the CBS affiliate in Saginaw and finally landed in the Sunshine State.

SHAPING FLORIDA

BRENDA REES Photos Courtesy Lisa Carey, Angela Howard and Buddy Nevins

(850) 231-4994

B u d dy Nevins has been a Florida journalist for more than 40 years. He covered politics since the early 1970s for the Fort Lauderdale News and then the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, where he also wrote a trendsetting column. He has won numerous awards for investigations into subjects as varied as cruise ship safety, airport construction, the brokerage industry, questionable land deals and boiler room fraud. Having retired from newspapers, he currently freelances.

PRESENTATIONS & PORTRAYALS SHAPING FLORIDA HISTORY MADAME OCTAVIA WALTON LE VERT JOHN WESLEY IN SPANISH FLORIDA OCTAVIA - METHODISTS & WESLEY’S WOMEN

HUMAN RESOURCES SOLUTIONS INC.| HUMANRESOURCESOLUTIONSINC.COM

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850 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA

October – November 2011

Vol. 4, No. 1

Publisher Brian E. Rowland Editor Linda Kleindienst designer Saige Roberts Contributing Writers Jon Burstein, Lisa Carey, Wendy O. Dixon, Angela Howard, Jennifer Howard, Margie Menzel, Buddy Nevins, Desiree Stennett, David Wilkins staff Writer Jason Dehart STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Scott Holstein Editorial Interns Laura Bradley and Kimberly Dantica traffic coordinator Marjorie Stone Sales Executives Mary Beth Lovingood, Lori Magee, Linda Powell, Rhonda Simmons, Chuck Simpson, Chris St. John online 850businessmagazine.com facebook.com/850bizmag twitter.com/850bizmag

President Brian E. Rowland

DIRECTOR OF Linda Kleindienst EDITORIAL SERVICES

Creative Director Lawrence Davidson ProDUCTION director Melinda Lanigan

Manager of finance Angela Cundiff HR/Administration manager OF Dan Parisi INTEGRATED SALES

CLIENT SERVICE Caroline Conway REPRESENTATIVE

assistant Saige Roberts creative director ADMINISTRATOR OF McKenzie Burleigh

SALES and EVENTS TRAFFIC coordinators Lisa Sostre, Marjorie Stone

graphic designers Jennifer Ekrut, Laura Patrick, Daniel Vitter Magazine Ad Builder Patrick Patterson

Network Administrator Daniel Vitter RECEPTIONIST Amy Lewis

Web Site rowlandpublishing.com

850 Magazine is published bi-monthly by Rowland Publishing, Inc. 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. 850/878-0554. 850 Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned. 850 Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Copyright October 2011 850 Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Member, Florida Magazine Association and seven Chambers of Commerce throughout the region. one-year Subscription $30 (SIX issues) 850businessmagazine.com 850 Magazine can be purchased at Books-A-Million and Barnes and Noble in Tallahassee, Destin, Ft. Walton Beach, Pensacola and Panama City and at our Tallahassee office.

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Proud member Florida Magazine Association

From the Publisher

Build a Strong Management Team …

Then Trust Them I have owned and operated a small business for many years and I know hundreds of others in Northwest Florida who have done the same. We have built our companies from the ground up with our blood, sweat and tears. We have often sacrificed our personal lives to pump more life into our companies. And often we’re just not satisfied with what we’ve done, pushing instead to perform our work in a bigger and better fashion.

I’m not saying this out of ego. It’s what entrepreneurs do. And, as we find that our economy is depending more and more on what small businesses do and how well we succeed, the reality is that entrepreneurs like us are here to stay.

There’s an old saying that, “Behind every great man there is a great woman.”

Indeed, that’s true for many. But in business today you can also say, “Behind every great businessperson, there is a great management team,” a group of professionals who know how to bring out the best in those they manage.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the everyday doings of a business and forget the importance of the team that makes your company what it is and serves as your backup — the veritable backbone of your business.

Honestly? Entrepreneurs sometimes find it extremely difficult to let loose the reins of the daily goings-on at the office. At times you think, “It’s just easier to do this myself.” Or, maybe you’re irritated that some of your managers don’t work the same way that you do.

What you sometimes forget is that you put together this management team for a reason. They are professionals you have carefully selected to run their departments in a manner that keeps your business on an even keel.

These are the people who, in times of emergency, will step up to the plate, don the mantle of leadership and show their core strength and commitment to their jobs, their staff and your company. I’ve seen

We CEOs shouldn’t wait until an emergency to recognize and appreciate the talent we have collected in our companies, the people we rely on every day but who we often don’t recognize for the important qualities they bring to our business. cases where the short-term absence of the owner or director of a company has resulted in managers quickly stepping up to the challenge and forging a new and even better focused company.

We CEOs shouldn’t wait until an emergency to recognize and appreciate the talent we have collected in our companies, the people we rely on every day but who we often don’t recognize for the important qualities they bring to our business.

For those of you who are beginning to assemble your management team, I’ve got a few suggestions on the types of people and skills you should be looking for. These ideas are not necessarily new, but sometimes it helps to take out that “How to Manage” book, dust it off and do a little re-reading.

Obviously, it’s a good idea to pick people who are adept at, and willing, to communicate. A company runs better when the managers talk to and cooperate with each other. And you should pick the type of managers that you can pass your skills along to, people who will grow in their jobs as your company grows — people who can be there to run your company should something happen to you. And, most of all, they should be people who are passionate about what they do and who will go the extra mile to ensure the work you produce is the best it can be.

Make sure your managers are strong people and empower them to make decisions. But pick people who can leave their egos at the door when the situation calls for it.

Remember that you set the pace and the tenor. Managers will follow your lead but you need to give them the room to develop on their own, to grasp your big picture of company success and run with it.

Put together a good management team and you’ll sleep better at night. I know I do.

Brian Rowland browland@rowlandpublishing.com

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FROM THE MAILBAG MY HUSBAND AND I ENJOYED your recent article on Quarter Horse racing (Capital Corridor, august/september 2011) and are looking forward to racing in gretna if the track is built to meet the requirements of the american Quarter Horse association.

The Florida Quarter Horse racing association, headquartered in Tallahassee, is the official racing affiliate of aQHa in Florida.

This organization is also responsible for the Florida Bred Program that promotes breeding in Florida. This is exciting because many out-of-state breeders are buying land in the Panhandle for their Florida operations base in order to be able to participate in the Florida Bred Program. steve Fisch, dVM, was instrumental in returning Quarter Horse racing to the state after 18 years and is the president of FQHra, along with holding positions on the aQHa racing Council, aQHa racing Committee and (as an) aQHa director. He was a jockey before becoming a veterinarian and has been involved in the Quarter Horse racing industry for over 45 years as an owner and breeder.

First down straw is the current champion Florida stallion. He swept the 2-year-old division with his first crop to race in 2010. He lives in Tallahassee. The attached photo (at right) was his cover shot when he was featured on the cover of the AQHA Journal. The current leading owner and leading breeder of the 2010/2011 race meet is Flying Fisch Farm, inc., which is also based out of Tallahassee.

We look forward to the possible racing opportunity in gretna and other locations in north Florida. However, until these possibilities come to fruition, we are pleased to have Quarter Horse racing back in Florida. Hialeah is only seven hours from Tallahassee, so it is much more accessible for owners to watch their horses run than a trip to Louisiana, Texas, new Mexico, Oklahoma, etc. Thank you again for helping promote Quarter Horse racing in Florida by showing the important economic impact it will have on our state. every horse at the track creates seven jobs.

Kelley C. Fisch

From the Publisher

YOU WERE DOING GREAT

until the third to last paragraph If You Have Made It Th is Far …

(Publisher’s Letter, august/september 2011) talking about Wall street greed — which could never have happened if the Feds didn’t guarantee loans. The real culprit here is Fannie Mae and the dems that allowed them to run wild and still do with billions of taxpayer debt. i can remember as plain as day a congressional hearing regarding Fannie Mae when the Bush administration questioned the wisdom of Fannie Mae and guaranteed loans. The dems on the committee became belligerent that this was even being questioned and said nothing was wrong with the system. That’s what really happened.

Over the pAst cOupl e wIth my cOunselOrs, Of weeks, I hAve been speAk I work through mentOrs Ing And busIne the process banks are training a ss frIend begging to couple of new of hiring new worker s lend they are able s for four positio as employees challenges to handle the money to those who and wrestli of navigating ns, can demon ng with the never been loan and repay a company ful econom strate ongoing better for those through one ic times of it. real estate It truly is a the past 50 with cash of the most values have has it been buyer’s market on hand or years. stressdifficult? yes. borrowing tial perspec , from a comme leadership have I learned power. tive. in the past rcial as well more about three years And the employ as a residen Am I ready corporate than I have to get back ment pool in the past individuals to the is flush growth that who want 20? yes.

I didn’t appreci problems of dealing a job and will with motivated and employer to with double qualified ate as much give a 150 percent become part -digit from 2003 of a success able at a fair effort to a new to 2007 ful team. this and reasona now? yes. please. as I do labor pool ble cost. prospec this is not is availthe time to tive employ during a play have worked hardball with ees know that recent conto a versation it is those who a job applicant’s advanta good job offer. that with a busines may ge five years are willing s friend who to an ago, take a half-ste opportunity has run numerbut today that will let p back in order ous firms, upcoming founded several to capture recovery who them take three steps start-ups and forward during will secure I embrace sold several their success the the companies in the long nith and returns economic pendulum quite success run. as it swings northwest fully, he back prosperity. florida to a said they period of renewe up to its zethat has given something one will never say that experience d economic my entreis the best forget the lessons preneurial teacher — of 2008-20 spirit a boost learned during and I 11. of adrenaline the great recessi for It is unfortu that on nate that the me for at least will carry into motion greed of several the next six a practic to nine month wall street e that allowed standard qualific firms set s. people who ations to buy this, he said, could not not afford a house — meet the is it his — because to favorite time get loans and nancially over of the econom purchase homes,they simply could their heads. ic busines leaving them walk away when the s cycle. why? bubble burst, from fisimple, he those who property that their loan obligation explained. didn’t are may never this is the fourth be worth what now left upside down greed on both quarter of in a sides — from they paid for a recessio and from the those pushin it. there was n and the consumers g the loans predecessor to who obviou were buying to make a buck florida. I said, an econom sly couldn’ . ic upswing “tell me more.” t afford what put this all in northw bottom line, they together and est he said, is in a financi add a war on over the past that all the al position weak busines three years that will probab top of it. presto! Americ if it ever does. ses have closed are unprep — or are so a is ly take decades ared economically my hope is to get right, recovery. Opportto be an active particip ravaged they that the financi ant ership will al industry cessfully maneu unities abound for those on the front line of also hold that and our govern the companies repeat the memory close nancially sound.vered through this econom ment leadthat have sucmistak so these are ic minefie into the future. es of the past but instead that they and we to lead the the compan ld and are don’t charge as carry those fiies strategi lessons well cally positio As I now stand business begins to ned ramp back from he is right the forest and up in the recovery. on point. look at the trees, I realize

First Down Straw

I MAY HAVE READ A BETTER COLUMN in a business magazine than the one you wrote in the 850 i just received (Publisher’s Letter, august/september 2011), but really cannot remember when.

The message captures exactly the essence of what small businesses are experiencing right now. Well done. i’m sharing this article with friends.

John Baker

I JUST FINISHED READING the recent edition of 850. it is excellent work and a great addition to the area. Keep up the good work.

Steven J. Uhlfelder

Brian

rowland browland@rowl andpublishing.c om

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Bart Cassidy

I’M 19 and i’ve been a Fort Walton local all my life. My father is a small business owner and avid reader of 850. i am following him and becoming a small business owner and can’t help but to pick up copies myself. i’m proud to be a young reader and stay involved in small business. your publication really makes me feel like i have insight to my community.

Zak Lewis

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Executive Mindset

Business Arena neWs + numBers stateWide

Florida: A Business-Friendly State We must be doing something right.

A growing number of national surveys portray Florida as a business-friendly state growing in popularity.

CONSIDER THIS: MORE THAN 500 CEOS evaluated a wide range of criteria, from taxation and regulation to workforce quality and living environment, in Chief Executive’s annual ranking of the best states for business.

Florida jumped from 6th place in the 2010 survey to 3rd place in 2011.

Texas came out on top, for the seventh year in a row. California ranked the worst state for business, also for the seventh consecutive year. (Georgia ranked 5th and Alabama came in at 26th.)

The survey prompted Florida Gov. Rick Scott to issue this warning to Texas Gov. Rick Perry: “I must tell you: Seven years is long enough … And with all we are doing to make Florida number one in job creation, I am certain Texas’ days at the top are numbered. Florida is eliminating job-killing regulation, reducing the size and cost of government, and making sure we have the best educated workforce. We have no personal income tax and are phasing out the business tax, starting with eliminating it entirely for half the business that paid it. Florida is definitely on the road to be number one. Thank you for giving us the motivation we needed.”

Florida’s key metrics considered in the survey: Taxation and Regulations » State corporate income tax rate: 5.50% » Highest personal income tax rate: None Workforce Quality » High school diploma or more: 85.2% » Bachelor’s degree or more: 25.8% » Advanced degree or more: 9.0% » Patents per 100,000: 16.06 » Employed represented by unions: 6.9% Quality of Life » Hospitals per 10,000: 0.114 » Elementary/secondary schools per 1,000 people: 0.198 » Violent crimes per 100,000: 694.76 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S BEST/WORST STATES FOR BUSINESS STATe Texas North Carolina Florida Tennessee Georgia

2011 Rank

2010 Rank

Change

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Florida doesn’t rank quite as high in a CNBC survey, but we’re still up in the top 20 states, tying with Tennessee for 18th place. We moved up from 28th place in 2010.

All 50 states were scored on 43 measures of competitiveness with input from business groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Council on Competitiveness. The categories were weighted based on how frequently they were mentioned in each state’s economic development marketing materials. Basically, the states were ranked based on the criteria they use to sell themselves.

The top five of the Top States for Business were: 1. Virginia; 2. Texas; 3. North Carolina; 4. Georgia; and 5. Colorado.

When it comes to Florida’s educated (and available) workforce, we’re No. 2. But when it comes to education? Not so hot. No. 35.

(Georgia rates much higher than we do when it comes to schools.)

FLORIDA’S RANKINGS—OUT OF 50—IN A CNBC SURVEY CATeGORy Cost of Doing Business Workforce Quality of Life Infrastructure & Transportation Economy Education Technology & Innovation Business Friendliness Access to Capital Cost of Living OVERALL

2011

2010

40 2 31 8 47 35 13 26 9 25 18

41 1 31 21 48 35 13 23 17 30 28

DID YOU KNOW? Florida ranks 3rd among the

states for veteran-owned businesses, behind California and Texas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Florida had 176,727 veteran owned businesses in 2007, or 7.2 percent of the national total.

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Executive Mindset

( ) The 850 Life

s urvive and thrive

Banking Star Bill Smith, Tallahassee Chairman, president and CEO of Capital City Bank Group

I

t’s entirely possible that banking is in Bill Smith’s blood. His father, Godfrey Smith, was president of Capital City Bank for more than 50 years, and by the time Bill was born his father had already set up a savings account for him at the same bank.

“If banking wasn’t in my blood, it was close,” says Bill Smith, now 58 and chairman, president and CEO of Capital City Bank Group. At the core of this company is a long-time Tallahassee community bank that’s been serving the capital city region for more than 100 years. “I literally grew up in the bank, learning to spell and do math problems in the bank when dad would come back to work at night.”

A proud alumnus of Florida State University, Smith graduated in 1976 with — what else? — a degree in finance. In 2010 he was inducted into the College of Business Hall of Fame.

Smith started work at Capital City Bank in 1978 and became president in 1989. Today, the company has tremendous financial assets that make it “big enough to have a full range of product offerings,” yet “small enough to have an intimate knowledge of who our clients are.”

— Jason Dehart

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1. Self description: I try first to be a good husband and father.

I grew up in a Christian home and have a strong commitment to my faith. I’m a very active, involved and engaged manager at the bank and spend most of my time working strategically for the company as we move forward.

2. Words to live by: If I wrote our handbook, I’d say, “Tell the truth, don’t let the sun set on a problem, do it right the first time and be nice.”

3. Downtime: I like to work. I like to read. I’m a big newspaper reader. I enjoy the coast; we have a place in St. Teresa. I love to bird hunt and try to be a good family man.

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4. Banking thoughts: The

banking industry is a fun industry to be in. It’s a place to make dreams come true, like the first house, first car or first savings account. You get to help and see things grow, be an integral part of the community.

5. Banker jokes: The old adage is “363.” Pay people 3 percent, charge 6 percent, play golf at 3.

That’s an old banker joke. But it’s far from reality. We’re out there trying to fulfill clients’ needs and the needs of our growing community.

6. Email reader: It’s become

the vehicle of communication.

(Reading email) is an all-thetime kind of event. But I worry … that we’re going to lose our

ability to write. With the lack of punctuation and capital letters, things we learned in school will be for naught if we don’t continue to practice it.

7. FSU advocate: I spent

four wonderful years there, got a wonderful education, got a wife, and it’s such a huge economic driver in the community I call home.

8. Community service: Last year our associate base gave over 12,000 hours of service back to the community. We have expectations that each of our associates give 10 hours of community service every year.

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

In Business to Write Business.

SM

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Executive Mindset

Business Speak B

usiness leaders are a critical part of every community, and your commitment can make a tremendous difference in the life of a child and the success of a family. Your incredible skills and resources can help children who are placed in foster care and can also help parents who are trying to achieve self-sufficiency and live the American dream.

I was formerly an executive in a global high tech corporation and I always understood the value of giving back to our local communities. When Governor Scott appointed me to the role of Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families, I realized this was a once-in-alifetime opportunity to both apply my business skills to help government run more efficiently and apply my passion for helping others in a big way.

As a business leader in Northwest Florida, I hope you share a similar passion for giving back — not just financially but also personally. Our youth and disadvantaged Floridians need your help.

They need to hear your stories of success, understand the roads to independence and get valued mentoring and coaching to achieve dreams similar to those you have dreamed.

A great example of giving back is John Armentrout, 62, a small business owner in Pensacola who runs Muffler Masters.

At a Rotary Club meeting a few years ago, he heard about “Bridges to Circles,” a grassroots initiative led by Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida with support from DCF and Families First Network (the local community-based care agency providing services to kids and families).

Armentrout signed up to be an “ally,” sharing his wisdom and experience about running a business with individuals and families who have crafted a plan to lift themselves out of poverty. This self-proclaimed ‘’car guy” also gives free advice to “Bridges to Circles” participants

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Dav i d E . W i l k i n s David Wilkins was appointed Secretary of Florida’s Department of Children and Families by Gov. Rick Scott. He left a 29year career with Accenture, a global management, consulting, technology and business operations company, where for the last five years he headed the global sales organization of the Accenture Health and Public Service business, which operates in more than 25 countries and generated sales of near $4 billion. He has been an active volunteer at the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes for the past 14 years and helped launch “Orphan’s Heart,” a successful international child care services program

on the roadworthiness of vehicles they use for transportation. And his contacts as a lifelong Pensacola resident come in handy since he knows who in the community to reach out to for help.

“These are people trying to get out of poverty rather than people wanting us to hand them a welfare check. I like that idea,” he says. “The concept of it made me want to help.” He is proud of his work with a middle-aged woman, a great cook who wanted to start her own food business. She has reached her goals of getting a laptop and a car and is attending Pensacola State College to earn a culinary management degree. “I try to give back to the

850businessmagazine.com

community. I think everyone should do that,’’ Armentrout says.

There are other wonderful opportunities for business people to consider: » Many community agencies serving children and families appreciate any help you can give them. Boys Town North Florida based in Tallahassee, which works with both boys and girls, is grateful for the many extras provided by local individuals and businesses which donate their time and money for projects varying from birthday celebrations to tutoring, pizza parties, Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas presents, a new roof for a Treatment Family Home and building an outdoor pavilion for ping-pong games.

For children in foster care who may never have had a birthday party, experiences like these can be very special. » You can employ a young person currently in foster care or formerly in foster care. Or consider providing a youth with job mentoring, job shadowing or an internship. Teens in foster care and young adults who age out of foster care at 18 need job skills as well as employment. Under DCF’s Operation Full Employment initiative, more than 100 current or former foster youth are employed by DCF, non-profit agencies and private businesses.

The support you give will be incredibly important. Your belief in children who have experienced trauma and disruptions or families struggling to reach economic independence is priceless. You can be a figure of friendship, strength and support in their lives so they begin to feel a sense of hope about themselves and their future.

I congratulate and thank business leaders who have made a difference in the lives of children and families in the area served by 850 magazine, and I encourage others to take that step. I think you will find the rewards to be as great for you as the people you help. n

Photo Courtesy David E. Wilkins

Giving Back

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Executive Mindset

Wi-Files cYBer crime

Beware Cyber Stalkers Internet crime is stealing millions from American businesses

By Buddy neVins

t

he email looked official. the subject line stated it was a “Notice of Unreported Income,” and it appeared to come from the Internal revenue Service. An American realty of Northwest Florida employee in the firm’s Shalimar office clicked on the link — which ended up as a $195,000 mistake. the link took the American realty computer to a website which quietly installed trojan horse malware (short for malicious software) called Zeus. the destructive program stole American realty’s online banking credentials and quietly transferred phony payroll payments to individuals unconnected with the real estate firm that has offices in Walton, Okaloosa and Santa rosa counties.

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“We never got all of it back,” lamented Denny Naugle, the operations manager of the firm. the five-office, 28-year-old firm has now bought a secure computer with special security software that is strictly used to connect it with the banks.

Naugle said he learned a painful, costly lesson: Small and medium businesses should think about increasing security before they are victims of Internet crime.

“Unlike what most people think, small and medium businesses are the prime target for cybercrime. the Fortune 500 are very well protected, so the cyber criminals move to organizations that are less protected, which is small and medium businesses,”

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said Stu Sjouwerman, a computer security expert and founder of Knowbe4, a clearwater firm that trains small and medium business employees to avoid Internet threats.

Ignoring the risk is the biggest threat many businesses face, according to Steven r. chabinsky, deputy assistant director of the FbI’s cyber division.

“A lot of business owners and individuals I speak with often feel secure against cybercrime because they don’t view themselves as likely targets. they ask me, ‘Why would anybody want to break into my computer?’ the answer lies in the fact that you can be a target of opportunity. Unlike traditional organized criminal groups, cybercrime groups don’t necessarily form with a particular

target in mind,” Chabinsky warned during a 2010 speech to government cyber defense and security experts.

Internet crime is no longer something that is committed by teenage hackers in their bathrobes. The vast bulk of it originates in Eastern Europe, where criminal gangs are responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in theft in the United States alone.

The operations are surprisingly sophisticated and specialized. Government and private experts describe intricate labs where technicians calculate ways to subvert each new antimalware product. Other members of the gang are specialists in phishing with phony email or spam or setting up bogus websites to gain personal information. There are financial scammers who launder the money with elaborate money transfer schemes. At the top running it all are veteran criminals who learned it was easier to steal with a computer than with a gun.

Bank robberies might get publicity on the evening news, but digital crime is much bigger in terms of loss. In 2009, there were 8,818 bank robberies netting criminals an average of $4,029 – a total of about $35.5 million, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program.

The Zeus Trojan horse alone resulted in at least $70 million stolen. And that is only the total from incidents connected with those arrested. When one adds all types of Internet fraud, including everything from illegal transfers of money to stealing credit card information, the dollar damage to legitimate business is astronomical.

In Northwest Florida alone, almost 500,000 individuals’ records have been breached, although all of the people did not experience losses. The vast majority of them came from state government, like when the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation mistakenly posted more than a quarter of a million Social Security numbers online in 2008. Others were small or medium businesses like Julie’s Place, a Tallahassee restaurant, which had its credit card system re-rerouted in 2010 to Internet criminals who stole at least $200,000 from at least 100 customers’ accounts.

Sjourwerman said the attacks in Northwest Florida are not surprising. Any individual or business connected to the Internet anyplace in the world can be victimized.

“Where a business is located makes no difference to organized crime (groups) in Eastern Europe that have made it their life’s work to steal from you via the Internet,” Sjourwerman said.

Tom Putnam, president of the Half Hitch Tackle chain in Bay County, found out that Northwest Florida is only a click away from an Eastern European crime gang. An invasion of the company’s credit card system resulted

Get Defensive There are ways for a business to defend itself. Stu Sjourwerman, a computer security expert, suggests a series of training classes for employees to teach them the importance of Internet security, what to do and what not to do. Tests of corporate emails have found that 20-30 percent of employees mistakenly click on fraudulent emails, such as phony letters from a delivery service stating packages have been delayed.

A joint Date Breach Investigations Report in 2010 by the U. S. Secret Service and Verizon’s Business RISK Team came up with more tips on ways businesses can avoid Internet crime:

Restrict and monitor the users of any computer system. Don’t give

Implement measures to thwart stolen credentials. Consider it a “must” to have software that keeps credential-capturing malware from infecting a business computer. Stepped up authentication before accessing any key data and restricting access from anyplace but a special internal computer are other ways to thwart Internet crime. A firm can consider blocking access from regions of the world, if they have no business purpose.

Monitor and filter traffic leaving the business: Most businesses at least make an effort to filter incoming traffic from the Internet. “By monitoring, understanding and controlling outbound traffic, an organization will greatly increase its chances of mitigating malicious activity,” the report states.

employees more access than they need.

Watch for “minor” computer policy violations. The case data found that employees who download unapproved content or use the computer in an inappropriate way are careless and more likely to cause a breach.

Share incident information: The success of Internet security depends upon the information that businesses and individuals are willing to share. Report any suspicious or criminal activity to the authorities and your IT professional.

— Buddy Nevins

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Wi Files

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in about $100,000 of fraudulent charges. There were also the hours of wasted time for employees and aggravation for customers in four out of its five bait and tackle shops. Putnam’s wife was hit with $2,500 in jewelry charges from Chicago, where the thief also took time to stop at a Panera Bread café for coffee. Other credit cards were used as far away as India and Japan.

“I thought we had enough security,” Putnam said. Half Hitch was forced to spend thousands to beef up security on his credit card system.

Robert Thousand, Jr., a semi-retired dentist living near St. Augustine, has learned never to leave his computer in a hotel room. He believes that is where thieves stole his data in 2009 when a long nightmare began for his family.

Shortly after returning from a dentists’ conference in The Bahamas, Thousand, his wife and son, also a dentist in North Florida, began receiving an incessant series of harassing phone calls. The 30-second messages from a sex line prevented them from using their phones. It was later revealed the calls were designed to prevent a broker from contacting them while the elder Thousand’s retirement account was looted of $400,000. He “eventually” got the money returned, but he still is angry about the lack of help he got from the authorities.

The increasing use of mobile devices like smart phones and tablets are complicating the security situation. Sjourwerman described devices available that can capture data from wireless computers, smart phones or tablets by just walking through an airport, hotel lobby or coffee shop. “Mobile devices should be known as hackers’ heaven,” he cautioned.

Social networks also make the job of Internet scammers easier. “Don’t be surprised if a criminal compromises you or one of your colleague’s personal social networking accounts to retrieve the email addresses of some of your friends, and then uses that information to spoof an email to you or your colleague at work,” the FBI’s Chabinsky said.

Unfortunately, nothing will insure safety on the Web, according to Vinton “Vint” Cerf, who is known as one of the “fathers of the Internet.”

In a June 2011 interview in Forbes, Cerf said he remained concerned about the Internet.

“The Internet lacks security,” he said. “See this six-digit encryption key hanging around my neck? Some of us at Google have been wearing them since we discovered the Chinese were hacking into Google. The Internet is brittle and fragile and too easy to take down. It’s a conduit for criminal activity. We need international treaties to prosecute the bad guys, but we don’t have them.” n

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Executive Mindset

Human Element Exit Strategies

The Importance of Why The art of exit interviews and their importance to your company

By Jon Burstein

W

hen a valued employee hands in a resignation letter, it’s an unquestionable loss for a company. But can it also be used as a learning experience?

That’s the idea behind employee exit interviews as company executives try to capture the real reasons behind workers’ departures, as well as their thoughts on the inner workings of the business.

“The more you learn about what’s going on in the trenches, the better you can make the day-to-day operations,” said Bob Franklin, president and CEO of Tallahassee-based Franklin Employer Solutions, which helps businesses with their administrative needs.

There’s no consensus, though, on how employee exit interviews should be conducted — or even how valuable they really are. While some of Northwest Florida’s major employers, such as Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and CenturyLink, offer exit interviews to their departing employees, other companies don’t.

Advocates of exit interviews say that for entrepreneurs, talking to departing

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employees about why they are leaving can be one of the most important things they can do for their business.

“Too often you think you know what is going on in your business and you really don’t,” said Jerry Osteryoung, director of Outreach Services of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State University.

Robert Moore, director of colleague relations for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, said he’s never learned of a “smoking gun” from such interviews, but they provide a cross-check to ensure that employees’ issues have been thoroughly aired out.

He said he wishes departing employees would be more inclined to participate in the exit interview process. For every 50 employees who resign, only a few complete the hospital’s exit interview questionnaire.

At CenturyLink, most employees leaving the telecommunications company agree to participate in exit interviews, but many do not follow through, said company spokeswoman Carmen Butler.

Business and management experts say companies that offer exit interviews

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must recognize how tricky it can be to get a departing employee to open up. Many employees leaving on their own accord tend to hold back, even when they agree to exit interviews.

The reason why is simple: They don’t want to burn any bridges.

This has become especially true in recent years, with the tight economy and the rise of social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn, said Michael Roberto, a professor of management at Bryant University in Southfield, R.I. Before social media, the only references a potential employer had for prospective employees were the ones at the bottom of a resume. Now that employer can peruse a site such as LinkedIn to get names of former co-workers or supervisors and contact them for additional scouting on a possible hire.

“We are all out there,” Roberto said. “People are more transparent.”

Roberto said business executives he’s interviewed are considering using outside firms to conduct exit interviews and synthesize the information in a report. That

William Anthony, a professor emeritus of management at Florida State University, says one of the keys is determining whether the person is being “pulled out or pushed out.” Someone who is being “pulled out” is leaving not because something is wrong with the company, but because of other reasons, such as going back to school or embarking on a new career path.

Someone being “pushed out” is leaving because of problems with the workplace, like issues with a supervisor or co-worker.

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HUMan eleMent

way, departing employees are ensured that their confidentiality is protected, and executives can use the reports to identify trends.

In asking exiting employees to participate in interviews, companies need to frame the voluntary meetings as something positive. It should be emphasized that the purpose of the interviews is to figure out what needs to be done to retain employees and improve the workplace, roberto said. many companies that conduct exit interviews offer employees the option of doing it in either a face-toface meeting or by filling out a written questionnaire, usually with guarantees that their names will be kept confidential.

William Anthony, a professor emeritus of management at Florida State University, said exit interviews always work best when they’re conducted as sit-down interviews in a one-on-one setting. A written questionnaire doesn’t allow for the back-and-forth needed to delve into why an employee is leaving, he said.

One of the keys is determining whether the person is being “pulled out or pushed out,” Anthony said. Someone who is being “pulled out” is leaving not because something is wrong with the company, but because of other reasons, such as going back to school or embarking on a new career path. Someone being “pushed out” is leaving because of problems with the workplace, like issues with a supervisor or co-worker.

Anthony said he recommends that someone from the company’s human resources department or an independent consultant conduct the interviews. Hiring a consultant can be especially important for companies with high turnover, he said.

Osteryoung is a big believer that business owners should conduct face-to-face interviews with exiting employees. It’s important to watch employees’ facial expressions and body language, he said, adding, “I want to see the emotional message behind the words.”

At least 30 minutes should be set aside for the meeting and the business owner needs to delve into as much detail as possible, Osteryoung suggested. that means the entrepreneur should review the employee’s personnel files in advance and know what positions and responsibilities the employee had with the company through the years. the worst possible setting for an exit interview is having two people sitting on opposite sides of a desk, he said. the business owner should come out from behind the desk and pull up a chair to the employee, making the conversation seem more personal.

“It’s so important for the entrepreneur to make the employee feel at ease,” he said. before asking tough questions, a trust needs to be established with the exiting employee, Osteryoung said. the business owner should praise the employee’s various accomplishments and time with the company. As

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HERE ARE SOME BASIC, OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS TO START EXIT INTERVIEWS OR QUESTIONNAIRES: Why are you leaving?

What did you like most and least about your job?

What did you like most and least about the company?

How did you feel about salary and benefits?

What did you like or dislike about your supervisor? do you feel you received adequate training for your first position at the company (and all other positions that may have followed)?

Could the company have convinced you to stay?

Have you accepted a new job? if so, will you share the name of your new company?

Would you consider returning at some point?

the employee begins to talk, the interviewer should ask if it’s OK to take notes because, “It sends a message that what the employee is saying is important.”

The business owner can then start asking open-ended questions such as: “Did you feel prepared for the first job we gave you?” The general questions should eventually give way to very specific ones about the company’s operations.

Many exiting employees cite salary as the reason they are leaving, but an incremental increase in pay is usually not enough for someone to experience the uncertainty of starting a new job, Osteryoung said. The “real” reason many employees leave companies is bad management, he said.

The business owner shouldn’t set up any parameters of what’s off limits to discuss, nor should the owner go into the interview with the mindset that the employee is disloyal for leaving, Osteryoung said.

Franklin said regardless of who conducts the interview, that person should establish a

in which they are leaving to gauge how much credence should be put in what they say.

CenturyLink uses exit interviews to look for trends to see if the company has any issues that need to be addressed, Butler said.

“However, at CenturyLink, we frequently survey our employees so that we can be sure we have an understanding of the topics that are most important to our employees,” she said. “We do not wait until they leave to ask for feedback and respond or make adjustments based on their concerns.”

That is one point all the experts agreed on.

While an exit interview can be used to confirm hypotheses about the inner workings of a company, it shouldn’t be when an employer first learns about a problem.

“If the employee has a deeply personal issue and you haven’t heard about it until the exit interview, that’s really alarming,” Roberto said. “You would need to ask, ‘Why is this something I wasn’t aware of?’”

Anthony said he has seen the practical benefits of exit interviews. He’s aware of one

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Moore, who handles exit interviews for Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, said he’s found employees prefer to answer questionnaires rather than have face-to-face encounters.

People who elect to do sit-down interviews tend to overemphasize or underemphasize why they are leaving, Moore said. He puts more faith in questionnaires because he believes people are more honest when they know their names will be kept confidential.

Whether on paper or in person, Moore said it’s important to factor in the departing employees’ work history and the circumstances

company that called in a facilitator for conflict management resolution in part as a reaction to complaints in exit interviews about a particular supervisor.

If an employee is jumping to a rival company, the exit interview also can be an opportunity for some fact-finding about the competitor, offering a chance to compare salaries and benefits, Anthony said.

And whatever the employee’s reasons for leaving, it’s always best to stay positive throughout the interview. If the employee walks out feeling good, he/she will be more inclined to speak well of the company in the future.

“You want to leave a good impression in their minds,” Osteryoung said. n

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Executive Mindset

Leading Healthy P ersonal Communication

Cooler Chats Experts say personal interaction in the workplace is healthy

By Angela Howard

F

rom Prohibition and Model-Ts to vaccines and laparoscopic surgeries, a lot has changed over the last hundred years. But changes and advances in technology have forever altered the world as we once knew it.

It’s been 135 years since the master patent for the telephone was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Alexander Graham Bell. But the major leaps and bounds in technology have come in just the last several decades. From desktop computers, car phones and netbooks to smart

phones, iPads and Kindles, each passing day brings new technology to our fingertips. We can hold a web-conference with co-workers in another country by day and Skype with relatives in another state by night. We are a nation, a world, that is connected 24/7, but are we really communicating or are we hiding behind our electronics?

“Personally, I think there is something lost because people have a hard time communicating. The emailing and texting and instant messaging … parents even text their kids to come down for dinner instead of calling out

to them,” said Kim Brandt, a psychologist currently working with children and young adults in schools in and around Lansing, Mich. “There is even some research that says there should be a class in elementary school that should teach kids how to communicate with each other.”

Communication may not be an elementary school class right now, but it is something we are taught from the people and the world around us. We learn from our parents, our classmates, teachers and TV. But it’s more than just a friendly wave hello or a quick

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Leading Healthy

email giving directions to a team member for the day. According to Merriam-Webster.com, communication is an act or instance of transmitting or conveying information, and/or a process or system by which information is exchanged. That broad definition is how so many people working at so many different companies can take advantage of communication and get the job done.

COMMUNICATION TODAY Blue-collar workers are still out there, laboring side by side, but a large number of Americans now spend their days in front of a computer.

Communication for these people usually comes in the written form via text message, email or instant message. Some people, like Lane Rees, even work remotely in an office of one, utilizing the phone and these written forms of communication to conduct business with co-workers and clients from day to day.

Rees is the president of Human Resource Solutions Inc. in Santa Rosa Beach. For more than 20 years, he worked with Atlantic Richfield — also known as ARCO — the world’s largest oil company. Now, he and his eight-person team at HRS Inc. help companies, both large and small, with everything HR. “We’ve worked with mom and pops, people who have 4–5 employees, and then with my team we’ve done work for larger companies,” he said.

Rees is able to see the good and bad of technology-driven communications from both sides, since he runs a small business himself and helps others. He says regardless of the size, all companies need to share their purpose, visions and goals with their employees. He says employees need to know the strategic thinking of the company.

“Some of these employees don’t have a good handle of how what they do impacts the organization for which they are working,” he says.

CHANGING TIMES With ‘6G’ Smart phones and Internet access at our fingertips, it is easy for us to stay connected.

CenturyLink is one of a growing number of companies that has implemented ideas and policies to make sure everyone is on the same page. As a telecommunications company that provides Internet, phone and television services, CenturyLink has employees across the United States.

“Our technology — broadband in particular — has made it possible for us to connect with more people in more places on a more personal level. It has added to the interaction rather than taken away from it as the face-to-face conversations among people in the same geographic

C o mputer Is olation Many workers spend their day tied to a computer in a small cubicle and are losing their ability to communicate.

location are still happening,” said Carmen Butler, market development manager at CenturyLink. “Instant messaging, video conferencing and webcasts have made it possible for us to build additional relationships that we may not have otherwise developed by connecting us easily and frequently with our colleagues in other areas.”

JUST AS GOOD? For years now, we have utilized all that technology has to offer to connect with one another, but can the written word truly relay a message as well as humans can verbally? Psychologist Kim Brandt says no.

“We communicate verbally more than you’re aware of. You can say you’re not angry, but your face will betray you. As you get older, you gain the ability to check yourself, but children don’t have that ability,” she said.

Often times, though, Brandt says adults can slip and show their true feelings without saying a word. This is where the term “poker face” comes into play. Some people can block any

physical expression of their inner feelings, but others’ body language gives them away.

Brandt says that is why some people like to hide behind their computers. It’s an easy way to be bold. For employers, however, Brandt says it’s important to be personable from behind a monitor and keyboard. The boss needs to know his employees and show them he’s there if they need him.

“I think it’s nice because I like to know who I’m working with. You don’t have to be friends, but they [employers] at least have to respect you and know your name,” Brandt says.

NEVER ALONE? With access to anyone and everyone, day or night, many people are able to feel like they are never alone. Social networking sites, especially, allow users to keep in touch anytime, anywhere.

“I feel like people don’t feel lonely because you have access to Facebook so you can text [friends, co-workers or family members] and they will answer, even in the middle of the night,” Brandt said.

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Leading Healthy

T he Hu m a n M o ment We are hard-wired to interact with each other — and experts say that face-to-face communication should be encouraged in the workplace.

Regardless of the changing times, the everincreasing pace of the “rat-race” and the advances in technology, we are hard-wired to need interaction with other humans. Child and adult psychologist Dr. Edward Hallowell called it the “human moment,” which in its simplest form, he says, is any live, human interaction.

In his article “The Human Moment at Work,” published in 1999 in the Harvard Business Review, Hallowell explains that businesses need to utilize human interaction, at least from time to time. He says, “A human interaction can solidify a relationship or clarify a transaction in ways nothing else can.” In fact, Hallowell considers human interaction the most powerful communications tool we have.

Both Lane Rees and Carmen Butler agree, which is why both of their companies do as much as they can to encourage employees to interact face to face.

“I think a retreat format is one way to bring people together. Staff meetings. Stand up meetings to start off the day is a good way to do that,” said Rees.

Rees also gets his own employees together for some face time. “We do try to get together once or twice a month, so when we are together we can communicate.”

According to Butler, CenturyLink makes

face-to-face interaction a priority and utilizes inperson meetings in groups and one-on-one along with what she calls “water cooler conversations.”

“At our office we celebrate birthdays and holidays together. Our Community Relations Team coordinates local volunteer efforts where employees coordinate and work on community projects as a team.”

Once a year, Butler said that CenturyLink gathers employees from Leon, Wakulla, Madison and Jefferson counties together for an Employee Appreciation Luncheon and holds what it calls all-hands meetings where employees from different states and working groups gather for planning and team-building.

Meeting and talking face-to-face is also the best way to say what you mean and mean what you say — and not have it misconstrued by the recipient.

“I think it happens a lot, especially in the workplace. You interpret [a co-worker’s or boss’] emails differently based on your feelings toward them,” said Brandt. “Negativity is so much harsher in writing because you don’t want anyone to criticize you.”

Many of you are now thinking back to the last email or text you wrote. Was it mean? Was it rude? Was it sarcastic? Did the person receiving your message interpret it as you had hoped? All

of these questions are valid in a world of written communication and all could be answered or become null and void if you had actually talked to the person you sent the message to.

SET UP AND PERKS Imagine working in a small, dark cubicle all day compared to a spacious, well-lit office.

Which one would you choose? Most everyone would select option No. 2 and for good reason.

Camaraderie makes us laugh, smile and lightens the mood. Howell goes so far as to say that “great joy and peace come from connecting.”

Maybe that’s why some companies, including CenturyLink, have a combination of offices, cubicles and open spaces.

Google is one company that has received rave reviews from employees for providing everything from free on-site laundry and dry-cleaning services to free on-site day care and workout opportunities. Now, not everyone at every company can have a car wash, massage and annual physical on-site, free of charge. And, according to Brandt, there’s no significant amount of research yet to support that these perks really do boost productivity. But a free cup of coffee, a place to relax and eat lunch and a little chat time here and there with a work buddy can go a long way to brightening almost anyone’s mood. n

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HUNTING PLANTATIONS

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bobwhite Quail, the king of game birds, fuels the plantation business of Northwest Florida

BY LINDA KLEINDIENST

A Royal Passion

H

“I remember that first quail … I was ten years old, hunting alone with my bird dog and my bolt-action .410, and I was so excited when that bird fell I ran all the way home to show it to my daddy.

After suitable admiration, he asked, ‘Where’s your gun?’ It took three days to find where I had thrown it down in my excitement.” President Jimmy

unters from across the globe Scottish, english or other european antravel each year to the pine cestors. Perhaps the inspiration was only forests of North Florida and mild winters and great shooting, but one South Georgia, a region in its heyday is tempted to think that a new American considered to be the quail hunting capiaristocracy was confirming its social statal of the world and a sportsman’s winter tion by donning the mantle of the earlier paradise. Plantations that once produced Southern gentry.” cotton, turpentine or timber still dot the this patchwork of private plantations region’s landscape but now boast the best continues today, but nestled in among hunts, the best dogs and the best experience them are a number of commercial plantacarter, “Prince of Game birds; in search of the elusive bobwhite. tions that range from a few hundred acres to the bobwhite Quail” Named for its distinctive call — “bob, bob thousands of acres. most thrive on hunts booked white” — the bobwhite is known as the king of by paying customers. Paying fees that range from game birds and is often referred to as “Gentleman bob” the low hundreds to the low thousands per day, these because a covey will hold for a hunter before it suddenly hunters are the lifeblood of the plantations that offer a taste erupts into flight. An estimated 1.7 million American quail hunters prepare of the blueblood sport this region has become famous for. each fall to seek out their quarry, anxiously anticipating their bird dog’s first but keeping up the plantations is labor intensive. many owners do their point and the sound of a covey exploding out of the brush. own mowing and bush-hogging, getting rid of underbrush that makes it difmost of the local plantations, which encompass thousands of acres, are ficult for bird dogs to do their work and hinders the growth of native foliage private. many were gobbled up by Northern industrialists in the late 1800s. that the birds thrive on. they plant crops that provide food for the quail and “the industrialization of the country’s northern cities fostered a new grasses that give the birds better protection from predators. Some keep their class of wealthy entrepreneurs,” wrote Joseph Kitchens in “Quail Plantaown kennel of dogs, usually Pointers or english Setters. Others use local tions of South Georgia and North Florida.” “they were often immigrants, if guides who have their own dogs. not to the United States, at least to the new and rapidly growing cities of the many bought their plantations as private family retreats and then heartland. Proud and successful, these newcomers were eager to participate later decided to open their doors to others that would pay to share their x x x x x xxxxxxxxxxxxxx x x x x x x x x x x in class traditions similar to those of europe that had spawned their Irish, love of hunting. x x x x x xxxxxxxxxxxxxx x x x x x x x x x x xxxxxxxxxxxx x x x x x x x x x x

Photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

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Bobby Sullivan

Much of the joy for the plantation owners comes in seeing multi-generational hunts and especially the bonding that takes place between fathers and sons or daughters.

That, they say, is where the memories are made.

Dan-D-Ridge is nestled among pine forests, jack oak ridges and palmetto flats near Marianna. Guests are invited to “step back in time to the old South” to enjoy some wing-shooting for quail and pheasant through customized hunting packages.

Going Public Bobby Sullivan grew up in Youngstown, just north of Panama City. With permission from neighbors, mostly local farmers, he fondly remembers the days of his youth when he and his dad would hunt fence rows and fields and “have a blast every day.”

Now a general contractor and owner of BCL Civil Contractors in Marianna, he and his wife decided to purchase more than 500 acres of local pine forest and turn it into a hunting retreat for the family.

“At first it was just a family thing. Then we started entertaining clients with dogs. Finally, I said we should do this commercially,” Sullivan said. So, four years ago he expanded his reach, opening Dan-D-Ridge Plantation to outsiders willing to pay for the privilege to hunt on his land.

“I had hunted most of the South Georgia plantations, so I took away from that what I liked and what I didn’t like. We wanted to make it a place where it was enjoyable for a hunter to shoot and see plenty of birds — instead of some plantations, where it is more show than go,” he said.

During the recession, Sullivan said, “the bottom fell out” of the hunting business. Corporate retreats and entertaining that were his “bread and butter” slowed down considerably. Now, however, while his contracting business is still running only 30 percent of what it was three years ago, “our online interest (in hunting) has increased threefold.”

Part of that, he thinks, is because of the still-recovering economy. He is getting more inquiries from local hunters, including some who may have previously hunted in Texas but now prefer to stay closer to home. Said Sullivan, “We can give them woods time with their kids and they’re not spending money out of state.” He also gets a lot of inquiries from Great Britain, but most of them want to come in the summer months, which is off-season. “And, I tell them, ‘You don’t want to hunt that time of year. I promise you, you’ll die from the heat,’” Sullivan added.

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Dan-D-Ridge Plantation

Hunt er’s Haven The flowering Bi-Color Lespedeza plant (above) and Sesame plant (middle) provide food and protection for quail. The lodge at Dan-D-Ridge (below) is available for families and corporate retreats. Owner Bobby Sullivan (right) originally bought the land as a family retreat.

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Hard Labor Creek Plantation and Hunting Preserve Ted Everett

Located just south of Chipley, Hard Labor Creek offers quail and trophy bass fishing along with an A-frame chalet that’s open for families and business groups. Owner Ted Everett promises a 10 percent discount to any 850 reader who books a hunt and brings a copy of the magazine.

Ideally, the business should support itself year-round — and it came close last year. Right now, Sullivan says he has enough business to support the plantation’s operation during the hunting season.

Perhaps most importantly, the 48-year-old Sullivan still has time for family hunts with his 70-year-old father and his 26-year-old son.

Hunting With Hank Any avid quail hunter knows Hank. The Llewellin setter starred on TV’s Outdoor Life Network for six seasons (67 episodes) with his two-legged partner, Dez Young. The pair hunted from

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Point!

Bird dogs have pointed a covey and flush the birds (left) for the hunters. Food plots with millet (above) are a good source of food for dove and quail. Hard Labor Creek Plantation owner Ted Everett (opposite page) will host a televised hunt with Dez Young this fall.

going on,” said Everett, 51. “But, last year it was better. There were a lot of hunters … who had pent-up hunting fever and just had to go. This year, I’m not sure yet.”

To entice hunters back, he didn’t raise his prices this year. “I know that no one’s paycheck has gone up, even though the costs around them have gone up.”

A lot of his clientele are businessmen, CEOs and retirees. Many come to watch the dogs work and enjoy camaraderie with friends, making the shooting of birds almost secondary. And Everett hires outside guides who have their own dogs, picking those he feels have the best life experience to deal with his clientele.

He named a tract of woods after one of his guides, Bill Baxley, after he retired at the age of 81. “He was one of the best guides in the state but his knees just couldn’t manage a five-hour hunt any more,” Everett said. “He still comes out and visits with me. He helped make my business, bringing a lot of business with him.”

Labor Intensive

Alaska to Florida, including with Ted Everett, owner of Hard Labor Creek Plantation and Hunting Preserve in Chipley. This November, Everett will host Dez Young again, but this time the fourlegged partner will be Dash, Hank’s son.

Everett has been in business for 12 years, taking nearly 3,000 acres of timberland and building from scratch to a business that specializes in the Southern tradition of quail hunting. During the season, which lasts October through March, he has about 500 people come through, most of them hunting in groups that range from two to six.

He decided to get into the plantation business

after he had moved from Georgia to Florida to manage 5,000 acres of timberland. He knew “we had to turn the land into something more than just timber.” Although he had already gotten a degree in political science and studied urban affairs and real estate in graduate school, Everett returned to college to earn a forestry degree with a minor in wildlife management. Now he manages his own 2,700 acres that include an 85-acre spring-fed lake with a house that he renovated into a lodge.

“Three years ago we had a good season but you could tell it was the beginning of the recession. A year later, you knew there was a recession

Running a plantation is hard work.

At Hard Labor Creek, after the season ends, it’s time to do controlled burns and then plant feed plots. Time is spent on the mowers and working on roads, doing facelift work to get ready for the next season.

“It consumes a lot of time and energy. But I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t making money,” Everett said.

In nearby Alford, Connie Smith owns a liquor store and the Pinnacle Place Outdoors, where she offers dove hunts, bass fishing, turkey hunting and corporate retreats in a log cabin on a mill pond. She became owner on Jan. 1, after a divorce.

Her 300 acres has a healthy turkey population — as many as 30 in one group — and that’s her forte. Most of the hunting action on

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A Day on the Hunt A typical winter day finds the owners and guests rising in the gray light of dawn to eat a hurried breakfast of country ham and black coffee. The dog handlers choose their six-to-ten English pointers or setters for that day’s hunt from among the barking dogs in the kennel. The eager dogs leap into cages mounted at the rear of the wooden mule-drawn shooting wagon; the retriever sits next to the driver.

The hunting party loads two or three 20- and 28-gauge shotguns into the wagon, climbs in, settles on the upholstered automobile seats, and the driver urges the mules forward while additional hunters and at least three dog helpers accompany them on horseback.

Following the well laid out hunting courses that wend their way around current and former tenant farms and alongside quail habitats, the party passes under huge live oak trees draped in Spanish moss and into the cool, Loblolly pine forest. The dog handler astride a Tennessee Walking Horse guides the hunting party to an area of cover he hopes will contain a covey of quail. The wagon stops and the handler releases two dogs; they work twenty to forty minutes before being replaced by another fresh pair. When the dogs sniff out a covey and point two hunters alight from the wagon or dismount, hand off the reins to a helper, load the double-barrel shotguns, and approach the concealed birds.

In a roaring burst of thrumming wings, the quail rush upward and scatter singly and in groups of twos, threes, or more from several directions, flying toward safety. The novice hunter stands awestruck, confused about where to aim; he loses the shot. The calmer partner fires and downs a bird that broke to her left. As the dogs retrieve the day’s first kill, the hunters remount and the party moves off to a new location.

Excerpted from “Bob White, Bob White: The Sport of Quail Hunting in Early Twentieth Century South Georgia and North Florida,” a paper presented to the North American Society for Sport History in 1996 by Susan Hamburger, Ph.D., Penn State University

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her place happens in the spring. This fall, several weddings have been booked.

While it’s not a full-time job every day, on a recent weekend she was busy cutting grass, bush hogging and cleaning the lake. To keep customers coming, she tries to keep her prices low. But now, she admitted, she is mainly promoting the property as a venue for weddings and corporate meetings.

“I think people have been doing a lot of shopping around because of the expenses. Some of these plantations charge in the thousands, so I think things have slowed down a good bit.

They have for me,” she said.

Hunting With Amenities A half-day hunt followed by an afternoon at the spa? That’s part of the fare at Honey Lake Plantation in Greenville, which offers far more than the traditional rod and gun activities.

Officially opening in November, the Madison County plantation is spread over 4,700 acres and is billed as a resort and spa.

Like Dan-D-Ridge, this plantation also started out as a family retreat after it was purchased by Bob Williamson.

“I had lived in the Keys for six years and was doing a lot of deep sea fishing, but then I started having a lot of problems with skin cancers and my doctor said I needed to get out of the water,” said Williamson, 64, a serial entrepreneur who has started and sold 11 businesses.

After looking at 25 plantations, in 2008 he settled on Honey Lake, which had been established as a private quail hunting retreat by Elizabeth “Pansy” Ireland Poe, the last owner of Pebble Hill Plantation in Thomasville.

“I initially bought this just for myself and my family as a place to live and retire but it’s just such a beautiful place, we decided other people would enjoy it,” Williamson said. The business started with weddings and corporate retreats and then “just kind of got away from us.”

For outdoors enthusiasts there are six stocked lakes, one of which will be set aside for fly fishing for rainbow trout in the cold months, dove fields, duck ponds, more than 100 planted feed lots to attract game birds, and sporting clays.

Those who come to hunt quail can do it on foot, by wagon or on horseback.

Pinnacle Place Outdoors Connie Smith

Turkey and dove hunts, fishing and weddings are the specialty at Pinnacle Place Outdoors, which is located in Alford and has a large lodge for guests. Says owner Connie Smith, “It started as a place for our grandchildren to enjoy, and we’ve been expanding ever since.”

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While he’s heard that business at other plantations is off by up to 30 percent, Williamson said he is “very well pleased” at the bookings he has gotten. But he also emphasized that hunting is not the primary feature of Honey Lake.

“We do have excellent hunting, but we’re catering more to events,” he said.

Honey Lake has 25,000 square feet of meeting space, a bar, restaurant, spa, pool, three ballrooms, three boardrooms, an equestrian lodge, a lodge, a chapel, salon and pool.

Still, Williamson and his son are avid hunters and his wife, who loves to shoot trap, is interested in doing more hunting.

“There are lots of quail, lots of beautiful scenery. It’s an awesome way to live,” he said.

Conservation Is Vital The quail population in North Florida and South Georgia is nowhere what it once was.

There’s not as much habitat and much of it that does remain is not being maintained the way quail need to survive.

But those who own the commercial plantations work hard to ensure they protect flora and fauna in the region’s delicate eco-system.

At Dan-D-Ridge, Sullivan is installing fence rows to give the quail shelter. He’s planting millet and milo for feed, and love grass, which gives the birds a place to go Acres of classic red-clay quail country — with chasing after bugs in the spring. rolling hills, 40-year old pines and sweeping “We started off on a learning curve,” he native grasses — flow through the heart of the said.

“We were putting feed in quail feeders plantation, which also offers dove fields, duck but the predators learned where the feeders ponds and six stocked lakes. Originally were, and we had to put the brakes on that.”

Honey Lake Plantation

Bob Williamson

bought as a family retreat, it is a resort destination specializing in weddings and group events.

While the quail are natural prey for hawks, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, raccoons and possum, their nests are also susceptible to fire ants because the birds nest on the ground. Sullivan works with state wildlife officials on habitat restoration programs for the small birds the region is known for.

“It’s not just about hunting. We are trying everything we can to help the birds,” he said.

Everett, owner of Hard Labor Creek, was honored by the Florida Wildlife Federation as Forest Conservationist of the Year for 2006 for his management practices that have helped preserve local wildlife.

“We do a lot of (controlled) burning,” he said.

“That’s one of the critical tools you use to push Mother Nature back so wildlife can survive. I was listening to quail calls early this morning and late last night, so it was a good nesting season this year for the birds.”

The burns are important to thin out the timber so that sunlight can penetrate the forest floor, enabling native grasses to grow, said Tony Young of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It also keeps the hardwoods from encroaching on the land where pine should be growing — the habitat that helped the quail survive here over centuries.

“It puts Florida back to how it looked when the Spanish explorers set foot on the land. Back then, when lightning hit, there would be a wildfire and it would burn until it hit a creek or a river,” Young said. “Now that everything has gotten so fragmented with development, that won’t happen any more.”

But protecting the Bobwhite has become important to hunters as well as conservationists and birdwatchers, he explained. And that concern has helped other species that may not have such a dedicated following.

“Quail is really kind of a flagship type of species,” he said. “A lot of different people can rally around the Bobwhite. And when you manage the land for what the quail like, you are managing it for the gopher tortoise, the scrub jay and the red cockaded woodpecker.”

Everett has seen plantations come and go, but he thinks competition is healthy and said one of his closest friends is getting ready to enter the hunting business.

“The way I look at it, if you are good, you will do well. But if you get content, you will fall by the wayside,” he said. “I’m always trying to find a bird that will fly better than last year’s birds, trying to find the right guides. So, it’s like any other business. You’d better pay attention.” n

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The

Entrepreneurial UNIVERSITY The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship leads Florida State University into a new culture of business innovation BY MARGIE MENZEL

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t

The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship leads Florida State University into a new culture of business innovation

BY MARGIE MENZEL

the February 2010 meeting of the Florida State University board of trustees, his first as president, eric barron said he wanted to claim a territory that no other university could. It would be student-centered, he told the trustees, and would boost donations — no small matter given that barron was charged with raising $1 billion.

He also introduced a few students who had helped cater the meeting, proprietors of Hey, cupcake, a startup incubated at the Jim moran Institute for Global entrepreneurship in the FSU college of business.

“It was a nice way of visualizing what he wanted to do,” said Amanda chamberlain, who had stayed up all night baking the treats. chamberlain and her partners — carlos Solares, Jeff boyer and matthew O’connell — were part of the moran Institute’s Sophomore experience, which accepts 40 students a year and helps them create and manage a firm. Her favorite professor, Jim Dever, had told barron about Hey, cupcake, which the new president soon hired to cater a tour of his official residence.

“It really got our name out there,” chamberlain said.

Now, as barron’s vision for FSU takes shape, entrepreneurship is at its heart. Not just an entrepreneurship program, which he says has become “fairly typical” at institutions of higher learning, but a cutting-edge concept like JmI’s, which gives students start-up funds, office space, mentoring by gifted local business people and coaching by a dynamic faculty.

It serves roughly 1,000 undergraduates and 200 businesses yearly, boasting a youth development program, the new guest lecture series “Advice Straight Up!” and now e-Week, a campus-wide celebration of entrepreneurship in mid-September. A national conference is in the works.

“What distinguishes Florida State is the extent to which we’re looking at this as incubator programs,” barron said, “and the extent to which we’re assisting companies.” companies like Hey, cupcake, with its cinnamonbun and peanut-butter-and-jelly flavors; taxitab, a pre-paid credit card accepted by cab companies;

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GROWING MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL then there’s the JmI chemPreneur program, which pairs faculty and doctoral students with business majors who can help turn their research into sales. Over the academic year, JmI students might learn about stroke-drug development, protein separation or micro-reactor systems, while the university’s scientists learn the basics of marketing. “the awesome part of chemPreneur,” said senior Justin Heacock of Lakeland, “is to be able to work with these people in biology and chemistry who are geniuses but don’t know about the business side. to me, business is the most creative thing you can do.” barron, in fact, is adamant that the entrepreneurial philosophy can be applied to any academic discipline, even one as counter-intuitive as, say, music. “music: If you’re going to be successful, you’d better be able to package it and market it and go forward not just on your talent, but because of what you’ve done to make yourself successful,” he said, “and to have access to all those people who would be listening or watching you.” to be truly unique, according to barron, FSU’s entrepreneurship can’t be limited to a few programs, however effective; it must be comprehensive and campus-wide. His strategy

calls for an integrated learning environment of classroom instruction, student and faculty business incubators and residential housing with entrepreneurial outreach services. entrepreneurs-in-residence and other scholars would conduct research, inspire creativity and drive technology into the future. And JmI’s formula of seed money, office space, expert coaches and angel investors would spread across campus. “then you can claim to be the most entrepreneurial university in the nation,” barron said. “And I think you distinguish yourself from all the other business schools that have added entrepreneurial classes.”

In this, Florida State is riding the “zeitgeist,” a German term meaning the “spirit of the times,” given the U.S. economy’s shift from institutional to individual business models.

In the 1960s, the 500 largest companies in the world — the “Fortune 500” — employed 80 percent of the U.S. labor force; today less than one in 14 Americans work for these firms.

Small businesses took up the slack. According to the FSU “entrepreneurial university” project led by college of business Dean caryn beck-Dudley, of the 34 million jobs created

by U.S. businesses between 1985 and 2005, 90 percent were generated by companies less than five years old. “the need for entrepreneurship to create value has never been greater,” said JmI executive Director tim Holcomb.

In Florida, entrepreneurship is even more prevalent. Fully 99.7 percent of the state’s 2.15 million resident businesses have fewer than 100 employees, according to the FSU project, and provide 82.4 percent of the state’s 8.47 million jobs. that’s higher than the national rate of 98.2 percent. eight percent of Florida’s workforce is self-employed.

CU PCAKES AND COACHING Hey, Cupcake, incubated at the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, was started by sophomores (this page). Jim Dever (opposite page), who owned a dozen businesses before retiring at 41, went back to school and has become one of the most admired professors in the program because of the coaching and motivation he provides students.

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PHOTO COURTESY AMANDA CHAMBERLAIN, OPPOSITE PAGE COURTESY JIM DEVER

moolaguides.com, a web exchange where students buy and sell class notes; and custom tshirt printer Ignite Apparel.

“It’s not academic experience,” said retired Ibm executive Steve evans, a member of the Institute’s advisory board. “It’s beyond chalk talk.

It’s ‘Here’s the ball, get on the mound. You’re pitching in ten minutes.’ ” Sophomore experience, begun in 2009, is the essence of this credo. Although the college of business accepts only third- and fourth-year students, Sophomore experience allows those chomping at the bit to enter the marketplace that much sooner. And while few of the 2009 student ventures were able to pay back their start-up costs, the second-year class recouped most of theirs — of the 13 firms built in 2010, 11 were profitable.

“It’s really nice to be surrounded by 39 entrepreneurial minds,” said John Sears of tarpon Springs, who started working in his father’s carpet firm at age 12. Sears’ mother talked him into attending college, he said, on the grounds that “a four-year degree is pretty much what a high school diploma used to be. If it was up to me and my dad, I’d be out selling carpet right now … (but) I feel that I’m truly learning a lot.” explained matt David, a sophomore from Jacksonville, “there’s not too much theory about it. You have to go out and fail a couple of times.”

“entrepreneurs embody the promise of America: the idea that if you have a good idea and are willing to work hard and see it through, you can succeed in this country,” said President barack Obama in January, announcing an initiative called Startup America. “In fulfilling this promise, entrepreneurs also play a critical role in expanding our economy and creating jobs.” barron is planting his flag on “the entrepreneurial university:” student-centered, as he promised his trustees, and a magnet for donors, starting with Jan moran and the Jim moran Foundation, donors of the lead gift of $4.25 million last April. (the morans had already given $5 million since endowing JmI in 1995.)

“If you’re going to raise a billion dollars and people are going to donate to it, you have to have transformative ideas,” beck-Dudley said. “No one’s going to give you that type of money unless you’re going to transform the university.” evans is a believer. “I guarantee it’ll help with prospective donors,” he said. “to me, there is no question that FSU will meet, if not exceed, its billion-dollar issue.”

INCUBATING AT JMI to understand what JmI does, said Holcomb, you have to understand the late Jim moran.

Staked by $360 from his mother, he bought a gas station in 1939 and made it the most

“We take the mistakes and turn them into a learning experience.” — Professor Jim Dever profitable Sinclair franchise in chicago. When he moved to South Florida, he built the largest toyota distributorship in the world. In 2000, having launched JmI five years before, he and his wife Jan made the Jim moran Foundation, which has poured $20 million into education and community programs.

“When he was a youngster, he had no one to mentor him,” said Holcomb. “So when he

made his first investment here at Florida State and endowed the Jim moran Institute, his focus was outreach.” that outreach has touched every part of the state with services and research, from elementary school students to military veterans with disabilities. In its 16 years, JmI has served 3,000 businesses in Northwest Florida, mostly in the big bend. It offers one-on-one consulting,

executive mentorship and round-tables in which business leaders discuss what’s worked and what hasn’t in their respective shops. evans said the founders’ legacy is a valuesbased system of entrepreneurship that is constantly referenced in board meetings. “It’s a grounding mechanism that causes you to alxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ways say, ‘Is this what the morans intended and xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx would be proud to have happen?’ ”

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J

ames Martin Moran, the biggest Ford dealer in the world, made the cover of Time magazine in 1961. He was 42 and entrepreneurship was in his blood. At the age of seven, he’d sold soft drinks to the crowds at sandlot baseball games near his Chicago home. When his father died in the depths of the Depression, the teenage Moran took an after-school job at a service station.

He never went to college. Fascinated by cars, he borrowed $360 in 1939 to buy his own station, which became the most profitable Sinclair outlet in the Windy City.

Moran built both Hudson and Ford dealerships into the world’s largest.

“He personally sells more than 1,000 cars a year,” reported Time — this despite a sales force of 94.

“Moran seems to shine with so much sincerity and belief that his cars are the best (‘the most gorgeous car that you have ever seen’) that almost every customer feels he is getting the same deal that Moran would give his own brother.”

He was a natural for television, pioneering its use to sell cars. Known as “Jim Moran, the Courtesy Man” — after the name of his business — his upbeat manner and folksy mien were such a hit that in one local poll he even beat out Ed Sullivan.

Moran went on to found Southeast Toyota Distributors (JM Family Enterprises) in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The company was honored as: » No. 29 on Forbes’ list of “America’s Largest Private Companies” » No. 16 on Fortune’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” (on the list 14 consecutive years) » No. 3 on Computerworld’s “100 Best Places to Work in IT”

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He and his wife, Jan, established the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship in 1995. In 2000, they set up the Jim Moran Foundation, which has invested more than $20 million in educational and nonprofit agencies in Broward, Palm Beach and Duval Counties. Moran, a billionaire and a member of the Forbes 400, was: » Awarded the prestigious Horatio Alger Award in 1996; » Awarded an honorary doctorate

by Florida State University in 1997; » Inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Mich., in 2005.

Jim Moran died in 2007 but earlier this year, Jan Moran made a $4.25 million lead gift to Florida State University to expand the programs at JMI. Having already given $5 million to the Institute, the Morans are among FSU’s top all-time donors.

“Throughout his life, my husband, Jim, believed that everyone deserved the chance to succeed,” said Jan Moran. “Knowing that hard work, encouragement and the right opportunity could change a person’s life, he created The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship to impact the future for small business owners and innovative entrepreneurs.

The Institute has been doing that for 16 years by providing services and resources free of charge to emerging and growing businesses.

“I know he would be very proud of FSU’s continued commitment to his vision for an Institute that would foster the spirit of entrepreneurism and the many lives that have been changed because of it — and the many more, in communities around the world, that will benefit for years to come.”

PHOTO COURTESY JIM MORAN INSTITUTE

WHO IS JIM MORAN?

HAND S O N LE ARNI NG Tim Holcomb, JMI’s executive director, oversees myriad programs that serve 1,000 undergraduates and 200 businesses a year.

The program’s outreach has touched every part of Florida with services and research.

more than half of college students want to run their own venture, according to JmI, and its students can’t get the words out fast enough to describe the Institute’s impact on their lives.

“Sophomore experience is the only class I was excited to wake up every day for,” said David russell, a junior from coral Springs.

“I really did produce,” recalled Jean Paul rodriguez, now transferred to Georgetown. “employers right now are looking for multi-taskers.

It’s a leg up from everyone else.”

Added eric Fritz, a junior from clearwater, “the competition pushes you.”

JmI’s faculty boasts such well-known names as entrepreneur in residence ron Frazier and columnist Jerry Osteryoung, the director of outreach services. evans praises the entire staff. “everyone in that organization is so doggone committed.” certainly they’re keeping a

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

“The need for entrepreneurship to create value has never been greater.” — JMI Executive Director Tim Holcomb dizzying pace, advancing the entrepreneurial university on every front.

Dever has had a profound effect, with students calling him “the best professor I ever had” and “an amazing mentor.” He owned a dozen businesses — trucking and construction firms, motels and restaurants — before retiring at 41. At 50, he returned to Florida State to complete his bachelor’s degree in 2003 and his mbA in 2004. His master’s proposal on entrepreneurship in the former Soviet Union won a Fulbright Scholars Award, allowing him to travel to teach at a Kazakhstan university and counsel local entrepreneurs. In 2009, he completed his Ph.D. at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

“He has this ability to pull a student,” said rodriguez. “He’s more like a football coach in the way he motivates you.”

Students love that Dever has given them all his phone numbers, asking only that when they call his home, they are gracious to his wife. they love that he’s experienced all the business disasters they’re ever likely to encounter, including the theft of 50,000 pounds of sugar.

“We take the mistakes and turn them into a learning experience,” Dever said. “And if you can do that, you’re going to find success … It’s the kids doing the right stuff. I let them go and they are successful.”

JmI students also say that networking — with their peers as well as with the many

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successful business people who mentor them — is one of the most valuable parts of their education. the common area of the Student business Incubator is full of shop talk; the students help each other as well as compete. “entrepreneurs are all about making contact,” said russell. “I have referrals left and right from everybody in my class.”

Sears, who daydreamed in school about his job at the family firm, said a successful entrepreneur has “a drive and a passion for work. A lot of people think they can own a business and hire people to work for them, but it doesn’t work that way. An overnight success takes a long time.”

Said Holcomb, “Sometimes you have to remind them, ‘School first.’ ”

“THAT’S WHAT ENTREPRENEURS DO” No one is more gratified by the Jim moran Institute’s success than caryn beck-Dudley, who as dean of the college of business oversees it.

At a meeting on barron’s “big ideas” campaign, a discussion of JmI with other deans turned into the entrepreneurial university brainstorm.

“People are very, very excited,” she told the Institute’s advisory board in June, “because it really does have the ability to transform not only Florida State University, but how large public research universities operate in the country.”

Having spear-headed another cOb contribution, on risk management, to aid barron’s efforts, beck-Dudley acknowledged that changing

“An overnight success takes a long time.”

— John Sears

the status quo can be a gamble.

“It is risky, because large public research universities have long traditions, long histories of how they operate. And frankly, they’ve been very, very successful,” she said. “that’s what entrepreneurs do,” someone called out to her. “that’s what entrepreneurs do,” she agreed. “You step out.” beck-Dudley met with the FSU Foundation board of directors and called the entrepreneurial university a $250 million idea, given the campus-wide need for staff. She also noted the complexities of FSU’s position. “that is the challenge: to clear the hurdles for a university that comes under a legislature, comes under a governor, that has several boards governing it and is very large and very complex,” she said. “but I think we can do it.” there’s much more to do. In march, the Student business Incubator won a Jessie ball duPont grant for services to minority student entrepreneurs. research shows that African American and Hispanic-operated businesses are under-represented and face greater survival and growth hurdles. the grant will establish mentoring and consultation programs tailored to meet the needs of minority-led businesses. then there’s the question of whether JmI’s approach can be taught online, a discussion Dever said is underway.

Perhaps Florida State’s most tempting asset, though, was the second

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JMI PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS The Mission: To cultivate, train and inspire entrepreneurial leaders via world-class education, leading-edge research, applied training, consulting assistance, mentorship and public recognition.

THE PROGRAMS: » The Student Business Incubator, a hatchery space that supports up to eight early-stage student ventures. It helps students launch new businesses to the point that they can operate independently and connects students with mentors from the faculty and business community. » The new ChemPreneur Technology Commercialization Experience, which offers business students the chance to work with doctoral students on innovations that can be patented and marketed. » The Youth Entrepreneurship Development program, through Junior Achievement, which has trained 9,000 Leon County students in workforce readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship. (79 percent of students say they felt encouraged to continue their education as a result.) » The JMI “Advice Straight Up!” national conference and high-profile speaker series, which kicked off in August 2011. » E-week, a mid-September slate of meet-and-greet and challenge events — posing the question, “What’s Your Big Idea?”

THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The outreach program helped 300 businesses in 2010.

The entrepreneurship program has trained 120 degree-seeking undergraduate majors and 300 business and non-business students pursuing certificates in entrepreneurship. » The Junior Achievement program trained 1,650 Leon County high school and middle school students in 2010 — 9,000 since 2002. » The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans has graduated more than 300 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. (Although technically not part of JMI, it receives much of its support from the Institute.) » The Sophomore Experience and ChemPreneur programs have launched 33 student-led businesses. » In its second year, the ChemPreneur Technology Commercialization Experience was the runner-up for the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship 2011 Innovative Entrepreneur Education Course Award. » JMI was accepted for membership in the Leadership Circle, a group of 20 prestigious university-based centers in the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers. » Has awarded more than $15,000 in prize money through student competitions.

» »

game of its 2011 football season: the Sept. 17 showdown with Number One-ranked Oklahoma. televised nationally in prime time, with eSPN’s “college GameDay” crew at Doak campbell Stadium all day and people coming from across the country, what better time to kick off e-Week? beck-Dudley, an entrepreneur contemplating her competitive advantage, happily viewed the game as an opportunity to leverage football to launch the school’s new entrepreneurial concept to 90,000 people. “You only get one Oklahoma game.” ■

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Capital New Beginnings >> Shane Molinari and Eduardo Gonzalez Loumiet have launched Business Continuity Management Professionals, a full-service provider that will partner with businesses to ensure continuity and recovery of critical business functions in the event of an accident, disaster, emergency and/or threat. The company is certified as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. >> Lisa Carey, Realtor, and Lesa Hart, Broker Associate, have formed the real estate team of Carey & Hart Realtors at Coldwell Banker Noblin and Hartung, Inc., where they will specialize in residential sales. >> Southeast Louisiana accounting firm Rebowe & ComCarey pany, CPAs, and the South Central Kentucky accounting firm of Holland CPAs PSC, have merged with Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC, the third largest accounting firm in the South. >> The law firm of Clark, Partington, Hart, Larry, Bond & Stackhouse, with offices in Pensacola and Destin, has opened an office in Tallahassee. It will be staffed by attorneys James M. “Chet” Barclay and Melissa VanSickle. >> Melissa Medley has become Enterprise Florida’s senior vice president, overseeing its Marketing & Strategic Intelligence division based in Tallahassee.

Medley

>> Cory Griffin has joined TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Tallahassee as a new customer service representative.

Local Happenings >> Startup Round, a new breed of professional networking, is hosted at the Wine Loft every second Thursday of the month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Co-founders John Chason of Metrix Ventures, Lester Hutt of BevShots and Adam Kaye of Silicon Tally created Startup Round to connect local inventors, entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and students in a relaxed atmosphere that fosters collaboration and new venture creation.

Local Honors >> Martha Barnett, a partner in the Tallahassee office of

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>> The Florida Society of Ophthalmology, the professional association for medical and osteopathic doctors who specialize in vision care, awarded Frederick Dudley its President’s Recognition Award. Dudley is a senior counsel and member of the Florida Government Advocacy Team in Holland & Knight’s Tallahassee office.

Barnett

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>> Martin G. Fennema, 54, of Tallahassee, department chair of Florida State University’s College of Business, to the Board of Accountancy. >> Jerome “Jerry” S. Osteryoung, 69, of Tallahassee, director of outreach services for the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at the Florida State University College of Business, to the Judicial Qualifications Commission.

>> Charles “Chuck” Roberts, 58, of Tallahassee, president of C.W. Roberts Contracting Inc., to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. >> Richard Shriver, 58, of Tallahassee, North Florida division human resources vice president of Hospital Corporation of America, to the Workforce Florida Inc. board of directors.

Dudley

>> Lila Jaber, former chair of the Florida Public Service Commission and now shareholder and head of Gunster’s government affairs practice, was elected by Leadership Florida as its chair for 2011-2012.

>> SalterMitchell, a national marketing and communications agency with offices in Tallahassee and Orlando, Fla., and Alexandria, Va., has been recognized by editors at HOW Magazine as having one of the Top 10 Websites for Designers. It made the September list with its new company website. >> Moore Consulting Group is the only Tallahassee company on Inc. Magazine’s 2011 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, a national ranking based on revenue and employee growth. >> The National Association of Counties, in partnership with e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government and Digital Communities program, has put Leon County in the Top 10 counties worldwide in the Digital Counties Survey Awards for effectively economizing and innovatively using technology. >> Kara Danforth, Rafaela Hofmann and Daniel Rodriguez, from the Tallahassee office of Carr, Riggs & Ingram, have become Certified Public Accountants. >> Nathan Adams, a partner in the Holland & Knight Tallahassee office, has been named to the Florida TaxWatch Center for Smart Justice Advisory Board. >> Christine Davis Graves, a Tallahassee shareholder with Carlton Fields, has been Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Appellate Practice.

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Appointed by Gov. Scott

>> Donna M. Poole, 55, of Tallahassee, a self-employed labor law attorney, to the Public Employees Relations Commission.

>> Ron Sachs Communications has won the national “PR Jaber Agency of the Year” Gold award from industry journal Bulldog Reporter for outstanding achievement by communications agencies and professionals in the category of firms with revenue between $3,000,001 and $5,000,000.

>> BB&T has promoted Melissa L. Wright, a private financial advisor who joined the bank in 2005, to vice president.

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Holland & Knight, has been awarded the prestigious Lifetime Leadership Award, given jointly by Leadership Tallahassee and the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes an individual who has made significant, tangible leadership contributions to the Tallahassee community for more than 25 years. Barnett was the first woman lawyer hired by Holland & Knight in 1973. She served as American Bar Association president 2000-2001.

>> Jason L. Unger, 43, of Tallahassee, a shareholder with Gray Robinson P.A., to the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission. >> Thomas E. Wright, 52, of Tallahassee, a senior attorney for the Florida Department of Management Services, to the Task Force on Public Employee Disability Presumptions.

Emerald Coast New Beginnings >> Patrick Bienvenue, a veteran real estate developer who was responsible for developing the Rosemary Beach community, has been appointed executive vice president of The St. Joe Company. >> The Emerald Coast Association of Realtors has named Clifford “Cliff” Long as its new chief executive officer. >> Tracy Louthain, former communications director for the Walton County Tourist Development Council, has opened Tracy Louthain Communications, LLC, a full-service public relations and communications firm in South Walton. >> Alvin Wingate and Mike Russo have joined the commercial division of Coldwell Banker Commercial United, REALTORS®, as broker associates. >> Mike Freeman has joined Acentria of Destin as chief financial officer. One of the fastest growing insurance agencies in the southeast, Acentria now has nine Florida locations. >> Erin Kelley Sammis, director of development and marketing for the Pensacola Opera since May 2007, has been named as the company’s executive director.

Sammis

>> Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida has hired Judy Burns as its new executive director. >> MANNA, a private, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to alleviating hunger in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, has hired DeDe Flounlacker as its new executive director. She is a former vice president with the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce and executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pensacola.

BUSINESS NEWS >> Under the leadership of Amy Wise-Coble, Escape to Northwest Florida is a new business specializing in vacation rentals along Scenic 30A, South Walton and Destin.

Wise-Coble has joined with Coastal Properties of Northwest Florida’s Susanne Ward and Chip Jervis to create the company.

Medical Happenings >> Sharon Nobles is the new vice president and chief financial officer for Baptist Hospital Operations. >> Rebecca Griener has been named as the new director of benefits for Baptist Health Care. >> Baptist Medical Group has added radiation oncologist James Adams, M.D., to its team of medical specialists. >> Elise T. Gordon, M.D., a primary care Nobles sports medicine physician, and Michael T. Harris, M.D., an interventional pain medical physician, have joined The Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. >> Dr. Mose Hayes III, a medical oncologist, has joined the Sacred Heart Medical Oncology Group in Miramar Beach. >> PanCare of Florida, which operates dental and health care clinics in Bay and Walton Counties, has opened a new, non-profit Community Health Center in Freeport. >> The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living has recognized Baptist Manor as a 2011 recipient of the Bronze — Commitment to Quality National Quality Award for its performance in the health care profession.

Local Happenings >> 30A.com has launched SouthWalton.com, a new website designed to help visitors learn more about the state parks, resorts, activities and beach communities of South Walton. >> Beach Properties of Florida has been selected by The St. Joe Company to provide real estate sales services for its Northwest Florida communities, including WaterColor, WaterSound, WaterSound Beach, WaterSound West Beach, RiverCamps on Crooked Creek and Wild Heron.

Local Honors >> Mark Crosswhite, president and CEO of Gulf Power Company, has been appointed to the Enterprise Florida board of directors.

He will serve as an at-large member for one year. >> The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Northwest Florida Chapter has named Dave Rauschkolb, owner of Bud and Crosswhite Alley’s restaurant in Seaside, as its first recipient of the “Local Hero Award.” Rauschkolb began the Hands Across the Sand

movement to protect Florida’s beaches from the effects of offshore oil drilling. >> John L. Hutchinson, Gulf Power Company’s general manager of Corporate Services, has been selected for the 2011-2012 Leadership Florida program. >> Greg Donovan, director of the Northwest Florida Regional Airport, has been honored by the Northwest Florida Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Hutchinson Relations Association as its “Person of the Year” for his use of public relations principles to raise the region’s profile and enhance the area’s economy. >> The American Society of Women Accountants has elected Lori K. Kelley, a partner with O’Sullivan Creel, to its national board of directors.

SoundByteS near the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, in mid-2012. The company will be the first commercial development in the business park built by The St. Joe Company in its 70,000-acre West Bay sector. ITT is projected to hire an additional 30 employees, increasing its total employment to 120, at an average annual wage of $49,500, exceeding 150 percent of Bay County’s average annual wage. >> BookIt.com, a leading online travel provider, has hired Enrique Klein, a marketing executive with more than 30 years experience in the travel industry, as director of national accounts. >> Redpine Healthcare Technologies, Inc., is moving its corporate headquarters and software development company from Spokane, Wash., to Panama City. Redpine is projected to hire more than 100 employees within the first year of operation and grow to 410 employees by the end of 2015 at an average annual wage of $49,155, 150 percent of Bay County’s average annual wage. The company is moving to the fourth floor of the Hancock Bank Center at 1022 West 23rd St., a lease arranged by Chris McCall, senior associate at Counts Real Estate Group. >> Serenity by the sea at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa has added Cleo Spielberg, a worldrenowned certified aesthetician and makeup artist, to its team of professionals.

Local Honors

>> The Better Business Bureau Serving Northwest Florida has elected Fran Crumpton, Gulf Coast Trade ExKelley change, as treasurer and David DelGallo, Advanced Construction Services, as vice chair. Two new board members are: Carroll Scarborough, Pen Air Federal Credit Union, and Mindy Shirley, Gulf Power Company. >> Shane Moody, president and CEO of the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce, has been selected for the Certified Chamber Executive Commission, the only national certification for chamber professionals. >> Emerald Coast Utilities Authority’s Central Water Reclamation Facility in Cantonment has been honored as a top three finalist for the 2011 Global Water Reuse Project of the Year by Global Water Intelligence. >> Judy Wiseman of Niceville — a registered nurse, special education teacher, school guidance counselor, mental health counselor and registered play therapist who donates much of her time to charity — has been honored with the Florida Achievement Award from the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. She was nominated by the Okaloosa County Commission on the Status of Women for the statewide honor. >> AAF Emerald Coast has named Jennifer Holcombe of The Promotions Chick to lead the organization.

Appointed by Gov. Scott >> Leslie Ingram, 34, of Pensacola, vice president of consumer operations for Overgroup Consulting, to the Workforce Florida board of directors.

Bay

>> SeaBreeze Winery, the only working winery on Panama City Beach, won Best of Class for its Red Muscadine at the INDY International Wine competition, which attracted 3,000 entries from 15 countries and 40 states. >> Jennifer Conoley, director of communications and marketing for the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, recently earned professional accreditation in public relations.

Conoley

Appointed by Gov. Scott >> Richard N. Frudaker, 58, of Panama City, a harbor pilot, to the Board of Pilot Commissioners. >> Nicholas “Nick” Patronis, 44, of Panama City Beach, co-owner of Captain Anderson’s Restaurant, to the Northwest Florida Water Management District.

I-10 Local Honors >> The Jay Hospital Employee Foundation, supported by hospital workers through payroll deduction, has awarded $1,000 college scholarships to: Jocelyn Gould and Sarah Killam of Northview High School, Joshua Merritt of T.R. Miller High School and Julia Skaggs, Jay High School.

Appointed by Gov. Scott

New Beginnings

>> Angus “Gus” Andrews, 55, of DeFuniak Springs, owner of Andrews & Arnsdoff Realty, to the governing board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.

>> ITT Corporation’s Panama City facility plans to expand its operations to a new, 100,000-square-foot building at VentureCrossings Enterprise Center at West Bay,

>> Hulan S. Carter, 71, of Chipley, a retired project manager with Deltona Corp., to the Washington County Board of County Commissioners.

Compiled by Linda Kleindienst

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Capital Corridor

Gadsden, Jefferson + Leon Counties

E-P re ac hi n g Bethel Missionary Baptist Church turns to entrepreneurism to help lift a Tallahassee community out of poverty.

Entrepreneurial Spirit The Rev. R. B. Holmes ministers to all the needs of his congregation By Desiree Stennett

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n times gone by, the church was often the cornerstone of every community, the place where people went to find healing, comfort and security. Today, the Rev. R. B. Holmes is reclaiming that holistic approach and transforming Tallahassee’s Bethel Missionary Baptist Church into an all-purpose corporation designed to meet all the needs of its community.

“You can’t ‘love your neighbor’ when your neighbor is unemployed or hungry,” Holmes says. “I think the church must have holistic ministry. That means we want to minister to the total body, mind, spirit and soul.”

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And there’s hardly a segment of his church community that isn’t touched by the entrepreneurial endeavors of Holmes himself or the church he leads. There’s a nursing home, a mental health clinic, a counseling service, a radio station, a newspaper, until recently a restaurant and soon, perhaps, a credit union.

“Dr. Holmes is a visionary leader,” says Linda Fortenberry, the director of education and institutional development of Bethel. “The Bible says we shall be the owners, not the borrowers.

This is an example of that.”

When Holmes left First Timothy Baptist Church in his hometown of Jacksonville 25

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years ago to become the pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, he came with a plan and an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit.

Holmes’ approach to business and leadership was inspired by former General Electric CEO Jack Welch’s “4 E’s of Leadership” — energy, energizes, edge and executes. Holmes however, has six E’s of his own that are a little more church-centered — evangelism, education, entrepreneurship, encouragement, ethics and excellence.

“We strive to make sure that whatever we do, we do it ethically and evangelically,” he says of his approach to business.

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

One of Holmes’ greatest accomplishments, of course, is the Bethel church. Since he became pastor the congregation has grown to 5,000 members who support his vision, even though the road has not always been easy.

The plan that Holmes and the other church leaders developed when he arrived in the late 1980s was called “Vision 2000.” It was a project designed to help revitalize the historic Frenchtown area that at the time was ridden with drugs and crime. With his new congregation behind him, Holmes took the church that already had a rich history dating back to the 1800s and created a central location for hope in a community that was in desperate need of it.

“As a historic church, we had to decide, do we leave the downtown area and build the church up in the suburbs or do we work in the area that needed our strong presence.” Holmes remembers. “We decided to stay and transform the community.”

The ideas behind Vision 2000 led to the creation of the Bethel Christian Academy, an elementary school and the C.K. Steele Charter Middle School. Then came The Bethel Family Life Center, the Bethel Counseling Center, Bethel Towers, a nursing home for the elderly who have limited income but still require assisted living, and a mental health clinic that sees more than 200 patients a month.

The Bethel Family Restaurant opened in 1995 but was recently leased out to become a Roly Poly franchise.

In addition to his church-related work, Holmes is also the president and CEO of Live Communications, the parent media and broadcast company that heads up Capital Outlook, a minority-owned community newspaper that has taken on the mission of delivering positive news, and Christian radio station WTAL-AM 1450.

And despite doing all that, this entrepreneur has found time to serve on the board of trustees for three historically black colleges and universities: Florida A&M University, Edward Waters College in Jacksonville and Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens.

Holmes’ most recent endeavor is the establishment of the National Save the Family Now Movement, Inc. The group’s mission is to recognize issues that plague the structure of the family unit, the black family in particular, and find ways to strengthen those weaknesses.

Fortenberry has worked alongside Holmes for eight years with the National Baptist Congress of Education and the Nation Baptist Convention. She relocated to Tallahassee after

Hurricane Katrina and has been with Bethel ever since, serving as a chief of staff and filling in wherever help is needed.

Too often, she says, someone will create a new ministry in a church and be the leader of it until they leave — and the ministry dies. “Dr. Holmes doesn’t let that happen,” she says. “He has a way of finding people’s talent and keeping each ministry fresh.”

Most likely it is the flow of new ideas into Bethel that has kept the church’s ministries current and encouraged innovation.

As a historic church, we had to decide, do we leave the downtown area and build the church up in the suburbs or do we work in the area that needed our strong presence.

We decided to stay and transform the community.

—R.B. Holmes One example is the Carolina Oaks property that the church bought and completed renovations on in 2006. This purchase was a part of the Frenchtown revitalization project and helped first-time homebuyers find affordable homes they could be proud of.

“We have all kinds of people living out there,” Holmes says. “This project wasn’t about making money for the church. It was about helping people.”

It has long been the mission of the church to bring relief to the crime, poverty, homelessness and hunger that plague the Frenchtown community. And every Saturday, church members head into the Frenchtown area to feed the homeless, physically and spiritually.

“This is not something that we do just for Christmas and Thanksgiving,” Fortenberry says. “We do it every week. This community knows the church cares about them. That’s

why we are able to do so much, because the community cares about our vision too.”

And she is right. Everyone from the homeless who the church feeds every week all the way up to the city’s mayor can see the impact Holmes and Bethel Missionary Baptist Church have on the community.

“Rev. Holmes’ dedication and service to the people of our community is evident in all that he does,” says Tallahassee Mayor John Marks.

“Tallahassee is truly blessed to be home to a man of such tremendous faith and character.”

With the success of Vision 2000, the church was able to move on to the 2010 plan that allowed them to purchase the property that can now house all of the church’s enterprises. The next step in the church’s vision — the “2020 and beyond plan” — is to establish the Bethel Frenchtown Credit Union and to strengthen the Economic Development Ministry.

“Through the Economic Development Ministry, we want to somehow empower people to become entrepreneurs and we want the church to somehow lead the way through evangelism and strong moral and ethical standards,” Holmes says.

The establishment of a credit union to serve all of Tallahassee is in its final stages and is awaiting approval before construction can begin. When it gets the green light from regulators, the building will be located across from the church in the shopping plaza on West Tennessee Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

“Humbly speaking, all that God has given us to do, we’ve been able to do. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do more,” Holmes says. “Tallahassee needs strong ministry and as people of faith and people of color, we need to lead that.”

The next item on the agenda for Holmes will be to establish an operational Save the Family Now chapter to develop a positive and proactive agenda for holistic programs, events and activities designed to rebuild, reenergize and stimulate the family structure in 25 cities by 2012. Holmes and a host of churches he has inspired across the country are banding together to recreate the holistic ministry that he has managed to create here.

“As minorities, we should own some things,” Holmes says. “But it’s not about profit, it’s about prophesy. This movement will teach people that we can have results and the church can quietly change America.

“We’re trying to transform lives for the glory of God and the goodness of the people.” n

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forgotten coast Corridor

Gulf, Franklin + Wakulla Counties

Splashing for Dollars Deadhead logging dangerous but worth it By Jason Dehart

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here’s gold in the pitch-black waters of Northwest Florida. It’s in the form of long-forgotten timber — “deadhead” logs — lost and submerged for decades, maybe even a century.

These ancient logs can fetch a pretty penny for the enterprising entrepreneur. It’s an addicting search, but collecting them is like stepping back in time.

“I’m finishing what another logger started maybe 100 years ago. I love the history behind it,” said logger Travis French, who lives in Caryville, just west of Bonifay on the Choctawhatchee River. French worked the river for logs for 10 years as a member of another crew, but went into business himself three years ago.

Deadhead logging is an expensive business to get into, and it’s risky — both financially and physically. French pays $6,000 a year for all the necessary permits. But if you like the great outdoors, digging around underwater, and possibly tangling with snakes, alligators and even bull sharks, this is the gig for you.

Some loggers, like Coleman Mackie of Tallahassee, have only been in the business for a few short years, but are tantalized all the same by the promise of finding that one perfect log. Mackie’s North Florida Native Woods is one of several companies that searches the rivers of the Forgotten Coast and North Florida for old-growth pine and cypress, recovers them from the depths and then sells them.

The average price for cypress is $2 per board foot, and the average price for yellow pine is $3, but that can vary depending on how good the log is and how tight the wood grain is.

What makes these logs so precious and marketable? They’re sturdy and desirable. The lumber’s fine, tight grain is highly valued for its beauty and the ancient cypress logs are especially resistant to insects and rot.

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“This is old-growth timber. That’s what makes it so unique,” Mackie said. “You’ll never see anything like it again. It grew up in the virgin forests of Florida. The tightness of the grain and the diameter of the heartwood is the characteristic that makes it an upper echelon material, and it’s a finite resource. Every time you take a log out, there is never another one going in.”

It’s unknown just how finite a resource these logs are.

“There’s no way of knowing how much is left,” said French. “The river bottoms change season to season. You have to keep checking the same spot over and over because the river is constantly moving and changing. But one day they’ll all be gone.

And they’re going to become more valuable as demand goes up while supply goes down.”

Determining the cost of an “average” tree depends on the market. When asked how the cost of deadhead, or “sinker,” lumber compares to “normal” lumber, Luke Taunton of Taunton Sawmill in Wewahitchka said, “I’ve sold it anywhere from

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Mining the Ri ve r Coleman Mackie (standing, below) and Todd Bevis (right) find “gold” as they work the Crooked River in Franklin County for submerged cypress and pine logs.

$1.50 (a board foot) to $5 for custom beams.”

French has sold some deadhead lumber for $8 a board foot, which in the timber business is a square section 12 inches by 12 inches and an inch thick. A board that’s one-inch thick, 12 inches wide and 8 feet long can fetch $64.

But they don’t all sell for that much, he said, explaining, “It depends on the cypress. It has various colors: gold, black, red. The minerals in the water give the wood a patina. No two are the same.”

Photos by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Only a handful of entrepreneurs in North Florida are permitted by the state to remove these “deadhead” logs and sell them, according to Sara Merritt, environmental specialist at the Department of Environmental Protection and supervisor of the state’s deadhead logging program.

“Yes, this activity can get expensive and has become rather risky in such a depressed market.

But since I have been in charge of the program for the past 8 years there are really only a handful of

reasons people seem to get involved,” Merritt said.

“I believe the main reason for their choice of this career is that it is ‘in their blood’ so to speak. Many of these loggers have historical ties to logging and are just following in the footsteps of their fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers.”

Florida law says that anything found in state waters is considered state property, so authorization for deadhead logging activities is given through state permits and use agreements. Here’s

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where it gets expensive: The required dredge and fill permit application fee costs between $710 and $830, and the Use Agreement annual fee is $5,500.

Plus, each logger is required to have liability insurance while their Use Agreement is valid. During the application process, the applicant needs to provide GPS points for the proposed logging location, photos of the landing site and recovery vessels, landing authorization and an archeological survey if required. Plus, a permit holder is required to attend a course and receive a Master Deadhead Logger certificate.

“It’s almost like hunting for gold,” said Mackie, who dives for logs on the Forgotten Coast’s Crooked River, Carrabelle River and Ochlockonee River. “You can find hundreds of trees and they’ll be average pines, but then you’ll find one that’s all curly and you pay yourself back and more.”

It can definitely be a feast or famine business.

“Sometimes you’re doing really well because you’re finding people to buy stuff, but it’s hard right now because people aren’t doing a lot,” he said. “But we’re happy to be doing this, because the wood is absolutely beautiful and I have confidence the product itself will pay off in time because of the history and rarity of it.”

French, on the other hand, doesn’t do it for the money so much as the thrill of finding another historical object hidden away in the river.

Some logs he’s found have handhewn pegs driven into them, proof that they were hooked together in a massive log raft. Those are logs he won’t sell because of their historical meaning.

“You think about a man with a draw knife and an axe, and that’s all he had to work with.

They were handling logs that we couldn’t move today with the equipment we have,” he said. “But somehow they moved enormous logs across the swamp, down the river and sent them to the mill.”

French said that back in the day, loggers would actually brand their logs, like cattlemen branding livestock. Once a tree was felled they’d take a hammer and stamp their particular mark into the end of the log.

One logging company in particular, the McCaskill Timber Company of Walton County, had 20 different logging crews working their acreage and different brands were used to identify whose logs were whose.

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You think about a man with a draw knife and an axe, and that’s all he had to work with. They were handling logs that we couldn’t move today with the equipment we have. Travis French

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Hi stor ical Finds Travis French (above) enjoys finding history beneath the water; a pile of recovered deadhead cypress and pine logs (upper left); detail of a curly pine log (middle left); recovered log that bears the initials of the original logger to insure he got credit after reaching the mill (lower left).

“I’ve got a pretty good collection of them,” said French. When he finds a log that has a stamp, he slices off that end and preserves it. There are all kinds of symbols and emblems. Sometimes a logger would just leave his initials.

“It makes you wonder who that feller was who chopped his initials in that log,” he said.

Long leaf pine and cypress forests covered more than 90 million acres of the Southeast and rivaled cotton as a product in the 18th and 19th centuries. But much of the forests were logged extensively from the late 1800s on up through the early 20th century, and it was a common sight to see rafts of logs floating along the rivers of the Florida Panhandle. Rivers were the transportation corridors of choice back then because roads in this region were poor or non-existent. If a river wasn’t handy, the loggers would make their own waterways in the form of canals.

A tough breed of loggers carefully guided the logs downriver to sawmills or places where they could be pulled out and put on railroad cars for shipment to other locations.

Sometimes, if a log hadn’t been left to dry out enough or had too much sap in it, it would sink into the depths. The DEP’s Office of Submerged Lands and Environmental Resources says that about 10 percent of logs were lost before they could reach their destination.

These submerged logs are called “deadheads,” and the practice of retrieving these old logs is called “deadhead logging.”

Despite the losses from sinkage, the logging industry flourished and loggers became very efficient as technology improved harvesting.

Mackie says that in the 1830s, mills were producing 70,000 board feet a week. But as technology improved and the demand for lumber increased, native longleaf pine forests and stately cypress swamps started to disappear. By the late 1800s, mills were producing 140,000 board feet a day.

“Like anything else, we became very efficient at harvesting, and by 1930 it was all over. We had totally demolished (the forests) from South Carolina to Texas,” Mackie said. Today, less than 0.01 percent of the old-growth long leaf pine forests exit. What remains of those lost ancient pine and cypress logs are at the bottom of rivers throughout the Southeast.

According to the Florida DEP, there’s no telling how long deadhead loggers will be pulling old timber from the river bottoms because there’s no way of knowing just how many deadhead logs there are. Since the program began in 1999, a total of 20,884 logs have been reported as removed from waters of the state. The majority of those logs have been yellow pine and cypress.

Deadhead logging has had an on-again, offagain history in Florida. Before 1974, the state authorized these kinds of logging activities through an agreement, lease and permit. But in 1974, a moratorium was placed on deadhead logging in Florida. In late 1998, the practice was once again permitted, but a year later was suspended again.

In 2000, deadhead logging regulations were reconsidered and the state started to issue new permits.

In Northwest Florida, deadhead logging permits have been issued for the Crooked River, Carrabelle River, New River, Apalachicola River, Ochlockonee River, Chipola River and Dead Lakes, Brothers River, Black Creek, Holmes Creek, Choctawhatchee River, Alaqua Creek, Bayou Chico, Yellow River, Blackwater River, Escambia River and Perdido River.

Deadhead logging involves working underwater with heavy equipment to lift cypress logs that

Finished Pr oduct A table made by Will Jacobs of Woodland Cabinet Company from a cypress log recovered by North Florida Native Woods.

Below, company owner Coleman Mackie.

This is oldgrowth timber.

That’s what makes it so unique. You’ll never see anything like it again … Every time you take a log out, there is never another one going in.

Coleman Mackie can be as much as four or five feet wide, and it can be fraught with dangers.

“Although there are lots of hazards with this type of work, from equipment malfunction to animal encounters, my loggers have never told me any stories of detriment. I have heard of

encounters with a bull shark in the Suwannee River, and of course swimming up on top of a submerged alligator,” Merritt said. “I have had one logger tell me about getting bit by a water moccasin then having to rush off the river to get help, and another of being chased out of underwater logjams by resident beavers. But considering the amount of time and effort put into this type of activity, those stories seem like a small number considering the possibilities that could exist.”

Mackie said just finding the logs takes a lot of research before the first dive can be made. It involves going over old maps, records and studying the lay of the land for clues that a particular area was a high-density logging site.

“You start looking where the area of occupation was,” he said. “And then it’s just work. Swimming and bumping into them. A lot of luck is involved.

You can swim over one area and not see it, and then with the shifting sands and tide swim back over it and run across a monster. But it is blacker than standing in a closet with the light off.”

French said he does most of the diving in his crew, and likens it to crawling rather than swimming. The current on the Choctawhatchee is too strong to fight, he said, and getting trapped by fallen tree limbs and other debris is a real possibility.

“You’ve got to have self-control in 20 feet of water and not panic,” he said. “The water is so swift you have to stay on the bottom, and be careful about not getting hung up underwater. It’s not like diving in open water. You have to crawl along the bottom … and hope you don’t feel something that moves.” n

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It’s Good to Be ‘Indie’ Kings

Tag-Team Entr ep r e n e ur s Jenny and Tom King combine a sense of community with the encouragement of creative expression at their Seaside stores, Sundog Books and Central Square Records.

30A’s entrepreneurial couple is everything you didn’t expect By Jennifer Howard

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Photos by HBB PHOTOGRAPHY

Coastal Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa + Walton Counties

I

n the age of big-box retailers and online shopping, few would expect to find a flourishing independent bookseller or indie music store anywhere, much less in a small holiday town on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

But Sundog Books, managed by Jenny King, and Central Square Records, owned and operated by Jenny and her husband, Tom, are anything but typical. After all, how many other retailers include the front porch in their business plan?

The entrepreneurial couple mix retail savvy with a creative approach to shop-keeping to anchor one side of downtown Seaside in a two-story building, with Sundog Books on the bottom floor and Central Records above. The subtle mix works, providing all ages with something far more inspired than just a place to grab a bestseller or a recently released CD — it’s a gathering place where creativity is celebrated.

Tom and Jenny started their life together when they met in Seaside. He was working in a restaurant; she was working the muffin counter in Modica Market. “Tom came up and asked me some silly question that he claims he doesn’t remember,” Jenny said. “And we started talking.”

Each had worked in businesses along county road 30A. Tom’s entrepreneurial roots go back to his grandfather’s DeFuniak Springs hardware store, King & Co., that closed in 1999 after almost a century of operation. Some of Central Records’ fixtures are relics from the venerable family shop. Jenny hails from the Atlanta area, lured by the Gulf coast’s beaches from college in Georgia, where she was studying elementary education.

Where else but The Red Bar would the couple have gone on their first date? “My parents actually met in the building that is now The Red Bar,” Tom said, with a nod to the historical synchronicity.

Internet dating sites, matchmaking friends and syrupy pop songs sing the praises of “two hearts that beat as one” in a perfect lip-lockand-load for life. In the real world, things are much more interesting. The story of Tom and Jenny King is as much about their complementary differences. The simple comparison is Jenny’s job that revolves around words, while Tom’s business focus is on music.

Tom grew up mostly overseas in Asia and the Middle East, coming back to spend summers in Grayton Beach. He is likely to mention that while living as a young teen in Damascus, Syria, he traveled to Kuwait for a basketball tournament. Jenny has never left the country,

EMERALD COAST Corridor

although she’d like to travel one day. Tom, also an accomplished musician, has a strong entrepreneurial gene. Jenny eased into retail as she worked in various Seaside businesses. “I learned something every day,” she said. “And it’s all worked out.”

Day-to-day, Jenny is the family organizer, the couple agrees, drawing up the work schedule for

both businesses. She said, “Tom looks at me every night and asks, ‘When do I work tomorrow?’ ” With a four-year-old, a 20-month old and a 22-year-old who lives in nearby Tallahassee, keeping things running smoothly can be a challenge. The result is a kind of tag-team relay system, under which one of the couple may work until 2:30 p.m. when the other pulls into the parking lot for a parental hand-off.

Some places — libraries, gourmet groceries, museums, toy stores — simply demand that a visitor spend a little browsing time. Don’t be in a rush when you enter Sundog Books or Central Square Records. Park the hurry-up mentality those big boxes encourage on the front steps, and prepare to savor nooks and crannies, clever signage and the unexpected.

Given the sprawling mega-bookstores that have gobbled up many indie shops, it’s impressive to look over the range of titles on

offer in Sundog Books. Best-sellers and beach books, must-read classics, local writers’ works, weighty reference tomes, children’s and humorous books fill the floor-to-ceiling shelves and display tables. Jenny and the other shop employees maintain shelves displaying their current favorites. “Every day is something different,” Jenny said. “It’s far from stagnant. It’s a challenge to find things that people enjoy.” Handcrafted cards, artsy toys, games and gifts tucked in various spots elicit smiles and trigger conversation with other customers. Barefoot browsing is OK. Sundog Books sponsors a monthly book discussion group that draws participants from up and down the beach, both locals and visitors who may be around. Local free publications can be found near the front door. Writers stop by to sign copies of their works on the shady front porch — a good place to frequently check the bulletin boards to see what’s going on and who’s in town.

Follow the foot- and paw prints on the wooden floor to the stairs up to Central Square Records. In some ways, the shop’s name is misleading.

Yes, it’s a place where you can buy honest-to-goodness vinyl record albums (old and new) and even 45s, and show your kids how they produce music on the shop’s turntables. A significant breadth of newer CDs is also on offer, along with classic discs. Promotional poster art covers the walls, some enduring classics while others tout new releases.

Perhaps more unexpected are things like guitar string lubricant, finger strengtheners, replacement strings, guitar straps, tuners and other items musicians require. Into music from well before he made the decision to join the high school band for the trip to New Orleans’ Mardi Gras, Tom found he was frustrated with the dearth of musician’s supplies available any closer than the state capital.

To keep local and visiting musicians happily making music, Central Record Store stocks these supplies on their “musicians’ wall” near the main counter.

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As part of the fun, locally designed T-shirts share shelf space with mini-ukuleles in bright primary colors (with matching carrying cases).

No home should be without the wall-mounted inflated moose heads for sale. “We live in a log cabin, so it’s perfect for us, too,” Tom noted of the faux game trophy.

Shoppers never know who else may be flipping through albums or having a cup of Jittery Joe coffee in the store. “We have a strong Nashville connection,” Tom said. “Roseanne Cash was in here using the Wi-Fi in the back. John Prine comes in when he’s in town.” In mid-May, recording artist David Lowery gave a rare solo acoustic performance featuring music from his new album, “The Palace Guards.” Central Square Records just marked its busiest day ever when it joined other indie shops participating in a national Record Store Day. The economy has many retailers singing the blues, but Tom and Jenny find reason to be upbeat. “The economy has triggered creativity again,” Tom said. “Things have come full circle. People are taking creative risks that they weren’t a few years ago.”

The couple credits the unique character of 30A for the quality of both their business and their way of life. “It’s a zone of unique culture,” Tom said. “There are crazy interesting people here.” The sense of community and the encouragement of creative expression, coupled with the fact that visitors have time to savor these characteristics, make it possible to be an independent success, they believe. Tom and Jenny are quick to point out they are enjoying right now, but looking forward to a future where their family grows along with their business. n

B a refo ot B r ow s i n g Welc o me Tom King (above) helps music lovers find their favorites at Central Square Records, while Jenny King (right) offers a wide range of book titles at Sundog Books.

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Tom’s Top Music Picks “Scandalous,” Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears “Low Country Blues,” Greg Allman “Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows, Reinterpretations,” John Prine “Cannibal Courtship,” Dengue Fever “A Friend of a Friend,” Dave Rawlings Machine Kids’ music by They Might Be Giants

On Jenny’s Bookshelf “Zeitoun” by Dave Eggers “Molokai” by Alan Brennert “Room” by Emma Donoghue “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” by Lisa See “Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans” by Dan Baum “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts Anything by Dr. Seuss

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Ready for Takeoff New Airport Director sees a bright future for Bay County

By Wendy O. Dixon

Leavin’ On a J et Pl an e John Wheat can watch planes take off from his office window — and sees unlimited potential in the contributions that Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport can make to the region.

T

he skies above Northwest Florida have become markedly busier in the past year and a half, thanks to the buzz of activity at the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), which opened in May 2010. Since its first day, passenger travel has tripled, servicing around 860,000 customers traveling in and out of the area.

John Wheat, 60, came on board as the new executive director of the airport on May 1, 2011, less than one month before the airport celebrated its first anniversary on May 23. He has worked in the aviation field for nearly 30 years, previously as the interim director at Tampa International Airport and deputy director at Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah. He replaces Randy Curtis, executive director for more than 15 years, who now works as director of special projects for the airport.

As director of the first U.S. airport to be built in the past decade, Wheat says his focus will be on providing good customer service, competitive rates and expanded destinations. Located in West Bay near Panama City and Panama City Beach, the

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Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport services Delta and Southwest airlines.

As jets come and go in the distance, easily viewed from his large office window overlooking the runway, Wheat speaks of getting to know and love Northwest Florida, facing the challenges of a new airport and planning for an influx of firsttime tourists and business travelers to the area.

How is the new airport the gateway to Northwest Florida? Air service is one of the best ways to get to this area from outside the five-hour drive area. The key is growing air service and expanding into new cities. Airports aren’t the cause of growth, but they are the engines to economic development. All businesses evaluate the air service opportunities in a community as one of their key requirements to relocating. Our role is to do whatever we can to provide great facilities, encourage our existing air carriers to expand service and market other carriers to initiate service. All of these efforts will result in improved air services, which brings economic benefits to the region.

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How has the addition of Southwest affected the regional economy? Anytime you bring in new city service and provide competitive airfares you’re going to stimulate the local market and the market you’re flying to. Our traffic has almost tripled compared to previous years. Travelers are sensitive to airfares, and when you can introduce low airfares into markets they will travel more often because it is affordable. The effect of Southwest in this market is a shining example.

What about Delta? Competition is a very good thing in the airline business. Since we opened the new airport, Delta’s traffic has also seen a significant increase as fares have been reduced. Most of the people who come to visit us drive. As we continue to enhance air service with competitive airfares, more and more visitors will choose to fly because of the convenience and cost.

What are your immediate plans for the airport? In the coming year we’ll do a thorough passenger analysis and survey, which will give us

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Panama City, Panama City Beach + Bay County

a better understanding of such things as where local passengers are originating from, where visiting travelers are going, demographics on our passengers and the type of transportation used to access the airport. We will also begin conducting a master plan for the new airport within the next three months, which will develop demand forecasts for a 20-year period and provide various alternatives for airside and landside development for three pre-designated periods of five, 10 and 20 years. Ultimately, the plan will create our capital improvement program and a potential funding plan.

Self description: I’m a likeable guy.

What do you think about Vision Airlines coming to Northwest Regional? New low cost air service is great for the community. I don’t think it has any more of a negative impact on us than Southwest has had on anybody else. When you bring that service at a low cost, people start thinking about weekend travel and the community benefits. When anyone brings in new service that increases traffic, I say, “Hurrah.” There’s no downside.

spices and, most importantly, how to

on the things I think I do really well, assisting other agencies in raising the bar in their organization.

I’m energetic. I enjoy meeting and conversing with people. I love to cook and I love drinking wine. Hobbies: I didn’t know how to cook most of my life, so about six years ago my wife, Theresa, got me into a cooking class.

That’s where I learned the basics — how to use a knife without cutting a basic understanding of herbs and properly prepare everything before you begin cooking. When I first started cooking, I was intent on following the recipe exactly. Now I have begun substituting and trying my own preferred taste with various recipes.

Signature dish: We enjoy making all types of foods and have had a lot of friends are always interested in an Asian sensation dinner party at our place. Cooking is such a wonderful way to entertain friends and relax. Downtime: Sleep (he laughs).

If you weren’t in the airport business, what would you do? I’ve been in the airport business since 1983. I would stay connected to the airport industry but in a consulting role, staying focused

What was your college major? Biology, from the University of Utah. I was very interested in the sciences but was never quite sure what I wanted to do for a career. During my college years I worked as a tile contractor and found the work rewarding and flexible with my schedule, but knew I didn’t want this as a career either. As with any other college student, you finally come to the conclusion that you need to make some money and get started with a career. Over the years I have had the opportunity to pursue additional studies in various areas of management, particularly those involving business process improvement.

Right now there’s not a lot of down time. I do love to read a variety of

What is your ultimate goal for the airport?

(Bay County) is an area that is prime for development, and no one else has that in the Panhandle region. Our goal is to operate a safe and secure airport facility that offers competitive rates to our air carriers and creates a partnership with our stakeholders to foster economic development in the region. Overall, we want to develop new air service for the community to encourage business development and tourism growth. Ultimately, I want to have this airport act as a catalyst to improve our quality of life and make air transportation a key ingredient in determining the future success of our service area. I believe this airport is a very big deal to the community and it has unlimited potential if leveraged correctly. We are all very excited about the future.

What was your first impression of Bay County? The area is beautiful. This is a pretty well kept secret, this part of Florida. The atmosphere and people here are wonderful. I am impressed at how beautiful the water is and how genuine the people here are. What you see is what you get.

What was your first job? I worked for Salt Lake City in the business licensing department for six years. Then I was chief of staff and city administrator. The airport was owned by the city as well. In 1983 I moved to airport finance and administration and became chief operational officer in 1990.

yourself, how to make basic sauces,

fun trying several Asian recipes. Our Where do you see the airport in five years?

I hope we have significantly increased non-stop services to other communities. I see us having more than two carriers operating here. And I see us partnering with the region and all of the agencies so that we’re creating a synergy and making a big impact.

BAY Corridor

books when time permits and play ball with our toy poodle, Rolo. With such wonderful access to the Gulf of Mexico I believe we will be spending a lot more time on the water and the beaches. In our home in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, a small community about an hour’s drive from Coeur d’Alene, we love to hike, fish, garden and simply enjoy the wonders of nature.

Wildlife is abundant and we have moose in the yard, which is wonderful to see but a bit of a problem for the plants. Both Theresa and I are from the intermountain west, so we try to get up to our place as often as possible but no less than twice a year.

We both need our periodic fix of high mountain air and cool nights.

How does Florida compare with Salt Lake City? I’ve been a Salt Lake City native for 49 years. It’s a great place to raise a family. It has wonderful recreational opportunities, great mountains, the finest ski resorts in the world.

It’s a conservative location, a clean city, pretty hip. I sweat a lot more in Florida. That was one of the biggest shocks I felt coming here, as well as the loss of seasons. But we love the Gulf.

What are some of the first things you did when you moved to Panama City? Theresa and I ate at FireFly restaurant. A new-found friend at the airport took us out boating and we enjoyed the waters at Shell Island. We have already found our favorite breakfast restaurant.

And while shopping at an open market in Rosemary Beach, we found a beautiful stained glass mosaic outdoor table with the look of Florida that fits in perfectly on the balcony of the condo. We’re looking forward to exploring the community, finding the fun things to do here and making new friendships. n

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I-10 Corridor

Northern Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa + Walton Counties and Holmes, Washington, Calhoun, Jackson + Liberty Counties

Coming Home Rising young legal star leaves fast-paced lifestyle to find success, contentment

By Lisa Carey

J

eff Goodman lights up when he speaks of traveling down the road less traveled. When faced with a fork in his path several years ago, he decided coming home to Northwest Florida was the way to go. And based on his new-found success and happiness, it appears the Washington County-based young lawyer once again has a knack for picking the right direction.

Life in the Fast Lane Goodman graduated from Holmes County High School in Bonifay, Fla., and went on to receive a degree in business management from the University of Florida, where he was a wide receiver on the Gator football team. He quickly moved on to earn his law degree from UF’s College of Law in 2003.

Soon after, the fast-rising Goodman began practicing at Bach & Bingham, LLP, one of Alabama’s largest law firms. There he specialized in commercial, energy and casualty litigation, representing clients such as Alabama Power Company, Nevada Power Company, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. It was at Bach & Bingham that Goodman was part of the team that brought down Enron. As a new associate, Goodman was tasked with researching audio tapes of the infamous energy scandal.

“I was fresh out of law school, maybe 18 months out, and in the thick of the Enron mess,” explained Goodman. “I listened to over 100,000 hours of tapes of traders talking, complete with code names. A veteran attorney told me that even if my law career lasted 30 years, I would never hear the likes of that again.”

Goodman was also active in the firm’s sports and entertainment practice, representing college and professional football coaches and professional football players. As the son of longtime

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Sundays Ar e F o r …

Once the Denver Broncos claimed his Sundays, but today Jeff Goodman takes time to enjoy his church and his family.

coach and sports administrator James Goodman, the field was old hat.

Goodman’s career path took a quick turn in 2006 when he joined the Denver Broncos, where his father was the director of player personnel.

Trading in the courtroom for the National Football League (NFL) was a big change for Goodman. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t end some days, scratching my head, asking myself, ‘What did I get into?’ ” Goodman once explained to ESPN. After two years as a college scout responsible for evaluating the Southeast region for the franchise, Goodman was promoted to assistant general manager in 2008, making him one of the youngest front office executives in the NFL — a youthful but highly regarded standout in a field of older administrators. In his elevated position, he oversaw contract negotiations, salary cap management and participated in short-and-long term planning related to roster management and the draft.

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But while Goodman received accolades for his service to the Broncos, during a 2009 management reorganization both he and his father were dismissed from the franchise.

“When we got let go in Denver, obviously there are some emotions that run with that,” said Goodman. “First shock. But, then you quickly regroup.”

Goodman regrouped like any good lawyer.

Thoughtfully and strategically — and with the realization that his often-described quick rise to the top didn’t necessarily equate to personal fulfillment. With no real ties keeping his young family in Denver, Goodman assessed his options, packed his bags and came back to the Chipley area.

Shifting Gears After returning to Florida, Goodman spent a few months consulting for ESPN on the draft.

He kept his eyes open, though, constantly

Photo by SCOTT HOLSTEIN

assessing the benefits of the smaller world and slower lifestyle around him.

He saw three potential options for his immediate future. “I could push back and go on with the NFL, I could go back to a larger law firm or I could go out on my own,” he explained. However, the benefits of spending more time with his family and the newly-discovered pleasures of living in a small, established community were starting to grow on him.

“My dad was a coach and we always moved every four to five years. My wife, Marissa, lived in the same house from when she was a little kid until she went to college. Growing up, we had opposite lifestyles,” explained Goodman.

The couple, who both have family in the Chipley area, talked a lot about their potential future and the benefits of living near extended family.

Goodman admits the story of Marissa’s stable childhood influenced him.

“As time went by, I became more comfortable in the area. I spent more time with my kids and saw a niche for my skill set in Holmes and Washington counties. So, I pondered staying here,” said Goodman, who has a four-year-old daughter, Savannah, and a one-year-old son named Grant.

With a laugh, Goodman recalled his time with the Broncos and the long hours he worked.

The demanding position meant he could go weeks without seeing his family in any meaningful way. “In Denver, my only day of the week to take a lunch hour was on Friday. One Friday my wife and daughter picked me up for a quick lunch. When they dropped me off at the office after lunch, my daughter Savannah said, ‘This is where Daddy lives,’ ” said Goodman. That memory stuck with him. “So I talked to a lot of people, I prayed a lot and then I decided to start my own shop. And, I decided this is my home — for me, my kids and my wife.”

His World Now “In the move (from Denver and the NFL), I gave up money and a high-profile lifestyle. But I got an improved lifestyle and an opportunity to give back in a meaningful way,” said Goodman with obvious happiness. “And of course, my wife is as happy as she can be.”

Labeling himself an independent and ambitious thinker, Goodman embraced the idea of hiring his own staff and doing things his own way. With the goal of bringing his diverse background and expertise to the area, he opened his own law office in Chipley in 2010. He serves Washington, Jackson, Holmes and Calhoun counties and enjoys providing local citizens a

level of service they would normally find only from a larger firm or in bigger cities. “I offer a unique perspective and experience to the people around me,” he explained.

But small town law is a different theater. “I used to do 10 to 15 cases at a time, now I do 100 smaller cases at a time,” said Goodman. But with the increase in workload comes the pleasure of intimacy, challenge and growth. “Here the majority of my clients I know on a personal basis, and many as friends. There is a closeness of people in a small community, an opportunity to help people on a professional and personal level. I find that very satisfying. And I never know

… I never know what is coming in my office next — from someone abandoning 62 dogs, to Tommy in trouble with the law, to estates with major land holdings, to a rail project with the potential of jobs for our community.

— Jeff Goodman what is coming in my office next — from someone abandoning 62 dogs, to Tommy in trouble with the law, to estates with major land holdings, to a rail project with the potential of jobs for our community.”

These days he is working 50 to 55 hours a week, a reduction in work hours from his days out west. “I’ve got two kids under the age of five,” explained Goodman, who enjoys golf and spending time at the beach. “Now I’m taking most weekends off. I’ve recently learned to really live in the moment.”

Giving Back Goodman is quick to explain he has received much and grown in abundance since he’s returned to Northwest Florida. And out of those gains, a yearning to give back has developed.

“I feel obligated to give back and make significant contributions. I really started to feel this way once I moved back to a small community,” said Goodman, who reciprocates through church and Kiwanis functions by donating to local causes and by serving on multiple boards and committees. “I really enjoy being active in my church and teaching Sunday school. I’ve never been able to do that — they play on Sundays in the NFL.” He credits his parents with setting the example of service to community. “My parents were always active. We moved a lot. But, they stepped up in each new town and helped out,” said Goodman. “Maybe part of it is the kids — you want your kids to have a good hometown.”

Goodman, who is a member of the Washington and Holmes Chambers of Commerce, enjoys being a sounding board for people in the surrounding counties. “A majority of my day is spent, ‘Hey Jeff, what do you think about … ’ ”

The World Around Him As much as Goodman loves the I-10 corridor, he worries about the void created by the 30- to 40-year-old professionals who have left the area.

“I get disappointed when we lose our talented, young people to bigger cities. It’s important to show the opportunity here,” said Goodman, who advocates for strategic and thoughtful growth in the area. He talks passionately about the possibility of having it all — a successful and rewarding professional life, coupled with a very pleasant personal life in the Northwest Florida region.

“I hope people will see me as somebody who left and accomplished his goals, then made a conscious decision to come back,” noted Goodman as he described his journey back home.

“And … know I’m thriving here. That I’m trying to lead by example.”

Most important to Goodman is the future for his son and daughter. He hopes they will get their college degrees, set lofty goals and explore their skills. But then return to Northwest Florida, a region he hopes will be ripe with resources, opportunities and fruitful communities in their future. He hopes that one day they will know the comfort and reassurance that comes with being connected to, and successfully serving, an intimate community.

But what the future holds, even Goodman’s reliable internal compass can’t predict. “I didn’t know I’d be 27 and working on the Enron case, or 30 years old and working as one of the youngest executives in the NFL with Denver. Today I’m 33 and wonder where I’ll be when I’m 40.” n

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The Last Word My first year as a Florida political reporter was 1978, the year that Bob Graham beat the odds and was elected governor.

LINDA KLEINDIENST, EDITOR lkleindienst@rowlandpublishing.com

photo by Kay Meyer

It had been a long road for the then 41-year-old millionaire rancher, developer, dairy farmer and Harvard-educated attorney. Only a year prior to his election he was an obscure state senator from Miami Lakes, known only to 4 percent of the state’s population.

But part of Graham’s winning strategy was to sell his ability to listen — and learn — from the people. And while some called it a gimmick, and fellow legislators laughed, Graham did just that as he embarked on a mission to work at 100 different jobs around the state before the 1978 Democratic primary.

Graham worked as a garbage collector, an airline luggage handler, a beach cleaner, a ticket taker at a local park, an iron and construction worker. He was a logger, worked on a boat off Tarpon Springs collecting sponges and even spent a day as a newspaper reporter, covering the state Senate for United Press International.

During his shift with a Tallahassee police officer he answered a shooting call and found a young woman lying in a car, shot four times. That same evening, when responding to a domestic dispute call, Graham and two police officers were attacked by the husband — and the wife.

Most were grueling jobs, but they were all learning experiences.

His first job was teaching school — the 12th grade at Carol City Senior High School in Miami-Dade County. The first time I covered him “on the job” he was up to No. 89, in Broward County’s Oakland Park at Marlo Electronics. The night before, he had appeared before the Pinellas County Democratic Executive Committee and then caught a midnight flight back home to Miami. He wasn’t supposed to be at work until 9 a.m. but he arrived at 7:30 a.m., when the employees were trying to clean the shop in preparation for his arrival.

Later in the day, as he studied a plate for electronic circuitry, Graham told me, “I’m getting to meet people on their own territory, people who are very seldom involved in government or who

seldom have an opportunity to express their views.”

And, indeed, on his work days he spent time with employers and employees to learn about their jobs, their families, their concerns and what state government was — or wasn’t — doing to help them. Even after getting elected twice as governor and then as Florida’s U.S. senator, Graham continued with his workdays. By the time he retired from politics in 2005, he had worked at more than 400 jobs.

Now, Gov. Rick Scott, has embraced the concept, calling it his “Let’s Get To Work” Days.

Scott’s plan is to mirror the jobs he has held — from the time he lived in public housing until he was elected governor.

His first job in early August was at a Tampa donut shop similar to one he started and his mother operated in Kansas City.

Scott helped bake and glaze the donuts and then worked the counter to sell them.

He plans to work at one job a month and has asked that anyone with suggestions send an email to Rick.Scott@eog.myflorida.com.

This offers Northwest Florida business owners a tremendous opportunity to give the state’s top elected official a better understanding of what they do and how state government can help them.

I would hope that many take advantage of what Scott is offering — and even extend an invitation to their state legislators to join the work party.

“I found the workdays to give me an unusual insight not only into how people earn their living, but how they live their lives, pursue their dreams and confront their challenges,” Graham said in a press release issued by Scott’s office.

Walking in the shoes of working Floridians could indeed be an eye-opener for Scott. Offer him a chance to walk in your shoes.

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850businessmagazine.com

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This is Quail Country

Northwest Florida’s commercial plantations prepare for a new, and hopefully more prosperous, 2011 hunting season