On May 7, the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated the graduation of 15 business professionals from its 7th Destin Forward class. During the event, the prestigious Destin Forward Leadership Award, chosen by class vote, was presented to Heather Pike of Destin Commons.
Destin Forward, the Chamber’s hands-on community education and leadership program, was created by the Board of Directors to help find and educate future city and business leaders. After a retreat in August, the class spent the next eight months touring and learning about Destin’s waterways; tourism industry; development and real estate; arts, culture, and non-profits; environment; city programs and services; military bases; and the state legislature. Class requirements also included attendance at several Chamber and civic functions.
Also announced during the event were the four graduates chosen by the class to join the Destin Forward Advisory Committee for a three-year term. Those graduates included Jason Belcher, FNBT.com Bank; Sarah Davis, Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance of Northwest Florida State College; Pike; and Jonathan Slater, First City Bank.
Other graduates included Jeramie Bates, ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals; Ann Boynton, Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, Inc.; Pamela Cooper, Northwest Florida Daily News; Dena Critch, Destin Area Chamber of Commerce; Brad Davies, Liufau McCall Insurance Group; Hense R. Ellis II, Insight Investments; Tami Groth, Community Bank, Coast; Marissa Marinan, Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village; Casey Murray, ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals; Skip Overdier, American Legion Post 296; Shervin Rassa, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast; and Elise Whittenburg, Alliance Association Management Co. Inc.
For more information about the program or how to join the class of 2016, please contact Suzy Nicholson Hunt at 837-2711 x2 or suzyhunt@DestinChamber.com. Applications are being accepted through July 20.