Economic development in Northwest Florida is going to look much different in 2013 compared to recent years.
Scarlett Phaneuf, the executive director of the Walton County Economic Development Alliance, submitted her resignation in late November to accept a position with the Bay County Economic Development Alliance. Her last day in Walton County will be Dec. 28, after which the economic development organizations for Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties, as well the 16-county regional economic development board Florida’s Great Northwest, will all have interim leadership at the helm.
“It is an odd situation, but we’re very fortunate that circumstances turned out where we’ve got some strong people to come in behind the executive directors who had left,” said David Goetsch, a local economist and past chairman of the Okaloosa County Economic Development Council. “2013 is going to be a transitional year and you’re going to see economic development handled differently in these three counties than it’s been handled in the past.
“That may be a good thing,” he added. “With changes in the economy and changes with where the country is going, maybe it’s a good time to make some changes with economic development.”
Northwest Florida’s economic development shakeup started in Santa Rosa County when longtime TEAM Santa Rosa director Cindy Anderson resigned in February. Soon after, Shannon Ogletree was named the interim director of TEAM and the organization was rebranded the Santa Rosa Economic Alliance. The rebranding didn’t appease Santa Rosa County Commissioners, who terminated their contract with the organization and created the new county economic development department on Sept. 1.
Ogletree remains the interim director of economic development in Santa Rosa County.
Larry Sassano, the president of the Okaloosa County Economic Development Council, left at the end of November after more than 15 years in the position, to become the interim president at Florida’s Great Northwest. Kay Rasmussen, who has been with the Okaloosa EDC for 14 years, was named interim president of the organization.
Florida’s Great Northwest also is currently going through a transition. Florida’s Great Northwest was founded in 2000 to market and brand the 16-county Northwest Florida region as a competitive location for business. The organization is shifting into more of a marketing organization that will take business prospects to individual counties.
Sassano was hired to lead the organization through the transition period.
Phaneuf’s resignation is the most recent shakeup. Phaneuf joined the Walton County Economic Development Alliance on Dec. 7, 2009, as an economic development specialist for the organization.
Four months later, she was named interim director of the organization after former director Bill Arnett resigned. Initially, Phaneuf was named managing director of the alliance until she was promoted to permanent director last year.
“I want the community to know how much I appreciate the support they’ve shown me over the last three years,” Phaneuf said. “Walton County will always be my home, but this is a great opportunity for me to grow both personally and professionally. I’m really looking forward to starting a new journey at Bay County.”
When Phaneuf submitted her resignation, she was the only full-time employee at the Economic Development Alliance, so there was no one the board of directors could appoint as her interim replacement. Instead, the board is looking to partner with the Walton Area Chamber of Commerce and have Kellie Jo Kilberg, president and CEO of the chamber, oversee economic development in the county until a replacement is hired.
Kilberg previously served as president of the Okaloosa County EDC before Sassano was hired.
The board of directors of the Walton County Economic Development Alliance has a special meeting scheduled for noon Thursday to finalize the transition plan.
“From Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton counties and (Florida’s Great Northwest), its interim directors in every case,” Goetsch said. “But at least it is strong interim directors who are very well connected and know the issues and are focused on the right issues.”
State Sen. Don Gaetz held a meeting in July urging area economic development leaders to take advantage of the state’s $30 million incentive fund, as well as the state giving Northwest Florida preferential treatment for economic incentives during a three-year recovery period from the 2010 oil spill.
Gaetz also sponsored and spearheaded the approval of the Oil Spill Recovery Act, which allocates 75 percent of all federal and state fine and settlement moneys come to the eight coastal counties in Northwest Florida.
Gaetz said he hopes those benefits don’t fall by the wayside in 2013 as the economic development organizations search for new leadership.
“The preference that we have during this recovery period is very significant and has not really been used by Northwest Florida EDOs and companies,” Gaetz said. “I’m not sure (why it hasn’t been used more). I know for years we in Northwest Florida have felt short changed as though state incentives and economic programs were not being equitably distributed and for years we felt in our area we weren’t get our fair share. Now we actually have presumptive preference and there doesn’t seem to be much interest in using that.”
With Northwest Florida receiving presumptive preferences for state incentives and potentially hundreds of millions of dollars coming from BP fines, as well as access to the state’s $30 million now, Gaetz said it’s important for the local EDOs to be active and at the top of their game in 2013.
“Now fortunately there are some committed and talented business people on the board of directors of our EDOs and hopefully they can pick up some slack,” Gaetz said. “The next year is critical in receiving and using these preferences and funds in a way that provides ongoing value to coastal Northwest Florida.
“I hope it will be fully utilized by our EDOs and our businesses in this area because it isn’t just once in a generation, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Gaetz said. “It’s use it or loose it.”
Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.