The INweekly has picked 20 men and women whom the paper believes are helping redefine Pensacola. Pensacola tends to splitter and fall apart–more when things are going well than when the area is falling apart. The paper wanted to recognize individuals, groups and companies that refuse to give into that mindset.
Here are the 2012 Game Changers and why they were selected. Their profiles can be found on inweekly.net:
Brian Hooper
Young attorney who is chairing Urban Redevelopment Advisory Committee established by the Mayor to help guide the continued growth and development of Pensacola’s downtown
Think Beyond Pensacola: Founding members Mona Amodeo, Jessica Bell, Teresa Dos Santos, Mary Gutierrez, Chris Kariher, Jay Massey, Julie Sheppard, Christian Wagley, Dechay Watts, Kelly Wieczorek.
A new 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization committed to supporting environmental, social and economic innovation in Pensacola.
Joe Abston: Hopjacks/Tin Cow/Filling Station
His restaurants have helped revitalize downtown Pensacola, creating an entertainment district
Mike & Bill Wein – IMS Expert Services
IMS ExpertServices provides high quality subject matter experts to top law firms, General Counsel, and Fortune 1000 clients. Local company that has quietly built a national reputation.
Dr. Ed Meadows, Pensacola State College president
He has worked hard on workforce development. PSC hosted the state’s SkillsUSA & Worlds of Possibilities Career Expo in April. He chairs the Greater Pensacola Chamber’s Workforce Committee.
Matthew Altier – UWF VP
He is heading up the university’s expansion into public-private partnerships that will create more funding for the school. He is the VP of Adminstrative Services. In addition, Mr. Altier also serves as the Chief Executive Officer for UWF Business Enterprises, Inc.
Lutimothy May – Friendship Missionary Baptist, board chairman A.A. Dixon Charter School
He is church as an active outreach program. He tried to buy the closed Brownsville Middle School to convert it to a community center. He has helped rescue A.A. Dixon Charter School of Excellence.
Dana Bledsoe –new president, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital
Nemours and Sacred Heart have joined forces to create a regional children’s hospital. She will lead the effort. New name, new brand and new mission.
VADM Gerald L. Hoewing, president of National Flight Academy
The Flight Academy has opened and will be a major attraction. A naval flight version of the space camps that Huntsville, Ala. once did. VADM Hoewing is President of the National Flight Academy. He has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation since 2006.
Donna Fassett ARC Executive Director
No one has ever done more, or built better programs for the Developmentally Disabled. She is truly an unsung hero in our community. Executive Director Donna Fassett, has contributed her services to ARC Gateway since 1979.
Blaise Adams
Without Blaise, we would not have been able to get the 4-H/Navy Federal deal done. He is a great behind the scene guy, and very effective. Former chairman of the Pensacola Chamber, regional president for PNC Financial.
Marianne Estess
A great community volunteer and financial supporter of non-profit endeavors. Not many things happen without her involvement. She is a big supporter of Gulf Coast Diplomacy Council.
Megan Pratt- Pensacola City Council, founder of the new children’s museum, The MESS Hall.
She has found her passion-teaching science to kids. The new museum is wonderful.
Rishy Studer, co-owner of Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Studer Properties & Investments. She bought the old PENKO buildings on the corners of Palafox and Main streets. She owns Bodacious Olive and the Rhodes Building. She is helping renovate downtown.
Andrew Rothfeder, headed Pensacola Business Challenge.
Working with Studers on several downtown Pensacola development projects.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos
The obvious is how well the team has attracted fans, but what many don’t know is the team committed to hiring minority employees to work at the stadium.
Ken Ford, IHMC
The CEO and founder of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, which he has grown into one of the nation’s premier research organizations with world-class scientists and engineers investigating a broad range of topics related to building technological systems aimed at amplifying and extending human cognitive and perceptual capacities. IHMC was our area’s first homegrown high tech company.
Michael Carro – Restaurant broker
He works at NAI Halford and handles most of the restaurant properties in the area. His latest project is a food court, Alfresco, using food trucks (actually Airstream trailers) on the corner of Palafox and Main streets.
David Bear – VP Lewis Bear Co.
He is the founder ARTS, the volunteer group that replaced the defunct Arts Council of Northwest Florida.
Justin Pierce- Recreation Supervisor at City of Pensacola
He is taking over the city’s inner-city youth sports program. He has run the Fricker Center for the city.