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INTERNATIONAL TRADE TRIP TO MEXICOEXPANDS OPPORTUNITIESJulia Montgomery, international trade specialist for the FloridaSmall Business Development Center at the University of West Florida,recently traveled to Mexico City as part of a trade mission sponsoredby Enterprise Florida and the U.S. Commercial Service.Montgomery was one of more than 90 participants from variousFlorida companies making the trip to deepen the economic relationship between the two nations. During her visit, she met with MexicanUWF student and Marine veteran ElizabethJones earns Google ScholarshipUWF ENGINEERING STUDENT, VETERANEARNS GOOGLE SCHOLARSHIPbusiness leaders, government officials, explored trade and investmentopportunities, and renewed common ties between Mexico and Florida.“ The visit confirmed my thinking that our neighbors are willingand able to partner with small businesses and provide a thrivingconsumer base to which Florida-based companies can supplyElizabeth Jones, an engineering student at the University ofproducts and services,” Montgomery said. “Mexico’s close prox-West Florida and a military veteran, is one of only eight studentsimity and strong interest in U.S. products, not to mention thein the United States to receive the Google Student Veterans ofpresence of a trade agreement, makes it a favorable choice forAmerica Scholarship of 10,000 for the 2016-17 academic year. Asexports from Florida.”part of its commitment to military veterans, the global technologyTrade missions sponsored by Enterprise Florida and the U.S.leader partnered with Student Veterans of America to establishCommercial Service serve to develop effective strategies andthe highly competitive national scholarship program.expand partnerships for accessing and doing business in a foreign“Elizabeth was the perfect candidate for this scholarship, and Icountry. The participating companies represented various indus-had a strong feeling that she would be selected when I wrote a rec-tries, including manufacturing, information technology, buildingommendation for her,” said Dr. Mohamed Khabou, chair of the UWFand construction, health products and services, supply chainengineering department. “She does not shy away from challengeslogistics, and aerospace.and is willing to work hard to tackle any obstacles that come betweenher and her goals.”“We are making strides in assisting Florida businesses who areinterested in exporting,” said Kelly Massey, regional director of FSBDCKhabou notes that Jones is a very serious, disciplined andat UWF. “With Julia’s recent trade mission and her expertise, we canhardworking engineering student, whose leadership skills wereprovide services like export readiness, export marketing plans, exportshowcased during her service as president of the student chapterfinance considerations, export logistics, export licensing, and otherof the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers – whereprograms and services available to Florida businesses.she advanced the level and frequency of technical workshops andfield trips for her peers.A veteran of the Marine Corps, Jones calls serving in the militaryone of the best and most important decisions of her life.“During my service, I learned vital skills in leadership, com-“With Julia’s assistance, more area businesses have an opportunityto successfully export their products and services.”For more information about FSBDC at UWF, visit uwf.edu/sbdc.WSRE WINS A TELLYmunication and teamwork, among others, which continue to beWSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast, has received bronze Telly Awardsapplicable in my personal and professional life,” she said. “Beingfor production of two “In Your Own Backyard” episodes: “Pensacon,”a military veteran is a part of who I am as a person, and I am bothproduced and directed by James Roy, and “Undersea Northwestproud of and grateful for that.”Florida,” produced and directed by Ted King.Jones set herself apart through her focus on renewable power andSherri Hemminghaus Weeks hosts the local “In Your Ownenergy sources, as well as her participation in student organizationsBackyard” series, which spotlights unique points of interest withinincluding the UWF student branch of the IEEE, the UWF MathematicsWSRE’s four-county viewing area. Mike Rowan is executive producer.Association and the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 146.Field production support for both of these award-winning TV pro-“Being an active student and looking for ways to improve our world,grams was provided by Kendall Faust and Joe Byers.from my perspective, match the values of Google and the StudentThe Telly Award honors excellence in video and television pro-Veterans of America,” Jones said. “I feel as though I have been entrustedduction, recognizing distinction in creative work. Telly Awards arewith an opportunity to become more, or better, than perhaps I mightsought-after by advertising agencies, production companies, tele-have been; I must strive to earn this scholarship by having a positive,vision stations, cable operators, interactive agencies and corporateprofessional impact on the world through my degree field.”video departments around the world.For more information about the UWF engineering department,visit uwf.edu/engineering.These and other past episodes of “In Your Own Backyard” can beviewed at wsre.org/IYOB.CONTINUED August 2016 Pensacola Lifestyle11

Around Town(CON TI N UED)FAMILY PRACTITIONERBLANCHARD JOINS BAPTISTMEDICAL GROUPBaptist Medical Group welcomes board-certified family practitioner Patrick Blanchard,M.D., ABFP, to its multispecialtyphysiciannetwork. Dr. Blanchardis a highly skilled familymedicinephysicianwho treats patients of allages ‐ providing qualitycare for the entire family.Dr. Blanchard earned his medical degree andcompleted his residency at the University ofKansas School of Medicine in Kansas City.As part of Baptist Medical Group FamilyMedicine & Walk-In Care ‐ Navarre, Dr.Blanchard now welcomes new patients andwalk-in visits at his office located at 8888Navarre Parkway in Navarre. He will work inpartnership with Mark Benton, D.O., and RoselleSwilley, MSN, ppointment,visitBaptistMedicalGroup.org or call 850.437.8800BRADLEY NAMED DEAN ATPENSACOLA STATEKirk Bradley has been named Dean ofBaccalaureate Studies and Academic Supportat Pensacola State College.Bradley joined the Pensacola State faculty inJanuary 2013 as the head of the MathematicsDepartment. In his new position, he will oversee the college’s Mathematics and ComputerScience, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciencesand Business departments and head of the college’s library system. He also is responsible forthe bachelor degree programs, curriculum, dualenrollment and eLearning.A native of Lake Charles, La., Bradleyreceived his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from McNeese State University anda master’s degree in mathematical sciencesfrom McNeese State. He earned his doctorate in curriculum and instruction from theUniversity of Louisiana at Monroe.Bradley and his wife, Brandy, have twodaughters: Hannah, 9, and Ava, 5. The familylives in Pensacola.12Pensacola Lifestyle August 2016

Financial BuzzWILL NORTHWEST FLORIDA SEEANOTHER HOUSING BUBBLE?A CLOSER LOOK AT RISING HOME PRICESPHYLLIS POOLEY, UWF CREOPhyllis PooleySource: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED Economic Data and Florida Department ofEconomic Opportunity QCEW data.Back in 2005, the National Associationof Realtors produced the report“Home Price Analysis for Pensacola-FerryPass-Brent” in which the author found thelocal metropolitan housing market to be in“excellent shape” with potential for significant equity gains.The report analyzed median mortgageservicing costs and median incomes ratio andfound that for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, “This ratio is at a very manageable level. Itimplies no widespread financial overstretchingto purchase a home in the region. Any respectable gains in the local job market could translateinto further home price gains.”Other significant findings in the reportincluded that price declines in the localmarket were unlikely and the local marketwould experience a 5 percent decline onlyunder extremely unlikely scenarios of muchhigher mortgage rates.Sadly, those words were not prophetic. Thequarterly House Price Index generated by theFederal Reserve Bank of St. Louis is chartedbelow and clearly shows that Pensacola sharedin the pain of the housing market collapse.The index includes all transactions in anarea using both sales prices and appraisals.Between the height of the market in thefourth quarter of 2006 to its lowest point inthe second quarter of 2012, house prices fell29.4 percent in the Pensacola area.In addition to clearly showing the run-up inprices that began in 2003, the chart also showsthat the area is just now recovering to 2005price levels. While prices have rebounded 17.5percent from their lowest point as of the lastquarter of 2015, as illustrated by the trend line,they are still below what might be expected ifthe bubble had not happened.Now, just 10 years removed from the heightof the housing bubble, there are whispers thatanother bubble is forming. Housing prices inmany areas are once again rising at rates fasterthan average wage growth, credit conditionsare loosening with Fannie Mae and FreddieMac allowing only 3 percent down payments,and housing supplies are tightening. Are weheaded for a repeat of the last disaster?To answer this question, one firstneeds a definition of “housing bubble.”It’s typically defined as a deviation of themarket price from the fundamental valueof the house.The current consensus amongst expertsseem to be that while housing prices areclimbing, they are doing so because newhouses are not being built to increase thesupply. Identified as a major indicator of theprior bubble, new homes were being built ata furious pace even as prices continued toclimb. Under normal economic conditions,prices tend to fall when supply grows. Whenthat does not occur, it suggests that otherforces are in play to support the higher price.While housing starts are not readilyavailable for metro areas, a proxy for specific new home construction statistics isemployment in the construction industryitself. By comparing home prices to thenumber of construction workers, one cansee how these forces might interact. Thechart shows the house price index as compared to quarterly construction employment in the Pensacola area from 2001through the third quarter of 2015.The data show construction employmentat its height during the price bubble andlagging behind prices ever since. This factsuggests that experts may be correct in theirview that conditions are still operating ina traditional fashion and a lack of housingsupply is supporting home prices at presentlevels rather than the factors that generatebubbles. Building permit data from theU.S. Census Bureau tends to support thisnotion as well – at the height of the bubblein 2006 the Pensacola area saw 2,488 permits issued covering 3,126 housing units.By 2012, the number had dropped to 1,466permits covering only 1,594 units – or halfthe planned construction.The most recent data does show housingstarts and construction employment on theincrease. It will be interesting to watch howthese trends play out in the coming months.Article courtesy of UWF Center forResearch and Economic Opportunity.Phyllis K. Pooley serves as director of special projects with the University of WestFlorida Office of Economic Developmentand Engagement in Pensacola.August 2016 Pensacola Lifestyle13

Food & WineUnionPublicHouseSEAN SMITHPHOTOGRAPHY SEAN SMITH— a Gastro Pub with CharmGULF BREEZE GRADS BLEND LONDON PUBS WITH SOUTHERN STYLEPatrick Bolster, left, and Chef Blake RushingLondon pub, meet Southern style.Chef Blake Rushing andmixologist Patrick Bolster took diverging paths in the restaurant and serviceindustry after the graduated from Gulf BreezeHigh School in 2000. But they joined forcesto open Union Public House in Pensacola — off-thebeaten path in a crowded Pensacola restaurant scene.But eight months after Union Public House held asoft-opening for New Year’s Eve, there has been no slow-down.They thought things would quiet down, but it’s been nonstop since then.“We just feel so blessed, that just by word-of-mouth we wouldgrow so fast,” Bolster said. “We wanted to start slowly, but peoplereally have started coming here and making it a staple.”Union Public House brings the European gastro pub scene,blended with a definite Southern accent.“We are bringing something to Pensacola that’s very different — aGastro Pub with a Southern flair,” Rushing said. “What makes us different — there are so many great restaurants here — but we offer greatfood, great drinks and fantastic service in very casual atmosphere.”14Pensacola Lifestyle August 2016BolsterworkedatFlounder’s, The Fish House, TheBridge Bar and finally at 5 1/2 inPensacola, where he honed his studiedrepertoire of big-city cocktails, inspired bythe crafted cocktails of the 1920s.Rushing went the Le Cordon Bleu College ofCulinary Arts in Atlanta. When he was set for hisapprenticeship work in a restaurant, he couldn’t pass up thechance to work with the staff of Gordon Ramsay in Ramsay'sSavoy Grill at the famous Savoy Hotel in London. What wasintended to be a three-month stint turned into three years.“It was 17 hours a day, six days a week,” Rushing said, laughing. “Youworked and slept and on your day off, you drink a beer — and sleep.”Rushing went on to work for Ramsay's restaurant in New Yorkand then on to Lumiere Restaurant in Vancouver, Canada and madehis way to Pensacola. He opened the award-winning Elise’s.Think Chef Ramsay, famous for his pot-hurling, profane tirades,would be happy with what Rushing and Bolster are doing at UnionPublic House? Bloody ( ) right he would!Guests at UPH marvel at the craft and spices going into the handcrafted cocktails, such as the Orange Blossom Collins.And the food? Wow.

UnionPublic House:unionfl.comGet there:309 S Reus St.,Scotch eggsPensacola, FL 32501Miso Soy Hanger SteakBraisedporkbutt.Telephone:UPH House Charcuterie850.607.6320Open: Monday - Friday11 a.m. to 12 MidnightMiso Soy Hanger Steak — in smoked tomato ragu, bluecheese and topped with fried duck egg, smashed crispy potatoand arugula.UPH House Charcuterie — House-smoked bacon, head cheese, brisketScotch eggs — English-style soft-boiled egg wrapped inprosciutto, and andouille. House-produced mustard.breakfast sausage and breaded in bread crumbs. InsteadSmoked pork butt — Cured in molasses, pickled red onions and sau-Rushing wraps them in house-made andouille sausage— and breadsteed spinach, with Alabama cream corn and fried jalapeño. Toppedthem in house-made pork cracklings.with a molasses pork-jus.Burger — Stuffed with red-wine braised short rib— braised for hoursin red wine and vegetables. He reduces the liquid and wraps it in beef— topped with cheese, bacon, fried kale and aioli.A 3Corndog?!!!?minute WholeBodyCryotherapysessionA Gulf Coast— yes,a corndog.Stuffed mp. Makesyour eyesrollcalories,into the backof yourhead.inflammation. Callvisit chillpensacola.comto find out more.A pot pie850-972-8488— brimming withorshrimpand scallops.Mention this ad and receive 25% off your first visit or packaCoastal Moving IsProud to “Stay Local”CoastalMovingProudtotoLocal”stal MovingIs IsProud“StayA3“StayminuteLocal”Whole Body Cryotherapy session can reduceA 3 minute WholeBody Cryotherapy session can reduce401 N Davis Hwy.Residential & CommercialServicescellulite, burncalories, and reduceinflammation.Callcellulite, burncalories,reduceinflammation. CallPensacola,FLand32501850-972-8488850-972-8488or visittochillpensacola.comto find out Residential & Commercial ServicesMention thischillpensacola.comad and receive 25% off your first visit or package.Mention this ad and receive 25% off your first visit or package.Packing& StoragePacking& StorageLocal MovingLocal MovingMovingOffice RelocationselocationsEXPIRES 09.15.16Office Relocations*WeRelocate FamiliesocateCanFamilies*We Can Relocate Familiesate AcrossLines* State Lines**FREE ESTIMATES*TIMATES*Across State Lines*A 3 minute Whole Body Cryotherapy session can reducecellulite, burn401 N calories,Davis Hwy. and reduce inflammation. CallPensacola, FL 32501850-972-8488or visit chillpensacola.com to find out more.850-972-8488Mention thisad and receive 25% off your first visit or package.chillpensacola.com*FREE ESTIMATES*callyowned andand operatedby operated byJen and Jay Bradshawy BradshawLocally owned and operated byJenCaringand Jayfor Bradshawfamilies since 1969Caring for families since 1969401 N Davis Hwy.4321 North W St. 850.433.8308FL 325014 3 2 1 Nwww.mycoastalmoving.como r t h W S t . 8 5 0 - 4 3 3 - 8Pensacola,308850-972-8488w w w. m y c o a s t a l m o v i n g . c o mchillpensacola.comCaring for families since 19694321 North W St. 850.433.8308www.mycoastalmoving.com401 N Davis Hwy.Pensacola, FL 32501850-972-8488chillpensacola.comAugust 2016 Pensacola Lifestyle15

An adult skimmer heads off on afishing expedition.PROTECTING OUR SHORE BIRDSAudubon Program Teaches Shorebird StewardshipSEAN SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY SEAN SMITHBeachgoers might not have noticed theblack-and-white birds clustered behinda cordoned-off area near The Cross onPensacola Beach.Then they saw Emma Bickerstaff, wearingan Audubon shirt, a pair of binoculars witha sign that read, “Ask Me About the Birds.”Then she shows you through the powerfulspotter’s scope. Huddled among the roots ofsparse vegetation, small, brown fluffy skimmerchicks, still waiting to grow into their club-likebills, still waiting to soar like their parents.Then when you see the black skimmerstake flight, massive albatross-like wings,16Pensacola Lifestyle August 2016designed for effortless soaring at wave-topheights. When they hunt, the skimmerscruise inches over the surface — with theiroversized lower bill skimming the surface.When it feels a fish, snap.Nesting colonies of least terns on SantaRosa Island and Johnson Beach in GulfIslands National Seashore U.S. parks.Threatened species, skimmers and least ternsare vulnerable to predators and their youngand camouflaged eggs are easily stepped on.Bickerstaff is there to help protect thebirds and to educate the public. She shows abeach walker the young flightless birds.“They will put eggs right on the beach— we are trying to protect them from disturbances and do outreach,” Bickerstaff said.“The scopes allow people to see the birdsup close — from afar. We talk to so manylocals who say they have never really seenthe birds. The eggs and chicks blend right inwith the sand.”Overall, beach-nesting birds are indecline due to habitat loss, human disturbance, predation and other f

Pensacola State College is the first in this region to earn accredita - tion from two national agencies for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN) program. The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) notified Pensacola State that the RN-to-BSN program received accreditation effec-tive retroactive to February 2016. In .