Two local restaurateurs, an actor and a Realtor are among six Okaloosa County residents recommended to serve on a newly restored Tourist Development Council.
Okaloosa County commissioners are expected to vote on the selections at their meeting Tuesday in Crestview.
The six people were chosen by a review committee appointed by commissioners. They are Dale Peterson, president of Dale E. Peterson Realty; Mike Bass, president of Coastline Properties of Destin; Joe Guidry, general manager of Ramada Plaza Beach Resort; Tom Rice, owner of The Magnolia Grill restaurant; Thom Gossom, a professional actor and president of Best Gurl Entertainment; and Daniel Empson, owner of Harry T.’s Lighthouse and Angler’s Beachside Grill.
“It’s something I also wanted to do,” Guidry said of serving on the TDC. “The things that are happening with the TDC are critical to the properties out here (on Okaloosa Island.)”
He said it’s vital that the TDC resume advertising and promoting the area to combat rising gas prices and the ongoing economic slump.
Rice said he wants to help the TDC move past the Mark Bellinger fraud scandal and attract more visitors to the area. He said he is committed to transparency and welcomes the county’s increased oversight of the TDC’s new procedures and policies.
“Ethics do matter,” Rice said. “It’s not so much what you accomplish, but how you accomplish it.”
Bass said in his application to the TDC that his skills buying, selling and renting Gulf-front properties provide him with a unique perspective. He also has a background as a human resources executive.
Gossom said he would bring extensive marketing skills to the TDC as well as a diverse set of media contacts. A member of the Screen Actor’s Guild, he has appeared in numerous television shows, motion pictures and stage productions, including “Fight Club,” “ER,” “The West Wing” and “Boston Legal.”
Peterson wrote in his application that he wanted to “help in overcoming the blemishes recently incurred by the TDC,” and that his many years of community service would be viewed in a positive light by the public and the hospitality industry. Peterson is a past president of the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County.
Empson has worked in the restaurant industry since the late 1960s. He said in his application that his problem-solving skills and management experience will help ensure “an honest, diligent, consistent council.” Empson also sits on the board of directors of the Destin Fishing Museum.
The remaining members of the TDC are comprised of current members Destin City Councilman Tuffy Dixon and County Commissioner Kelly Windes. A representative from the Walton Beach City Council will be selected to serve Monday.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.
