Dr. Paul Hsu

Dr. Paul Hsu, an innovator of business and a visionary was born in Taiwan, and came to the United States as a first generation immigrant in 1976.  In 1984, he founded Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI), an avionics and battlefield electronics company serving the U.S. Department of Defense, which became the first in a series of successful entrepreneurial enterprises. READ MORE >>

Jay Odom

Jay Odom was raised in the panhandle of Florida and attended Choctaw High school as well as the Okaloosa-Walton College. He received his BS degree in Ocean Engineering from Florida Atlantic University in 1979. He worked for five years for a multi-national oil industry well service and then decided to join a commercial real estate firm land division in Austin Texas. READ MORE >>

Dr. David L. Goetsch

Dr. Goetsch is Vice-President of Okaloosa-Walton College where he also serves as Professor of Management and Business. He is the author of more than 60 books on management, leadership, supervision, and economic development. Six of his books are bestsellers in the collegiate market and three of them have been translated into foreign languages (Korean, Malaysian, and Indonesian). READ MORE >>

Gail P. Forest

Gail P. Forest is Deputy Director, Munitions Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. As Deputy Director, she manages the daily operations of more than 500 military, civilian, and contractor personnel who develop, integrate, and transition the science and technology for air-launched munitions. READ MORE >>

Dr. Bruce Simpson

Dr. Bruce Simpson leads a 900+ person wing and executes a portfolio of programs valued at more than $46B. Dr. Simpson’s programs in the 308th Wing include the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), and more. These programs are all key elements in enabling our warfighters to engage high-value targets, while keeping aircrews out of harms way. READ MORE >>

Larry Sassano

Larry Sassano is President of the EDC of Okaloosa County. He is responsible for creating and implementing a comprehensive strategic plan for business development and economic diversity for Okaloosa County and overseeing the EDC budget. He is a Board member for Florida’s Great Northwest and Economic Development Practitioner Advisory Committee member for Enterprise Florida. READ MORE >>

Steve Riggs

After working for the Internal Revenue Service as a Field Agent in their Jacksonville office for four years, Steve Riggs returned to his Okaloosa County roots, opening his first CPA office with 4 employees. That was 1986. Today, Carr, Riggs & Ingram is the 35th largest CPA firm in the nation, with 15 office locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. READ MORE >>

Craig Dalton

Craig Dalton is Vice President, Armed Services for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. He is charged with developing innovative plans, programs and activities to ensure the successful enhancement of the region’s military activities and mission performance, as well as the development of the Defense industry in the Pensacola Bay Area. READ MORE >>

Mike Hicks

Hicks has been involved in the field of Technology for over twenty years. He received his BS Degree in Computers and Information Systems, from Florida A&M University in 1988 through the Navy's BOOST program. After receiving his commission, Hicks was accepted into the Naval Flight Program where he was designated a Naval Aviator in October 1989. READ MORE >>