Business Archive

The Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has named its chair of the board and chair-elect for 2021. Sarah Skelly, DO, a physician at Dr. Bawa and Associates, is now serving as chair of the board and Gretchen Carter, owner of Organized Occasions and Grocery Concierge, has been named chair-elect.

“The Chamber is honored to have such wonderful business and community volunteers in our leadership succession,” said Monica Meyer, the outgoing 2020 chair of the board.

Currently Navarre has four groceries stores within a five-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 98.

That’s about one grocery store to every 11,000 residents. And there’s more on the way with construction and renovation plans expanding Navarre’s options for filling the fridge and pantry.

The Gulf Breeze Area Chamber of Commerce has announced its selection of a new Chamber President and CEO

Grace Arneault, who recently graduated from the University of West Florida with a Master’s degree in Business Administration, has accepted the position and will start this week. She will work closely with outgoing chamber president, Kristen Rhodes, over the next 30 days to ensure a strong and smooth transition.

It started with Craigslist and a help-wanted post seeking elves – Santa’s elves.

Yolanda Navarrete, who lives in New Jersey but spends as much time as possible in Navarre each year, decided being an elf sounded fun.

It’s not been a great year for most small retailers.

Forced closures due to COVID-19 were costly to bottom lines, creating weeks of zero income unless business owners to could move online. Many did not have the capital to do it, and they temporarily shuttered.