FROM THE PUBLISHERS

As we indicate on our masthead, the purpose of EVOLVE is to“ Shine A Light on Success.” For over nine years, our audience has been business owners, entrepreneurs, elected officials and administrators, economic practitioners, community leaders and ANYONE interested in business, financial, economic and successfocused content. Our markets are the coastal communities from Nassau to Brevard Counties— Florida ' s Fantastic Coast. We cover these markets with our First Coast Region and Space Coast Region magazines, social media and website content. This April / May issue of EVOLVE Magazine shines a light on success stories such as The St Augustine Amphitheatre and the newly formed SJC Cultural Events in St Johns County, the Daytona Beach Ocean Center in Volusia County and the soon-to-open Compass Hotel by Margaritaville in Flagler County.

The Amp has moved outside its physical limitations to produce the Fort Mose Jazz and Blues Series, the Sing Out Loud Series and more. All are enormously successful.

The Ocean Center opened in 1985, and through expansion and wise investments is now an arena, exhibit hall and ballroom that hosted over 500,000 people in 2024.

In Flagler, all eyes are on the opening of the Compass Hotel by Margaritaville being built and operated by Elite Hospitality. Their passion for preserving the uniqueness of Flagler Beach with this new hotel is impressive.

We first came to this Fantastic Coast in the late 1990s when my regional team in Xerox Global Services won a sales challenge, came to the Marriott Sawgrass and played the renowned Sawgrass

TPC golf course. We thought we were in Jacksonville and didn’ t know until years later that, in fact, we were in Ponte Vedra in St Johns County. In 2002 we first visited St Augustine, Palm Coast and Hammock Beach and were smitten Now we have been residents for 18 years on this“ Fantastic Coast.” This issue of EVOLVE shines a light, albeit narrow, on what makes this coast FANTASTIC!

We hope you enjoy it.

PUBLISHERS Howard M. Holley and Dr. Barbara C. Holley

CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Elesha Mavrommatis

ART DIRECTOR Leslie Proctor

CHIEF OPERATING AND SALES OFFICER Jeanne Coates

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Yvette Alleman

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDS

First Coast Region Eric Becher • Vavarde Strategic Funding Cindy Dalecki • Marketing 2 Go Heidi Jameson • JAXUSA Partnership Maks Levanovich • SouthState Bank Craig McKinney • City of Palm Coast Scott Maynard • St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Sarah McPherson • Advent Health Dr. Sandra Miles • DSM Initiatives, LLC Sherri Mitchell • Nassau County Economic Development Board Dr. Daniel Ray • St. Johns River State College

Space Coast Region Nick Conte • City of DeLand Richard Cooper • Foundation Risk Partners Heather Edwards • Volusia County Economic Development Department John Guthrie, Halifax Health Tracy Marino • Team Volusia EDC Dean O’ Brien • 06 Marketing LLC Brian Rademacher • City of Ormond Beach Kate Sark • Ocean Center Amy Workowski • The W Agency

INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? If you would like to advertise in EVOLVE, please call 386.449.8353 or email us at info @ TouchPointIS. com

HOWARD M. HOLLEY Co-Publisher

DR. BARBARA C. HOLLEY Co-Publisher

EVOLVE is published six times per year by

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EVOLVE Business and Entrepreneur Magazine First Coast Region - April/May 2025 | Page 6

FROM THE PUBLISHERS