CHAMBER GALA
The 75 th Annual Chamber Gala
By Hayli Zuccola
On February 25 , the 75th Annual Chamber Gala Celebration , the title sponsor of which was First Federal Bank , commenced at Camp Weed ’ s Cerveny Conference Center with close to 300 attendees . The venue , which was decorated by Epic Events and Design , hosted live entertainment sponsored by Adams Family Farm with performances by ’ 80s rock cover band Hair Daze ; an assortment of silent auction items like trip packages provided by AmFund and an array of boozy beverages available at the bar sponsored by Skinner ’ s Paint and Body .
Coinciding with the live entertainment was a cocktail hour with hors d ’ oeuvres before the opening of a large buffet catered by 11th Street Kitchen that featured beef tenderloin , green bean bundles and au gratin potatoes .
Aside from the incredible food and entertainment , the night ’ s festivities wouldn ’ t be complete without the naming the Trailblazer and Citizen of the Year – an honor that went to Bob McGranahan and Kathleen Townsend , respectively .
Trailblazer : Bob McGranahan Bob McGranahan was introduced to the pest control industry through the DCT program at his high school and began working for Clement ’ s Pest Control in Fort Lauderdale during his senior year . After graduating , he stayed at Clement ’ s for another 14 years and eventually worked his way up to a management position . In 1971 , he became the youngest person ever to be elected as president of the Florida Pest Control Association .
In 1972 , McGranahan and his wife , Frances , moved to Suwannee County and founded Live Oak Pest Control where Bob worked as a service technician and Frances acted as the business ’ s secretary . Today , Live Oak Pest Control has 42 employees servicing 14 counties in north Florida .
His career and entrepreneurship aside , McGranahan has been involved in the community he calls home in some form or another since his relocation whether that was being a member of the Board of Directors of First Federal Bank for 20 years ; a member of the Board of Directors of the Suwannee County Hospital for 20 years and even served as President of the Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce two times . McGranahan has also been involved in philanthropic work including financially supporting the Advent Christian Village , Haven Hospice , local FFA Chapters and the UF Ag
118 SUWANNEE CHAMBER IMPACT | 2023-2024