Alliance News
« Back to News Main7th Special Forces Provides Update at Alliance Quarterly Roundtable
DeFuniak Springs, Florida, February 25, 2010 – “Northwest Florida will become the location of choice for Special Forces,” said Lieutenant Colonel Gary Bloomberg. He addressed sixty attendees today during the Walton County Economic Development Alliance’s Quarterly Roundtable in Freeport. Lieutenant Colonel Bloomberg is Chief of the Special Forces Integration Team-Eglin, which is a six-man team responsible for integrating soldiers and family members of the 7th Special Forces onto Eglin Air Force Base and into the surrounding communities.
Soldiers and their families consider the same things as anyone else when they decide where to live, he said. “For folks with children, schools are important; amenities and housing choices are also key considerations,” Lieutenant Bloomberg said. By next summer, 2,200 soldiers and 4,300 family members are expected to have moved to Northwest Florida as the 7th Special Forces relocate from Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
Also at the Quarterly Roundtable, the Alliance announced its second round of TIDE Award recipients. The Award, which stands for “Thanks for Investing and Developing,” recognizes organizations and companies that have invested in Walton County during the past eight months. TIDE Award recipients included DeFuniak Development, LLC, the developers of Hunters Ridge and Northwest Florida State College for the new South Walton Center.
The Alliance will recognize companies and organizations on a quarterly basis through the TIDE Awards. The next round of TIDE Award recipients will be announced at the Alliance’s quarterly roundtable in May. For a TIDE application, contact the Alliance office at 850.892.4859.
Don Brown, Alliance Chairman, presents the TIDE Award to Michael Jenkins and Russ Aldrich from DeFuniak Development, LLC, developers of Hunters Ridge.
Don Brown, Alliance Chairman, presents the TIDE Award to Dr. David Goetsch, Vice President, NWFSC and Rachel R. Gillis, Trustee, NWFSC.
Lieutenant Colonel Gary Bloomberg presents at the Alliance Quarterly Roundtable in Freeport.