In a workshop meeting on Monday, August 6, 2018, the Vernon, Florida City Council heard from their public relations consultant, The Goulding Agency in Chipley, Florida, about the start of plans to celebrate the completion of the Hwy 79 four-lane project.
‘We were fortunate enough to be a part of the planning for the “Bridge Festival”, working with the Vernon Historical Society in September, 2010’, said Paul Goulding at Monday’s meeting. ‘Then again in February 2013 we participated in the ribbon-cutting for the newly completed bridge project, and the completion of the four-lane through Vernon is no less of an opportunity to celebrate’.
Pointing out that it takes only 40 minutes to travel from Pier Park in Panama City Beach to Vernon via Hwy 79, Goulding noted that in that same 40 minutes other drivers are still on beach highways, hemmed in by bumper-to-bumper traffic.
‘The message is that you can invest in reasonably-priced real estate here in Vernon, enjoying the quality of life and low cost of living available, but still enjoy all that the Gulf has to offer, along with access to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, and with the four-lane highway, you can traverse easily from one to the other’.
Pointing out that the Vernon Historical Society should play a significant part in the festivities, Goulding further suggested that the Vernon schools be engaged to participate in the creation of images to represent this celebration.
‘Initially we suggest the use of a slogan such as “Why Not Vernon?”, said Goulding, but input from the community will be essential.
‘There are some who want to dwell on what could have been, or how fast they believe progress should be made, but we are in the business of looking forward’, Paul Goulding recently told the Vernon, Florida City Council, ‘and our effort will be to show the business community, investors and potential residents that the future of Vernon, Florida is indeed very bright’.
In 2017, Vernon City Commissioners voted unanimously to hire Chipley, Florida public relations firm to help educate the public and the business sector about the opportunities afforded by the City, including the four-laning of State Highway 79 through the city.
Providing public relations, media production and social media efforts for Northwest Florida entities over the past decade as diverse as Family Dollar in Marianna, WestPoint Home in Chipley, the Washington County, Florida School District, Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Florida Panhandle Technical College in Chipley and the tourism industry in Jackson County, Florida, the firm has become adept at identifying the positives, capitalizing on opportunity and producing compelling content illustrating these highlights of an area or a business.
The firm has provided unmanned aerial vehicles, more commonly referred to as ‘drones’, in conjunction with Florida Panhandle Technical College, to photograph and video what is commonly called ‘the Highway 79 Project in Bonifay, Holmes County and Washington County, just north of Vernon, and more recently have provide aerial photos of all the Washington County schools as a part of the Florida School Safety initiative.
The firm recently released a short, upbeat ‘teaser’ aerial video clip of this highlight of the Vernon area, and the response has been commensurately energetic, and Vernon officials are excited.
‘We are excited to have The Goulding Agency on board’, said Vernon Mayor Tina Sloan, ‘and we look forward to shining a big spotlight on the positive future we enjoy here’.
