The 20 bright young professionals that were recognized Saturday are truly engaged in our community, and serve as examples of how to be leaders in their fields. We hope that they will continue to dedicate their talents to the Tallahassee community, and make our great city an even better place for young people to live, work, play and stay.

Golden A.C.E. winners in the 20 categories are:

Beauty: Katie Wright, Founder and Owner, Green Peridot Salon
Communications: Nikita Graham, Proposal Coordinator, Atkins
Higher Education: Rachel Sutz Pienta, Professor, Valdosta State University
Education: Christopher Small, Assistant Principal for Curriculum, Nims Middle School
Entrepreneurship: Casie Reinholt, Owner, Social Design Group
Sales: Melanie Lee, Vice President and General Manager, KIA Autosport
Public Servant: L. Bradford Johnson, Community Relations & External Affairs Aide to the Mayor, City of Tallahassee
Journalism: Elizabeth Mack, TLH Topics/Multimedia Reporter, Columnist and Host of Limelight Live, Tallahassee Democrat.
Hospitality: Pam Bauer, Director of Sales, Hotel Duval
Arts & Culture: Staci Mellman, Director, Tallahassee Film Festival
Finance: Adam Watson, Vice President, Watson & Associates, PA, CPA
Government Relations & Law: Jack “Jake” E. Kiker, III, Attorney & Shareholder, WilliamsGautier
Health Care: Dr. Heather Burch, Owner & Orthodontist, Heather K. Burch Orthodontics
Health & Fitness: Nick Mack, Owner & Trainer, Renegade Kettlebells and Training
Insurance: Miriam Watkins, Agent, AFLAC
IT & Computers: Brian Rode, Owner, Premiere Computers Solutions
Public Safety: Brandon Mark Cutcliffe, Detective, Financial Crimes Unit, Leon County Sheriff’s Office
Real Estate: Christie Orros, Realtor, Coldwell Banker Hartung and Noblin
Non-Profit: Barbara Maria Moro, Director of Student Affairs, Southern Scholarship Foundation

And a special congrats to our Top ACE winner, Barbara Moro! Barbara selected Oasis Center for Women & Girls as her charity of choice to receive a $1000 donation from NYP that is given to the Top ACE award winner.

We want your feedback! Did you attend the Golden A.C.E. Awards & Gala? Were you a Golden A.C.E. Award nominee or did you nominate yourself or someone you know? Let us know what you think about the event, the nomination process, or whatever you think can help us improve for next year. Submit your feedback to nypgoldenace@gmail.com.

The Golden A.C.E. Awards & Gala is sponsored by:

February 19, 2012
Tallahassee Democrat

The Tallahassee Network of Young Professionals is looking for the leaders of the future.

Nominations are now being taken for the organization’s Golden A.C.E. Awards.

The award is an inaugural effort for the NYP, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of area young professionals, said Rachel Gustafson, NYP board president.

“It really stemmed out of realizing that there’s nothing that puts the spotlight on emerging leaders. The folks that haven’t made it yet, but they’re on their way.”

The award will recognize Tallahassee’s “top 20 under 40″ from various industries, she added.

Nomination career categories range from art and culture to government relations and law and from entrepreneurship to nonprofit.

But A.C.E. (Authentic Community Engagement) award recipients won’t be chosen just for their stellar performance at work, said Tyler Houston, past NYP board president.

“It’s not about how much money you make, how many employees you have, what position you’re in — it’s about the wholistic you,” he said. “What are you involved in outside of the office — your dedication to not only your job, but to the community.”

The deadline for nominee applications is March 15, Gustafson said. This being the first year, self-nominations and nominations from co-workers, family or friends will be accepted.

The awards gala, a black-tie event, will be March 24 in Hotel Duval’s Horizon Ballroom.

At the gala, the top three nominees in each category will be recognized, and one overall Golden A.C.E. will be awarded.

But most of all, the organization wants the evening to be special for area young professionals, Gustafson said.

“It will be the Oscars for young professionals in Tallahassee,” she added. “We want it to be a very swanky night on the town and a way to highlight our future leaders.”

To make a nomination or purchase tickets for the gala visit, www.TallahasseeNYP.org.

Happy New Year, Tallahassee Young Professionals!

We’re looking forward to a great 2012, and we hope you are, too.

Legislative Session starts early this year, so winter in Tallahassee couldn’t be busier. If you’re not totally sure what it means, Session is the two months each year when Florida’s elected officials convene in Tallahassee to pass bills and figure out what Florida needs to do to grow and prosper while still protecting the health and safety of our citizens and visitors. Customarily it occurs in Spring, but this year, due to the requirement for districts to be redrawn every 10 years, lawmakers have an early deadline to get some things done. But that’s not all they’ll be doing – many a contentious issue is being debated and decided right in our backyard!

January 10 marked day one, and while this early session gives Tallahassee’s many politicos, lobbyists and special interest groups little time to rest after the holidays, it also gives you a great opportunity to dive right into our city to kick off 2012!

Here are four things you need to do during this Legislative session:

1. If you’re really interested in how the sausage is made, or if you can still sing the childhood ditty that taught us all how a bill becomes a law, you may want to head to the Capitol and see it happening for yourself. Sit in on a committee meeting, or wait until legislation actually hits the floor and watch the real debate, complete with legislators voting on a big “light-bright” board for all to see.

Truth be told by someone who has witnessed it (many times), this can get pretty boring, but it’s all part of how our state works. When you do inevitably get bored, take a field trip around the Capitol. Take the elevator up to the 22^nd floor to check out the great panoramic view of Tallahassee. Then head back down to the fifth floor for a veritable candy smorgasboard. And don’t miss the peanut butter M&Ms.

2. Check out another fun and often food-related perk of experiencing Legislative Session up close and personal: each day features at least one sponsored “Day at the Capitol.” Almost every interest group across Florida with offices in Tallahassee, and some without, host a Day at the Capitol, and it’s a great opportunity to learn something and take in some culture.

“Days at the Capitol” are free to patronize, and showcase some of Tallahassee’s interesting associations and philanthropic interests, as well as many counties, cities and special interests across the state.  Some personal favorite “Days at the Capitol”: Florida National Guard Day, which will be on January 24 this year, showcases a caravan of military vehicles and Miami-Dade County Day, which features the largest cauldron of paella you’ll likely ever see, is on February 1. Here is the most current list of scheduled days at the capitol: http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/real_estate_development_management/facilities_management/capitol_complex_events

3. If you know anything about politics in Florida, a must-see is the Annual Press Skits, a night of tongue-in-cheek comedy based on Florida’s lawmakers and played out by the reporters who cover them. The fun event is being held at the Moon on January 24. It’s a crowd pleaser and a night of laughs, like a Saturday Night Live episode about Florida. For more info: http://www.capitolskits.com/

4. Hit up Adams Street for happy hour. Downtown Tallahassee is a whole different animal during session, and it’s really fun to see. The restaurants and bars, like Andrew’s and Clyde’s, are transformed into hotspots where you will see legislators, lobbyists and even college students convening at the same time. It’s a great boost for our economy, and if you’re lucky, you may even catch some of legislator/student schmoozing.

As a young professional in Tallahassee, I absolutely love when the Legislature is in town. There is an unmistakable buzz and life in the city that makes it downright vibrant. It’s also great to see so many people in town patronizing local establishments and boosting our economy. You simply do not want to miss experiencing it, so head downtown and get in on the action today!

Since space is limited, pre-registration is encouraged. Entry fees are $3.75 per person and $3.75 per dog. Express Puppy Passes are now on sale at Trousdell. The pool is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. for registration. Citizens wanting to attend Puppies in the Pool can bring their pet’s paperwork, prepay the entrance fee and select the time slot that works best for them and their pooch(es). They will be then be given an Express Puppy Pass, which allows them to bypass lines on Saturday and Sunday and head straight for the pool. Only cash and checks are accepted.

Dogs will be divided into two groups and allotted certain swim times. Times are the same both days.

Dogs under 40 pounds: 1 — 2 p.m.
Dogs over 40 pounds: 10 — 11 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.; 2:30 — 3:30 p.m.

All dogs 6 months or older are welcome to come show off their best doggie paddle. All dog owners must bring current health information on each animal, as dogs without these materials will not be permitted in the pool. Vaccinations must be current for rabies, bordetella and one of the following: DAPP, DA2PP or DHPP. Dogs must also have had a negative fecal test within the past year and be spayed or neutered. Also, this is the dog’s time to swim, thus no humans will be allowed into the activity pool with their canine friend(s) due to regulations set by the Leon County Public Health Department.

The Puppies in the Pool event is sponsored by the City’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Department. For more information about Puppies in the Pool, please contact the Trousdell Aquatics Center at 891-4901.

Contact: Ashley Edwards, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs, 891-3853; or Lizzy Kelley, Communications, 891-8533

Schedule of Events

• Lecture, Judith Schaechter, Visiting Artist: Thursday, Oct. 13, 7 PM, Fine Arts Building at FSU, Room 249
• Exhibition opening: Friday, Oct. 14, 7-9 PM, Museum of Fine Arts at FSU
• Lecture, Nancy Hightower, Writer: Wednesday, Nov. 2, 3 PM, Museum of Fine Arts at FSU

Participating venues:

Mocking Bird Café
Chez Pierre
Floyd’s Music Store
The Engine Room
Krewe de Gras
Fifth Avenue Tap Room
Midtown Filling Station
Potbelly’s
Bird’s Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack
AJ’s Sports Bar
101 Restaurant and Lounge
Red Rocks
The Bomb Shelter
Hi Fi Jazz Café

Visit ampuptallahassee.com or like Amp Up Tallahassee on Facebook.

Date: Thursday, September 29, 2011
Time: 6:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Place: St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 2198 N. Meridian Rd., Tallahassee

REGISTER YOUR TEAM TODAY!
Call (850) 606-2644 or log on to www.literacyvolunteersleon.org for a registration form.
Registration fee: $100 per team of four (4) players

Can’t make it to the event?
Sponsor a team to represent your family, church, social group or business!

Who will have “the last word”? You won’t know unless you’re there!

Visit http://nfl.cff.org/tallytailgate for tickets and more information. Or check out the Facebook event.

Then you should come to Tallahassee’s inaugural Startup Round, sponsored by “The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship”. Co-founders John Chason of Metrix Ventures, Lester Hutt of BevShots, and Adam Kaye of Silicon Tally, with the gracious support and sponsorship of “The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship”, are planning to hold these informal networking events once a month as a way to get innovators, entrepreneurs, students, and investors talking amongst each other. And who knows what companies may spin off?

“I went to a happy hour and a startup broke out”!

Event: Startup Round
Date: April 14, 2011
Time: 7:00PM to 9:00PM
Place: Vintage Bistro and Bar –  1019 North Monroe Street

Complementary draft beer and appetizers.