BY DAN HILDEBRAN
The North Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce named one of the area’s newest enterprises as its business of the year and recognized the contributions of two community members who died in 2021 and 2023 during its awards banquet.
Bradford County Fire Chief Ben Carter emceed the February 3 gala at the Gov. Charles E. Johns Conference Center.
Leisa Sims of It’s Your Day Bridal decorated the facility in the event’s theme: Lights, Camera Action depicting the red carpet, and the glamor of an Oscar awards show. Downtown Grill catered for the banquet, and Genius Entertainment hosted a dance after the ceremony.
As in prior years, the Bradford County Education Foundation raised money for its projects during the event, announcing winners of two raffles it held for vacation stays at the beach and in the mountains. A third drawing featuring a 10-by-10 shed was postponed because not enough tickets were sold for the raffle.
Carter noted that his role in the event signaled a milestone in his family’s involvement in the awards banquet.
“My grandfather, Maxi Carter, Jr., was the emcee for this event 50 years ago,” he said. And my father, Brad Carter, was the emcee for this event 30 years ago.”
Carter applauded the business communities of the Chamber’s three-market areas.
“Hats off to the entrepreneurs who turn obstacles into opportunities faster than Clark Kent changes into his tights,” he said. “But the real stars of the show here tonight are the award winners. Later in the program, we will recognize the true titans of our community. They’re not just receiving awards; they’re getting business Oscars, Grammys, and maybe even a few golden spatulas for flipping the script on success.”
Bradford County’s second largest ‘city’
After the dinner, Carter started the awards presentations with the chamber’s business of the year.
In its first two years, the Keystone Heights RV Park, located in southern Bradford County, was racking up recognition as a quality destination. In its third year, the park was designated as one of the country’s top 100 by the Good Sam Campground Network, a feat Park Manager Ken Loyd said had never been achieved.
The facility opened in 2020 with 190 sites. Three years later, it had tripled its number of sites, and its population, with around 70% staying year-round, was nearly equal to that of the City of Keystone Heights.
If the park were a city, it would be Bradford County’s second largest, and if the county’s municipalities were ranked by median household income, the RV Park would likely come in at Number 1.
Surrounding restaurants, golf courses, and other businesses have testified to the benefits of the residents’ spending.
“They’re looking for activities,” Loyd told a local civic group about the facility’s campers last April. “They’re looking for nice day trips; they’re looking for nice restaurants. They’re looking for nice grocery store facilities to get them what they need without driving to Gainesville or Jacksonville. They’re always looking for new things and get very excited when they see news like Popeye’s building in Keystone Heights.”
Carter said the park has created over 150 jobs since its conception.
The fire chief added that proprietor Vincent Esson had hired local employees, vendors, and business providers instead of looking at potentially cheaper online or out-of-area options.
Carter said that in a contribution that was near and dear to his own heart, Esson donated money to the county for the Speedville fire station.
“More recently,” Carter added, “Vincent has yet again displayed his dedication to the betterment of this community by donating additional funds to build living quarters at the Speedville fire station.”
Carter said that according to Capital City Bank President Patricia Evans, Esson has met with other existing and potential business owners in the region to share his guidance and expertise so that their business can get off to the right start and flourish as much as his.
Esson thanked his wife Michelle, his family, Loyd, and his business partner Alan Wallace for helping the enterprise succeed.
“I want to thank Evan Douglas, our general contractor, for believing in us, believing in me,” he said. “When times were tough, he was the only contractor around. Thank you, Evan.”
Esson also thanked the chamber and county officials for their support, pointing out Sheriff Gordon Smith and the board of county commissioners.
“I want to thank the commissioners for trusting in me,” he said. “Once they gave me that permit, I remember they said, ‘Hey, don’t let us down.’”
The compassionate pharmacist
Carter said the town pharmacist has become a trusted partner to members of their communities who rely on their help and advice.
“Bobby Autry was born for this role, and he maintained the trust of thousands of local citizens who became more like his family members,” Carter said. “If you needed a prescription after hours due to a family emergency, Bobby was always willing to take the phone call. He would also be the guy who was willing to deliver needed prescriptions to your door at any hour of the night.”
Carter said Autry was best known for his time behind the counter at Mitchell’s Drugstore on Starke’s Call Street.
“You could receive advice regarding your over-the-counter medical needs,” Carter said, “pick up needed supplies, savor a milkshake at the old-fashioned fountain, and shoot the bull with your buddies while enjoying lunch.”
Carter said that Autry was a symbol of the independent, community pharmacist who was a public servant, a pharmaceutical mayor of sorts.
“At Mitchell’s Drugs, you were always able to talk to Bobby about your medical needs regardless of your station in life or your ability to pay,” Carter said. “Bobby was always calm, soft-spoken, and reassuring. Care and compassion were his trademarks.”
Carter said Autry worked for nearly a half-century at local hospitals, nursing homes, other retailers like CVS and Madison Street Pharmacy, and most recently, with his son Jim at North Florida Pharmacy in Keystone Heights.
“In Keystone Heights, he willingly assisted the most vulnerable in their time of need,” Carter said. “His love for his customers was only exceeded by his passion for his family and his friends.”
Champion of rural healthcare
Carter said Dr. Peter John Gianas was born in Wellsville, New York, and after attending medical school at Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University, opened a private practice and began work at Shands at Starke in 1983.
His career included serving as medical director for Alachua County Fire Rescue, Bradford County EMS, Bradford County Fire Rescue, Clay County Fire Rescue, Union County EMS, Gilchrist County Fire Rescue, Starke Fire Rescue, Santa Fe Community College EMS programs, and the Florida Gateway EMS training program.
Carter added that Gianas served on the Area Healthcare Center Board of Directors and the International Trauma Life Support Board of Directors.
“Dr. Gianas worked with ITLS for more than 20 years, including serving as medical director for the Florida chapter,” Carter said. “Among his accolades was winning the ITLS Jackie Campbell Award, the organization’s highest honor. The global nonprofit works to prevent death and disability through education and emergency care.”
The Florida Rural Health Association posthumously awarded Gianas the Wendell Rollason Award. Carter said the award is presented to individuals who have provided an enduring contribution to rural healthcare.
The fire chief added that Gianas was posthumously awarded the Maryland Crook EMS Pioneer Award by the State Department of Health, recognizing individuals who have advanced EMS through visionary leadership.
“In the EMS system,” Carter said, “Dr. Gianas advocated that it shouldn’t matter if you were in the biggest city or the smallest in the state; you deserved the same level of healthcare. He didn’t just believe that. He truly made that his life work. He made many trips to other countries to perform charity work, further demonstrating his passion for equal healthcare.”
Carter said it is difficult to put into words the legacy Gianas left in rural North Florida.
“Over the years, he has been a mentor, teacher, caregiver, friend, and father figure to countless individuals from his tenure in the emergency room to his time spent as medical director for multiple EMS agencies,” the fire chief said. “Dr. Gianas leaves behind a legacy of compassion for his patients and superior healthcare in rural communities. His legacy is carried on daily by those fortunate enough to have trained under him. The number of lives positively impacted by Dr. Gianas is unfathomable.”
We now know why he never came home
Carter then handed the microphone to Virginia Autry, who said she has always been honored to be her husband’s wife.
“And tonight, more than ever,” she said, “I’m so honored to be married to such a giving man, a lover of people.”
Gianas’s cousin, Dean Giopulos, emphasized the friendship between the two honorees.
“They were truly the best of friends,” he said. “They loved each other dearly, and I have faith that both of those men right now are either looking down at us, and they’re either laughing, or they’re pretty darn upset with us.”
Giopulus added that the physician’s family often wondered why he never returned to his hometown in New York.
“The more that we’ve been down here and the more that we’ve been able to be around you people, it’s easy to see why he had the level of commitment to this area that he did,” the physician’s cousin said. “He truly loved you all, and it’s a testament to who you are as a people and what you all believe in.”
Chamber leadership honored
Chamber President Pam Whittle recognized two outgoing board members for their service to the business group. Lindsey Reddish missed the event because of sickness. Whittle gave Dale Woodruff a plaque recognizing his leadership in the chamber.
She also thanked the organization’s 2024 Board of Governors, which includes Chair Jeff Oody, Past Chair Brad Bishop, Treasurer Chris Page, Chair-Elect Brad Smith, Rhonda Hamilton, James Eison, Steve Futch, Scott Kornegay, Justis Smith, Denny Thompson, and Jennifer Whitehead.
Oody said that the area will continue to see economic expansion over the coming year and that the chamber will be an active participant in that growth.
“If you’ve looked up and down 301 in Starke and on 100 headed toward Lake Butler and Keystone, you see a lot of dirt that’s turning over,” he said. “Well, the chamber’s going to be there in cooperation with the county and the city, and we want you all to be a part of it.”
