PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Bay County's young professionals had an opportunity to meet candidates face-to-face and hear directly from those seeking public office during Young Professionals Political Pulse, held Sept. 28 at the Panama City Center for the Arts.

Presented through a partnership between Bay Young Professionals, Bay Building Industries Young Professionals and Panama City Beach Chamber Young Professionals, Political Pulse brought together 12 candidates seeking municipal, school board, state and federal office for an evening focused on civic engagement and the issues affecting the next generation of Bay County's workforce and community leaders. Two candidates did not attend.

The event was built around a simple idea: young professionals should have an opportunity to engage directly with the people seeking to represent them and become better informed about the choices they will see on the ballot.

Connecting Candidates and Young Professionals

Political Pulse began with 30 minutes of networking, giving attendees an opportunity to meet participating candidates before the formal program began.

During the networking portion, candidates spoke individually with attendees, answered questions and shared information about their campaigns. The informal setting allowed young professionals to have conversations with candidates from races at multiple levels of government before hearing from them in a more structured setting.

At 6 p.m., the evening transitioned into the moderated candidate forum.

Candidates took the stage by race and responded to questions focused on the responsibilities of the offices they are seeking and issues affecting Bay County's young professional community.

The combination of networking and a moderated forum gave attendees two opportunities to engage: first through direct, one-on-one conversations with candidates and then by hearing candidates respond to the same questions in a consistent format.

Questions From Young Professionals

The forum was moderated by Jacob Willard and Brian Knox.

Questions were developed with input from young professionals and were not provided to candidates in advance. Each candidate was asked three questions and given one minute to respond to each question.

The questions varied by race to reflect the responsibilities of each office.

Candidates for the Callaway Commission addressed the city's building permitting process, the types of businesses and industries Callaway should work to attract, and the potential effects of Amendment 3 on the city's budget and services.

Candidates seeking seats on the Panama City Beach City Council were asked about balancing the city’s tourism-driven economy with creating more complex, higher-paying professional career opportunities for young professionals, as well as the city’s building permitting process. 

Candidates for Bay County School Board District 3 discussed the growth of charter schools and homeschooling, why families may be choosing educational options outside of traditional public schools, pathways connecting students with skilled-trade careers, and challenges facing local students.

Florida House District 6 candidates addressed local permitting, issues affecting Bay County that they would bring before the Florida Legislature and the potential effects of Amendment 3 on property owners and local government budgets.

The forum concluded with candidates for Florida's 2nd Congressional District, who answered questions related to the cost of living, property and health insurance costs, and higher education affordability and student loan debt.

The issues reflected the broader purpose of Political Pulse. The event was developed to focus attention on topics that can directly affect whether young professionals are able to build careers, businesses, families and futures in Bay County, including housing, economic opportunity, workforce development, infrastructure, quality of life, business growth and the ability to attract and retain young talent.

Candidates Participating in Political Pulse

Callaway Commission – Ward 1
Bobby J. Birdsell
Karen Custer

Callaway Commission – Ward 2
Spring Overway

Panama City Beach City Council – Ward 1
Carlos Sanchez
Grant Wittstruck

Panama City Beach City Council – Ward 3
Mary Coburn
Nick Atkinson

Bay County School Board – District 3
Dr. John Haley

Florida House of Representatives – District 6
Tricia Berry
Stephanie Lyn Leonard

U.S. House of Representatives – Florida's 2nd Congressional District
Austin Rogers
Amanda Green

Creating a Seat at the Table

Political Pulse was created around the idea that young professionals should not have to wait until later in their careers to become involved in conversations shaping their community.

Young professionals are already employees, entrepreneurs, homeowners, parents, volunteers and community leaders. Decisions made by local, state and federal officials can affect where they live, how they build their careers and businesses, and whether they choose to make Bay County their long-term home.

By bringing together three young professional organizations, Political Pulse created an opportunity for emerging leaders from across Bay County to engage in the civic process, meet candidates directly and become more informed before casting their ballots.

The event's theme, “Your Future. Your Community. Your Questions.”, reflected that purpose and the importance of giving emerging business and community leaders a voice in decisions affecting their future. Political Pulse was designed to encourage attendees to listen, learn and leave better informed about the candidates seeking their vote.

For Bay Young Professionals, the event also reflects the organization's broader focus on providing opportunities for emerging professionals to connect, grow, serve and lead while becoming more involved in the community they call home.

Political Pulse was a nonpartisan candidate forum. Participation in, sponsorship of or attendance at the event did not constitute an endorsement of any candidate, campaign, political party or political position by the participating organizations or sponsors.

Learn more about Bay Young Professionals and upcoming opportunities to get involved through the Bay County Chamber of Commerce.

Watch the full video of this year's Political Pulse Event.