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Vonnie Mikkelsen

Collaboration creates connectivity

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The opening of the State Road 56 Extension between Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills has a personal benefit for Alora Butler, a student at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

She said the new road segment will cut her 30-minute commute to school in half.

Greg Lenners, general manager of The Shops at Wiregrass, expects to see an uptick in business, as the extension of State Road 56 over to the Zephyrhills area makes it easier for shoppers to get to the mall. (Christine Holtzman)

It also reduces the time that the Zephyrhills resident spends on the road, to get to leisure activities or do her banking in Wesley Chapel.

The new 6-mile stretch also makes life easier for her husband, too, as he makes his commute to work at a warehouse in Land O’ Lakes.

Butler is just one of the thousands who can now opt for a shorter, or less congested route, to and from the east side of Pasco County.

Kevin O’ Farrell, provost at the Porter Campus, near the intersection of State Road 56 and Mansfield Boulevard, said he thinks the new road will even help students perform better academically.

Less time in traffic means less stress, in O’ Farrell’s opinion. And, because of that, he said, students “are more mentally ready to engage in class, they’re ready to focus more on their coursework.”

Greg Lenners, general manager for The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel, expects the mall to experience an uptick in business because of the better access for shoppers coming from the east.

Laura Zimmerman, who lives on Meadow Pointe Boulevard, is happy to have another option for traveling to Zephyrhills. (Christine Holtzman)

Patrons at the mall said they’re glad to see the new road connection.

“I think it will ease the congestion and offer other alternatives,” said Laura Zimmerman, who lives on Meadow Pointe Boulevard and travels frequently to Zephyrhills.

McKenna Alkishawi, who lives in Zephyrhills, said the new route is “definitely 100 percent” beneficial.

Another Zephyrhills resident — Brenda Maass — is happy there’s a new way to get to Morris Bridge Road, where she can then head north at the new intersection.

For Zephyrhills resident John Skidmore, the new connection makes it easier for both him and his mother to get to doctor appointments.

“It’s about time. It’s going to be great,” Skidmore said.

Brenda Maass, a Zephyrhills resident and retiree, now has an alternative route in State Road 56 to visit friends and shop in the Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes region. (Christine Holtzman)

Donna Pacheco, a Wesley Chapel retiree, is pleased to have a more convenient way to get to Zephyrhills, where she goes three to four times a week to visit her brother, son and grandchildren.

“It’s really about time that they did that (extended the road),” she said.

Bill Cronin, president/CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., sees other benefits that improved connectivity will create.

“You’ve got the (State Road) 56 extension. You’ve got the potential widening of (U.S.) 301 in the north of the county, as well as the alignment of Clinton Avenue and (State Road) 39, which now starts to make us look a little more connected to Polk and some of those areas that we can access.

“We end up being much more strategically located for distribution activity,” Cronin said.

Numerous sources said the project’s success hinged on the collaboration of elected leaders and staff at the state, county and city levels; private landowners; and involved citizens.

Melonie Monson, executive director for The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, said local efforts played a vital role in securing a four-lane road.

McKenna Alkishawi is a Zephyrhills resident who often travels into Wesley Chapel on her leisure time. The USF student said that the new State Road 56 extension will be ‘100 percent’ beneficial in cutting down her commute time. (Christine Holtzman)

“There were a lot of letters written to legislators, to city officials, to government officials — and everybody decided to work together,” Monson said.

Vonnie Mikkelsen, now president and CEO of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce in Oregon, recalls those efforts. “It didn’t come top down. It came grassroots up,” she said.

“Honestly, it was a question of: Why hasn’t this happened sooner?” Mikkelsen said.

She credited then State Rep. Danny Burgess for playing a leading role.

“He listened and he understood immediately,” she said.

But, he wasn’t the only one.

“Our local government officials, they understood the importance. Our airport manager at the time, understood the opportunity that it presented. The Pasco EDC (knew, too).

“Everybody really rallied around the idea, even in the context of the first answer being, ‘No. No way.’

“Quite honestly, we thought, ‘OK. That’s not the final answer,’” Mikkelsen said.

“What really sealed the deal were some conversations at the state level.

Kevin O’ Farrell, provost at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, said the extension of State Road 56 will reduce commute times for students and staff traveling to the campus, near the intersection of Mansfield Boulevard and State Road 56. (Brian Fernandes)

“Lo, and behold, there was an opportunity. It required some innovative and creative thinking, and some collaborative partnerships at the local level to make it happen.”

Burgess, now executive director for the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, agreed: “The public-private partnership aspect, and the various levels of  governments that were involved in this, was really a huge success story, and an example of what can happen when everybody comes together for the common good of a community.”

The partnership resulted in a $22,750,000 loan for the third and fourth lanes of the project, with the loan to be repaid by private development partners through a mobility fee surcharge and a special assessment, if necessary.

The City of Zephyrhills agreed to reimburse the county for 10 percent of any loan shortfall paid for by the county. The contractor, Cone & Graham Inc., also agreed to include all costs associated with the design, permitting and construction, and other costs within the loan amount.

It’s a success that Burgess said he will savor.

“In the Legislature, and politics, in general, you know — in this line of work — you somewhat have to get used to defeats more than victories, if I’m going to be quite honest with you. You actually have to learn to live with that.

“But, then a victory like this happens. It’s validation. This is why you do what you do. You fight every day, because when you do something this big — this will have a profound impact on your community,” he said.

State Road 56 Extension

  • $59.7 million project
  • Runs from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills
  • Signalized intersections added at Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301
  • Road design is curved, to minimize wetlands disruption
  • Amenities include: 10-foot multi-use path; 5-foot sidewalk; 7-foot-wide bicycle lanes on both shoulders

By B.C. Manion and Brian Fernandes

Published July 17, 2019

Zephyrhills chamber names new director

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Zephyrhills native Melonie Monson has been named as the new executive director for the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

She was appointed to the post on Feb. 16 and will begin work on Feb. 29.

She replaces Rod Mayhew, who held the job about three months before stepping down in January.

Monson, 54, spent the past year working as assistant city clerk for the city of Zephyrhills.

The Zephyrhills High graduate previously was the chamber’s member services coordinator for about a year, where she worked alongside former chamber director Vonnie Mikkelsen.

Mikkelsen left the position in July 2015 to take on a similar role in Springfield, Oregon.

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce hired Melonie Monson to serve the role as executive director, effective Feb. 29. She will be the chamber’s third executive director in nine months, following Rod Mayhew and Vonnie Mikkelsen. (Courtesy of Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce hired Melonie Monson to serve the role as executive director, effective Feb. 29. She will be the chamber’s third executive director in nine months, following Rod Mayhew and Vonnie Mikkelsen.
(Courtesy of Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Monson stood out during the hiring process because she’s a local resident, is familiar with the inner workings of the city and is a former chamber employee, said Tim Linville, chamber president and search committee chairman.

Another bonus for the selection committee was Monson’s business experience, Linville said. She owned and operated a hair salon business in Utah for more than 30 years.

Her background gives her perspective that will help in her new role, the chamber president said, noting, “our chamber is made up of mostly small business owners, so that makes it easier to understand their concerns.”

Linville said Monson’s familiarity with the city’s business and political leaders makes her an ideal fit for the position.

“Her starting point is so much quicker as compared to if we hired someone from the outside, where it would take six months to a year to get somewhat familiar with who the different players are and understand the (city’s) makeup,” he explained.

“We really haven’t had an official leader for about nine months. It’s about…making sure things are running correctly and then…make sure we’re on our strategic plan which we have set up for March.”

Monson, who’s been living in Zephyrhills for the past five years, said she’s “excited to get back in the community and make a difference.”

One of Monson’s main objectives is to facilitate the development of downtown Zephyrhills.

“The nice thing about me being over here at the city for the last several months is I now see the vision the city has, and the direction they’re trying to go with form-based code and “reimagine” Gall Boulevard. I also understand the direction the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) is going in our downtown corridor… so I really think we can work together and find some businesses that will do great here,” Monson explained.

“The Zephyrhills Brewing Co., is going to be coming downtown. I’d love to be in on that, and help find a couple other businesses to come in and bring more people downtown,” she said.

Monson acknowledged that it will be a “bit of an adjustment” to go from being a member on the chamber’s staff, to assuming the leadership role.

“There’s always a challenge when you were working with people side-by-side and then you go back in, and now you’re over them,” Monson said. “But the (staff) is amazing, and we work well together, so I don’t anticipate too much of a challenge.

“I’m not sure if any confidence has been lost with things being changed so quickly, so I’ll watch for that and see if that needs to be addressed when I get in there,” she said.

In addition to her own ideas, Monson wants to garner feedback from fellow chamber employees on additional programming.

“It’s a team effort. It’s not a one-person job,” she said. “We all have to work together with the same type of goals.”

When she worked as the chamber’s membership services coordinator, Monson said she “learned a lot” from Mikkelsen about the duties of the executive director position.

“I learned how she interacted with people…and understood that relationships are far more important than anything monetary. …Most of the executive director position is being out there in the community and seeing what’s needed,” Monson explained.

“I learned a lot about understanding the role of a nonprofit, which was new to me and a little bit different,” she said.

Monson will make her own daily agenda.

Her first plans in office include completing the new chamber directory and locking in a permanent venue for the chamber’s annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Festival.

Published February 24, 2016

Zephyrhills chamber seeks new director

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For the second time in less than six months, the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce is seeking a new executive director to run its day-to-day operations.

Chamber president Tim Linville said the chamber hopes to have someone in place by early March to “get prepared for next year.”

Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce president Tim Linville is heading the five-member search committee to find a new executive director. (Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)
Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce president Tim Linville is heading the five-member search committee to find a new executive director.
(Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

The new hire will replace Rod Mayhew, who left the post in January. He began working for the chamber last October, spending just around three months on the job.

According to Linville, the chamber’s selection committee began seeking Mayhew’s replacement three days after the 6th annual Pigz in Z’ Hills BBQ and Blues Festival ended on Jan. 16.

Linville said Mayhew was “looking for other opportunities,” adding that the chamber position “wasn’t a perfect fit for him.”

“He’s a good guy and, whatever he does, I’m sure he’ll be successful,” said Linville, who’s head of the selection committee.

Mayhew could not be reached for comment.

Mayhew was hired to fill the vacancy left by Vonnie Mikkelsen, who held the leadership role for six years before departing in July 2015 to accept a similar chamber position in Springfield, Oregon.

The executive director position pays between “$45,000 to $55,000,” according to the job posting.

The five-member selection committee is currently vetting candidates, and will choose “seven or eight” to do a phone interview, the chamber president said.

The top three candidates will get an in-person interview, with the committee choosing the top two to present to the chamber’s board of directors, which makes the final decision on whom to hire.

According to Linville, the chamber is looking to hire someone that “has past experience with chambers, or has been a director of other organizations.”

Published February 17, 2016

Chamber director ready to move forward

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Ideas come readily to Rod Mayhew; sometimes they can wake him up in the middle of the night.

The city of Zephyrhills and its future growth are where his thoughts have been focused, day or night, for the past two weeks.

He is the new executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, stepping into the leadership role held by Vonnie Mikkelsen for six years.

Mikkelsen departed in July to accept a similar chamber position in Springfield, Oregon.

Rod Mayhew, the new executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, is focused on the city’s future growth. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Rod Mayhew, the new executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, is focused on the city’s future growth.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Mayhew, 61, is starting at a particularly busy time as the chamber prepares for the Pigz in Z-Hills BBQ & Blues Fest coming up in January. This annual shindig takes thousands of volunteers and months of planning.

“I’m still getting my feet wet,” Mayhew said. “But, I enjoy this. I’m the person who doesn’t like to sit idle.”

Less than one week into his new job, Mayhew woke up in the early morning hours thinking about a Leadership Zephyrhills program.

He is putting his experience in business ownership, marketing and publishing to use, as he sorts through what’s next on his plate, day to day.

The Zephyrhills’ chamber position opened up just as he was rethinking his career options. The opportunity to take the helm of a chamber proved too good to pass up.

“I’ve been working with chambers all my life,” Mayhew said. “I know how the economy works. I know what makes businesses successful. I know what makes communities grow.”

His dual perspectives of business owner and chamber enthusiast makes him a good fit, according to Tim Linville, the chamber’s president and search committee chairman.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for Zephyrhills to continue to move forward with somebody that has previous skills, both in business and working with the chamber on the other side of the fence, as he has in his past other jobs,” said Linville in a press release announcing Mayhew’s selection. “It should be a good move for Zephyrhills in its future.”

Some early ideas from Mayhew include the nine-month leadership program and increasing the number of education programs available for business owners to keep up with technology and resources in the community.

He is excited about the growth potential in Zephyrhills, especially with plans to redesign and widen roads into and out of the city.

“The way to growth is coming,” Mayhew said. “It’s coming in this direction. There is so much that is happening. It’s just primed for growth. It’s a good, central hub.”

He is a believer in teamwork at the chamber and among other chambers in the area.

“I want to see everyone all working together,” he said.

Mayhew has experienced, first-hand, growth in other counties. He moved his mortgage company – Presidential Mortgage – to Brandon when that area was still largely cow pasture.

“There wasn’t too much there,” he said. “I saw the growth coming.”

He also met his wife Cathy when she became office manager at Presidential. They live in Brandon with daughter Danielle who is a mass communications student at Hillsborough Community College. The 20-year-old plans to transfer to the University of South Florida.

The Mayhew family will soon move to Zephyrhills.

Mayhew grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, across from the U.S. Naval Academy. In fact, he was born at the academy during a blizzard.

“It was either give birth at home or go to the Naval Academy,” he said.

Mayhew initially considered journalism as a career but steered toward marketing and public relations. He has an associate’s degree from Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland; a bachelor of science marketing from Towson University in Towson, Maryland; and, a master of business administration from the University of Miami.

It was in 1984 when he headed to Tampa, where he got into banking.

He also did a “financial facts” column for the Tampa Bay Builders Association, and occasionally appeared on Channel 8 with anchor Gayle Sierens, discussing financial matters.

He has worked as a mortgage broker and real estate agent, and owned his mortgage company for about 15 years.

And wherever he has gone, Mayhew has published magazines focused on real estate.

His first magazine went from zero to 100 pages in five months, Mayhew said. He has done magazines in Brandon, Riverview and Apollo Beach.

“This was before the Internet became really popular with real estate companies,” said Mayhew, who also created the hometown magazine website.

He has always been a chamber supporter and served on the board of directors of the Ruskin Chamber of Commerce.

Real estate interests took him to Pennsylvania, where he and his wife have a second home. Mayhew helped with a Main Street initiative in Bedford, Pennsylvania.

For a time, he was marketing director for Pierpont Community & Technical College in West Virginia. He created a campaign to name the school mascot, Montgomery “Monty” the Lion.

In upcoming months, Mayhew will put his marketing and business skills to the test.

With more than 450 businesses enrolled as members, he sees room for growth, as new jobs and development come to Zephyrhills.

“Our membership is ready to take off,” he said.

And then there is the annual barbecue festival, and volunteer recruitment that will keep Mayhew and his staff busy.

“I’m always looking for volunteers,” he said. “We want people who want to participate.”

For information or to volunteer, contact the chamber office at (813) 782-1913, or visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org.

Published October 21, 2015 

 

Chamber exec leaves her mark

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Vonnie Mikkelsen is wrapping up her work this week at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce to take on a similar role for the chamber of commerce in Springfield, Oregon.

Making the decision to leave her current post was no easy choice, Mikkelsen said.

“This was not just a job to me. It was really a commitment. It’s where my heart was. It’s where I grew at the same time that I saw people around me and the community and the organization, itself, grow,” said Mikkelsen, who lives in Land O’ Lakes.

Vonnie Mikkelsen is leaving her post as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce this week. She’s excited about moving to Oregon, where she’ll lead the chamber of commerce in Springfield and will live closer to her family. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Vonnie Mikkelsen is leaving her post as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce this week. She’s excited about moving to Oregon, where she’ll lead the chamber of commerce in Springfield and will live closer to her family.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Mikkelsen took the leadership role at the Zephyrhills chamber on Dec. 14, 2009. She was selected from a field of 44 candidates.

Since accepting that role, she’s been involved in numerous initiatives.

She helped organize the collection of items for the time capsule created to celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary.

She was involved in the push to change the hours for when liquor could be served on Sundays.

She was involved in the effort to persuade the state roads department to use a pair of one-ways running through Zephyrhills, instead of turning Gall Boulevard (US 301) into a three-lane, one-way road.

She led efforts to launch a new annual festival, the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest, an event that attracts thousands and raises money for the chamber and community groups.

She drummed up support to create the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition.

And, she helped persuade the powers-that-be that finding money to create a four-lane stretch of State Road 56 — from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 — would be an investment in the region, not just a project for Zephyrhills.

While the money has not yet been found for the State Road 56 project, work is under way to see if it’s possible to get a loan from the state’s infrastructure bank to make it happen.

Mikkelsen is proud of what has been accomplished during her tenure, but she’s the first to say these achievements were a result of people working together to make them happen.

“I never would have guessed all of the things that we were able to accomplish – even at my highest expectation. We, together, have exceeded those. That’s incredibly rewarding,” Mikkelsen said.

Shortly after she assumed her role as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Vonnie Mikkelsen had a chance to meet people throughout the community by working on a time capsule project to mark the city’s 100th birthday. (Courtesy of Vonnie Mikkelsen)
Shortly after she assumed her role as the executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Vonnie Mikkelsen had a chance to meet people throughout the community by working on a time capsule project to mark the city’s 100th birthday.
(Courtesy of Vonnie Mikkelsen)

She’s been amazed by the willingness of individuals and organizations in Zephyrhills to give their time, talent and resources.

Mikkelsen thinks a chamber of commerce is in a unique position to pull people together.

“It’s (the chamber is) your business community, it’s your nonprofit organizations, it’s your faith-based organizations, your community support organizations, your schools, your government agencies. It’s a cross-section and there’s no other organization in the community like that,” Mikkelsen said.

Recognizing how people can help is important, Mikkelsen said.

“If you know the resources that are in an organization like that (the chamber), the possibilities are endless,” she said.

Having a pulse on stakeholders’ interests is essential, Mikkelsen added.

“It’s not my chamber of commerce. It’s not even the board’s chamber of commerce. It’s first and foremost, the members’, and then the community at large,” she said.

Mikkelsen said she hadn’t been at the job long before she had a chance to tap into the broad spectrum of Zephyrhills’ stakeholders.

That happened when she was working with a team to create a time capsule for the city’s 100th birthday, she said.

The capsule contains artifacts of the daily life of groups and organizations that make up the fabric of Zephyrhills.

When Mikkelsen agreed to take a leadership role on that task, she was determined to excel.

That’s her mantra.

“I don’t promise anything I’m not going to deliver on, and usually deliver beyond expectations,” she said.

When Mikkelsen joined the Zephyrhills chamber she was coming out of a period of personal transition, she said.

She’d left a position with The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a few years before because it wasn’t the right fit for her.

Then, she went back to school to get a certificate in nonprofit management from the University of South Florida.

At the same time, she was doing volunteer work.

She served as a certified guardian ad litem, acting as an advocate for children under state protection, who had been abused, neglected or abandoned.

She also volunteered hundreds of hours at the Pasco County Animal Shelter.

She said a staff member there described her as “the best used-dog salesperson in the world” because she concentrated on getting dogs socialized and ready for adoption.

Her efforts there earned her a Citizen of the Year award from the Florida Veterinary Medical Association.

When Mikkelsen arrived in Zephyrhills, she didn’t know much about the community beyond the research she’d done to help her land the job.

She got busy trying to understand the community’s strengths and opportunities, as well as its weaknesses and threats.

“You’ve got to know where they are. You’ve got to know where you are and what you need.

“Once you’ve identified your weaknesses and your threats. Once you’ve identified them and are clear about them,” she said, “that’s the starting point.

“Instead of wallowing in your disadvantages, just know them. “Then, you focus everything else on the solution,” Mikkelsen said.

Part of finding those solutions involves building partnerships and considering different points of view, she added.

Building those relationships takes time and follow-through, Mikkelsen added. “It’s not just sending an email.”

It also takes a willingness to do the research to establish credibility, and to create trust, over time through your actions, she added.

It’s important to respect people’s time and to be sure that meetings are meaningful, Mikkelsen said.

“You’re calling on volunteers. Time is money. I appreciate that. I value that. I get it. Ultimately, I don’t want to waste their time. I don’t want to waste my time. More importantly, I want them to keep coming back, and keep engaged and keep moving forward, because we need them,” she said.

Finding common ground and collaborating is an effective way to tackle issues, Mikkelsen said.

“If you’re always looking at others as a competitor and a threat, then you’re definitely not leading. It’s the biggest drag on success,” she said.

She’s fluent in Japanese. She spent 16 years in Japan and worked with Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting in Tokyo to develop programming for Cartoon Network Japan.

Factoids about Vonnie Mikkelsen
She’s fluent in Japanese. She spent 16 years in Japan and worked with Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting in Tokyo to develop programming for Cartoon Network Japan.

The ringtone on her cell is “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

She received the Florida Veterinary Medical Association’s Citizen of the Year award in 2009 for her volunteer work with Pasco County Animal Services.

Published July 1, 2015

BizWalks survey highlights Zephryhills’ market power

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As community leaders talked recently with business owners about their job needs, it became clear that many were looking to hire military veterans. But they didn’t know how to get the word out.

That disconnect became the first challenge identified in the inaugural BizWalks 2014-15 report, a survey sponsored by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and the Pasco Economic Development Council.

No one wanted to wait until the study was finished. So effort started quickly to hold a workshop in March to link those employers with community organizations and the resources to get something done.

“There was a tremendous response,” said Vonnie Mikkelsen, out-going executive director of the chamber of commerce. Mikkelsen’s last day on the job is July 3.

That kind of quick action in support of the business community is one outcome of what Mikkelsen hopes will be an annual BizWalks survey. Long-term, the survey might be done quarterly, she said.

The chamber has done business surveys periodically.

But BizWalks is more targeted and drills deeper into the opinions and issues facing business owners, especially in high-growth sectors of manufacturing, aviation, distribution and startups.

Those are the businesses that drive economic growth, Mikkelsen said.

The idea for BizWalks took off soon after Mikkelsen attended a conference on how to retain and expand businesses. She heard from others who had done similar “BizWalks” surveys in their communities.

Over a six-week period in late 2014, volunteers completed 16 on-site visits and 26 anonymous online surveys.

Participating businesses included Flight Crafters, Turin Aviation Group, Skywatch Signs, Goin’ Postal, Zephyr Aircraft Engines and Skydive City.

The staff members at the Pasco Economic Development Council partnered with Zephyrhills’ chamber and a committee of volunteers to coordinate activities, offer interview training and aid in crunching the data for the final report.

The Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition will use the data to craft an 18- to 24-month plan of action to tackle issues such as infrastructure, work force development and the bureaucratic world of business regulations. Those were identified as the top priorities among business owners.

“We’re not only out there to gain a better knowledge and pulse of the business community, but also to take action and champion these things,” Mikkelsen said.

Overall, business owners were upbeat about the future.

About 82 percent said they felt Zephyrhills was moving in the right direction in creating a business-friendly atmosphere.

About 38 percent said they planned to hire additional employees in the next six months. And, none were planning layoffs.

Sales volumes are increasing, and the trend is expected to continue during the next 12 months.

Half of business owners said they would expand facilities in the next two years, and 60 percent expected to invest in new equipment.

Growth is not being hindered due to lack of capital or financing, and that trend likely will continue.

The survey also showed the commercial reach of Zephyrhills, which is strategically located near major road systems with access to markets beyond Pasco County and the Tampa Bay region.

That reach may be surprising to some.

Many Zephyrhills companies sell statewide and nationwide. About 45 percent of surveyed companies reported international sales to Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and the Mediterranean.

“There are a lot of gems here,” said Mikkelsen. “It’s truly a remarkable coming of age for Zephyrhills.”

The report establishes a foundation for future spin-off activities and programs that bolster Zephyrhills’ ongoing economic growth. As future reports are done, trends can be spotted and opportunities can emerge, Mikkelsen said.

The implications go beyond this one report, said John Hagen, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council.

“It’s a good thing to do for the community, but it also is a template for other communities,” he said. “What we’re trying to accomplish, other than just working in Zephyrhills, is to work out a methodology that we can then duplicate and use in other communities and with other chambers.”

In the future, Hagen said he anticipates efforts to share the Zephyrhills’ experience as a model of how to conduct a proactive business survey. It was the first locally initiated program of its type in Pasco County.

“That is something for Zephyrhills to be truly proud of,” said Mikkelsen. “We did it because we needed to, but that is an indication that we did it right. It’s really exciting.”

Published July 1, 2015

Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce pays it forward

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The scent of barbecue and the sounds of bands belting out the blues aren’t the only sweet things to come out of the fifth annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Fest at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

There’s also the money that the event generates.

Children rode the ‘rails’ at the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Fest on Jan. 17. The event was sponsored by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, which has donated $15,000 to local youth and civic groups. (File Photo)
Children rode the ‘rails’ at the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Fest on Jan. 17. The event was sponsored by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, which has donated $15,000 to local youth and civic groups.
(File Photo)

This year, the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce handed out more than $15,000 in donations to eight civic clubs and youth groups, thanks to money raised through the event. The donations ranged from $750 to $1,500.

The chamber also announced new scholarships of $1,000 each for performing arts and culinary arts that will be presented to two graduating Zephyrhills High School students in May.

“We are fortunate to have a community that embraces volunteer service and grateful for the enthusiasm by businesses and community organizations that support this event,” said Vonnie Mikkelsen, the chamber’s executive director.

Groups that received the money are excited about what it can do.

The YMCA of East Pasco will spend its donation to send four students and a supervisor to the YMCA’s Blue Ridge leadership program in Black Mountain, North Carolina this summer.

“It’s a huge event,” says AJ Hernandez, the East Pasco YMCA’s program director. “It’s a great opportunity for the kids to network. It’s a great learning experience.”

The students work year-round to collect funds to pay for the trip with car washes, drawings, dinner events and selling snacks at sports events.

The Zephyrhills Museum of Military History, at 39444 South Ave., in Zephyrhills, will be getting some display cases, mannequins and other items to freshen up its look, said Cliff Moffett.

“It’s going to be huge for us,” Moffett said. “We need a lot of stuff to make the museum up-to-date and more modern.”

He thinks the museum visitors will enjoy the acquisitions.

Visitors, he said, “like to see something new.”

The museum is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It also hosts some special events. It had an event on Dec. 7 to remember the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, on Dec. 7, 1941. It is planning a similar event on June 6, to honor D-Day in World War II.

About three-dozen members of the Interact Club at Zephyrhills High School plan to pass on their donation to a local charity at the end of the year. The club is the high school extension of the Noon Rotary Club of Zephyrhills.

Last year, the students donated funds to Sunrise Domestic Violence Center, Thomas Promise Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and East Pasco Meals on Wheels. They usually visit and do volunteer service at area charities throughout the year before deciding which charities will receive donations.

“They gain a broader understanding of the needs that are out there,” said Amy Chappell, the club’s advisor. She also serves on the chamber’s board of directors but not on the committee that awards the donations. “Locally, it’s an eye opener to the needs that are right here.”

In addition to local initiatives, club members reach out to global organizations that work on issues such as clean drinking water and human trafficking. But, Chappell said the local volunteer work gives them a unique perspective.

“They see what a difference it can make,” she said.

Other groups and organizations that received donations were the Pasco County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, Sunshine Swampers 4 x 4 Club Inc., Zephyr Airport Cadet Squadron, Zephyrhills High School Drama Club and Zephyrhills Army JROTC.

Nearly 10,000 people attended the barbecue and blues event.

Published March 11, 2015

From cow pasture to four-lane road?

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When motorists get to the end of State Road 56 at Meadow Pointe Boulevard, they’ll see cows grazing in an open pasture.

But Zephyrhills leaders are pushing for an entirely new view for that plot of land.

They envision it as the start of the first four-lane road to lead into their community.

A cow pasture sits at the end of State Road 56 in Wiregrass Ranch, but advocates of economic growth in Zephyrhills want to transform that pasture into the beginning of a four-lane road to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
A cow pasture sits at the end of State Road 56 in Wiregrass Ranch, but advocates of economic growth in Zephyrhills want to transform that pasture into the beginning of a four-lane road to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

And, they’re turning up the heat on state lawmakers and county officials to try to make that happen.

They presented their case at a town hall meeting on Feb. 23 with State Rep. Danny Burgess and State Sen. John Legg.

The four-lane extension of State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills could serve as a catalyst for new business, and would make it easier for people to come and go from Zephyrhills. It also could serve as another hurricane evacuation route, according to city and business leaders.

The question is how to pay for it.

There are plans to extend State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard to U.S. 301, but those plans call only for a two-lane road, and even that road is contingent upon securing land from adjacent landowners to make it happen.

Zephyrhills leaders made it clear that a two-lane road falls short of their expectations.

“This city deserves a four-lane highway coming into our city,” said Charles Proctor, who serves on the Zephyrhills City Council and has had a business in the city for more than two decades.

He said the community has been promised a four-lane road for years, and that residents have been under the impression that they were finally going to get one, in State Road 56.

It’s time for action, city leaders said.

“We need to get serious. We need to find a way. We can find it. It’s time,” said Vonnie Mikkelsen, executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

“These folks deserve a little bit of attention,” added Mikkelsen, who also is involved in the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition, made up by Pasco Economic Development Council, the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, the City of Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, Main Street and businesses of Zephyrhills.

A four-lane road into the city, providing a connection with Interstate 75, is vital, leaders said.

It’s a wise investment for the region, Mikkelsen said.

It will help Zephyrhills make the most of its target market opportunities in the aviation industry, distribution, manufacturing and small business, she said.

Paying for the project is a major stumbling block.

Debbie Hunt, transportation development director for the Florida Department of Transportation, said there’s no money in the state’s budget to build a four-lane extension of State Road 56.

“DOT never intended or expected to build at any time in the near future. So, the fact that it was able to be advanced and we are doing the two lanes is exceptional. It allows traffic from Zephyrhills to be able to get over to the interstate, when it is completed.

“The additional lanes will be based on development, as it occurs. There is not an intention from the DOT to fund (lanes) three and four,” Hunt said.

If four-laning State Road 56 is funded, the money would need to come from not doing some other project that’s on Pasco County’s list, she said.

“There’s only so much money to go around,” Hunt said.

One option that’s been proposed calls for building all four lanes, with the state paying for all four lanes initially and developers repaying the state for lanes three and four.

That approach might work, Legg said, but he added he’s not aware of a current way, under the state’s statutes, that could be achieved.

“If we could find a statutory way to loan them the money that they would pay back, that may be an opportunity,” Legg said.

Legg agreed with Hunt that even the two-lane road from Meadow Pointe Boulevard to U.S. 301 had not been envisioned before former Speaker of the House Will Weatherford became involved in advocating for East Pasco’s transportation needs.

“Some of these things were not even on the map, but we had a Speaker of the House that kind of helped this area, helped carve an opportunity to get two lanes,” Legg said.

Legg and Burgess both pledged to keep pushing for a way to get the four-lane project done.

“We’re trying to use whatever kind of leverage we can to push those projects faster, to accelerate them,” Legg said. “The political process is trying to force opportunities.”

Former Mayor Cliff McDuffie said the most effective way to get action is to speak up.

“We need to be more politically involved to make sure your voice is heard. Don’t sit here in Zephyrhills and cry. Go to (Pasco) County Commission and cry,” McDuffie said.

“You have to show up. If you don’t show up, shut up,” McDuffie said.

Both Legg and Burgess said they understand the important role that transportation plays in economic growth.

“Pasco County is booming and (State Road) 56 is obviously just imperative,” Burgess said. “It’s a big piece of that puzzle in attracting future business owners, corporate opportunities and connecting them to our infrastructure and our resources in Zephyrhills, such as our airport, what an asset.”

Legg agreed: “The transportation, in my mind, is really going to shape the growth, or the lack of growth, or the type of growth that this community would like to have in the next 10 to 20 years.

“If this is the avenue that you want to go down, we will put our backs to the plow and try to make that happen,” Legg said.

Published March 4, 2015

Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest draws record crowd

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About 8,000 people attended the fifth annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest, breaking another record for the event founded in 2010 by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Besides attracting thousands to enjoy the barbecue and bands, the event on Jan. 17 at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, also lured 51 teams to compete to see who makes the best barbecue. Thirty-nine teams competed at the professional level, and there were 12 backyard barbecue teams, according to a news release issued by the chamber.

With limited room for dancing, Cindy Crismon of Zephyrhills, center, managed to strut her stuff in the crowd while jamming to the music of The Lauren Mitchell Band. This was her first Pigz In Z'Hills BBQ & Blues Fest. She is a winter resident from Lake Orion, Michigan. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
With limited room for dancing, Cindy Crismon of Zephyrhills, center, managed to strut her stuff in the crowd while jamming to the music of The Lauren Mitchell Band. This was her first Pigz In Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest. She is a winter resident from Lake Orion, Michigan.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

Figures have not been tallied, but organizers estimate the event exceeded last year’s proceeds of $30,000.

The money raised benefits local youth and education programs and community services of the Chamber of Commerce.

A crew of more than 100 volunteers pitched in to make the event a success. Many worked the entire week, some arriving at dawn and staying past sunset, to get things ready for the festival and to take it down and clean up the grounds.

“Beyond even our own optimistic projections, Pigz in Z’Hills belongs to Zephyrhills,” Vonnie Mikkelsen, executive director of the chamber, said in an email.

“I’m thrilled by the positive outcome and so very happy for the volunteers, the participants and the community who came together to make it happen,” she said.

There were thousands who arrived by car, and at least 26 private aircraft took advantage of the airport’s “Fly-in” option.

Besides enjoying barbecued foods of many styles, spectators had the chance to listen to music performed by TC Carr & Bolts of Blue, The Lauren Mitchell Band, Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones and Cold Iron.

The event venue was larger this year, too, to make room for increased demand for kids’ activities, vendors, a classic car show, and aviation and military history displays.

The Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ competition is sanctioned by the Florida BBQ Association and is a qualifier for three prestigious championship contests: the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational in Lynchburg – considered the Superbowl of BBQ contests; American Royal World Series of BBQ in Kansas City – the world’s largest and oldest contest; and the Sonny’s Smokin’ Showdown Invitational – the FBA’s newest contest.

Wink’s Barbecue led by Wink Yelverton of Fort Walton Beach, FL won Grand Champion Professional Division qualifying his team for all three prestigious contests. Peter Golob of Extra Mile BBQ from Loveland, Ohio took Reserve Champion. In the Backyard Division, Bettern Store Bot, Dave Grantham of Bushnell won Grand Champion while Bamboo Warrior, head cook Curley McKenzie of Thonotosassa took Reserve Champion.

Pigz In Z’Hills BBQ & Blues benefits local youth and education programs and community services of the Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org, call (813) 782-1913, or visit the chamber’s Facebook Page.

Published January 28, 2015

Seasonal residents find plenty to like about life in Zephyrhills

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Motorists cruising through Zephyrhills along State Road 54 or U.S. 301 may not realize what a mecca the city is for residents wanting to escape winter’s chill.

If those passing through took a closer look, however, they’d observe the myriad mobile home parks dotting the community.

Thousands of seasonal residents flock to Zephyrhills every winter to escape bone-chilling weather in northern locales. Betmar Acres, the city’s largest mobile home park, has been housing winter residents for decades. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Thousands of seasonal residents flock to Zephyrhills every winter to escape bone-chilling weather in northern locales. Betmar Acres, the city’s largest mobile home park, has been housing winter residents for decades.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

There’s Betmar Acres, at 37145 Lakewood Drive, which founder M.H. Meengs and his partner, George Sprinkle named by combining their wives’ first names — Betty and Mary.

There’s Winters Mobile Home Park, Inc., 38022 Winter Drive, operated for generations by the Winters’ family since the 1950s.

Grand Horizons, Gem Estates Mobile Home Village, Southport Springs, Baker Acres, Valleydale and Palm Tree Acres are among the other parks that are home to the thousands of seasonal and permanent residents dwelling in Zephyrhills.

These communities are more than mere collections of manufactured homes.

Residents talk about the sense of community that develops from mingling at potluck suppers, going to square dances, playing card games and shuffleboard, and taking part in other special activities.

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce office, at 38550 Fifth Ave., is often the first place that new seasonal residents visit when they arrive in town, said Vonnie Mikkelsen, the chamber’s executive director.

“They’ll come in for a map, and they’ll leave with a handful of information,” Mikkelsen said.

Those who haven’t been to the chamber before often are surprised by the friendly reception they receive, Mikkelsen said. Many don’t realize that Zephyrhills has a history of welcoming newcomers — one that dates back to the city’s earliest days.

Capt. Howard B. Jeffries purchased land in December 1909 in Zephyrhills to initiate a colony for Civil War veterans, according to a book authored by local historian, Madonna Jervis Wise.

He attracted people from all over the country to live in the city known for its sparkling water and gentle winds.

“He had visited, at that time, every state in the union. He had recruited people from every place. Even Alaska,” Wise said.

The early seasonal visitors, dating back as far as the 1910s, were known as Tin Can Tourists, according to an excerpt from Wise’s book, “Images of America: Zephyrhills.”

The development of railroad lines and of automobiles brought even more visitors to the area and over time, many visitors decided to become seasonal or permanent residents of the city.

The seasonal residents play an important role in the ebb and flow of life in Zephyrhills.

“They’re the economic driver for at least three months of the year,” Mikkelsen said.

“We’d like them to come earlier and stay longer. If there’s anything we can do to encourage it, we’d like to know about it,” the chamber executive added.

There are telltale signs of the snowbirds’ arrival.

More lights go on in the mobile home parks. Restaurants, churches and stores are more crowded. There’s more traffic on area roads.

Typically, it’s the weather — not dates on a calendar — that chart the arrival and departure of the seasonal residents. They come south to escape frigid weather and head north when the weather warms there.

Helene Rubenstein and her husband, Marty, visited a number of places before choosing to live in the community of Grand Horizons, at 7645 Green Slope Drive.

Some of the communities they visited had better access to an interstate highway, but didn’t measure up in other ways, said Rubenstein, who lives part of the year in Connecticut.

She likes the convenience Grand Horizons offers, when it comes to meeting her daily needs.

“The hospitals, the doctors — they’re right around the corner,” Rubenstein said. Nearby restaurants are a plus, too.

After living in Grand Horizons for 11 years, Rubenstein is perhaps most impressed by one of the community’s intangible strengths: The people living there.

“It may sound corny, but it is the truth. Everyone, so far, I have liked,” she said. She must admit, however, some people took a little longer to warm up to than others.

Grand Horizons is loaded with activities.

“We have shuffleboard on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” Rubenstein said. “We have a reading club. We have a writing club.”

There’s coffee and doughnuts on Wednesdays. There’s mahjong, pinochle and euchre, too.

In fact, there’s so much going on that Rubenstein said her husband sometimes says that he barely ever sees her.

People are cordial, as they make their rounds in the community.

“We walk down the street and everybody says ‘hi.’ We wave to whoever passes by. Sometimes we don’t even know who they are, but we wave,” said Rubenstein, a former auditor for the state of Connecticut.

Lee Heffelfinger describes a similar feeling of camaraderie at Gem Estates Mobile Home Village.

“It’s like a big family,” she said.

Friendships are formed through potluck dinners and game nights. Residents enjoy entertainment and special events, such as the Christmas golf cart parade.

Coffee socials, held on Thursdays, are a big hit when winter residents are in town, typically attracting about 125 people.

To help Gem Estates residents put a name to a face, they wear nametags to the coffees and programs in the park.

Residents also get acquainted while strolling through the community, said Heffelfinger, who along with her husband, Russ, has lived full-time at Gem Estates for 15 years.

These communities tend to be tight-knit places, where people share life’s joys and sorrows.

They celebrate anniversaries and weddings. They help each other through illnesses. They grieve when someone dies or is forced to move away because of poor health.

There’s a genuine sense of concern for one another, Heffelfinger said.

“When the ambulance comes in here, you can’t believe how the people will flock to that house. ‘What can I do? What can I do?’ ” she said.

On Christmas Day, for instance, there were three ambulance calls to Gem Estates.

“Luckily,” Heffelfinger said, “nobody died.”

We know there’s a lot going on in the mobile home park communities in Zephyrhills, and we’d like to help you share your news. We encourage you to write accounts of what’s happening in your park and we really appreciate photos, as well.
Please help us to share your stories.
If you’d like to know how you can submit your park news, contact Mary Rathman at .

Published January 7, 2015