With the progression of industry and technology, the wreck of the Titanic was discovered in 1985 in the North Atlantic.  Gary Muller, Administrator at Bay Medical Center, was the Chairman of the Chamber.  Florida's 'best kept secret' - our beautiful beaches and friendly community - was not a secret anymore, as evidenced by the growing number of visitors and people moving to the area.  Construction of new projects in Bay County exceeded a quarter of a billion dollars that year. Chairman Muller's Strategic Planning Committee updated and expanded the Chamber's printed report, publishing it in the Bay Biz magazine.  Business After Hours became a new meeting for Chamber members and guests of members (social networking of the 80's!).  The Bay County Commission put into effect three new revenue-generating measures (a fire protection tax, a local option gasoline tax, and a solid waste disposal special assessment) to address current needs and handle future growth.  Around the world, Ethiopia was experiencing unprecedented famine and the North Atlantic countries of Canada and Nova Scotia experienced Hurricane Juan in September of 1985.

In the spring of 1986, the issue of Bay Biz asked "What can be done to combat rising health care costs?" and featured the community's hospitals. Bay Medical Center had a new addition of its Radiology department and laboratory, plus new operating room facilities and outpatient surgery clinic.  Scott Fischer was Chairman of the Chamber.  The Bay Biz added a new member 'Welcome Aboard' list and a renewing member 'Welcome Back' list to its pages.  Two hundred and fifty members of the 1^st Marine Amphibious Brigade from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii were stationed at Port Panama City for six months.  The Port was chosen due to its convenient location to the Marine Logistics Base at Albany, GA.  A key issue during this year was the privatization of government services.  The Bay County Jail was the only county jail in Florida not operated by the county sheriff's department, as Corrections Corporation of America had been contracted.  This year also saw the dedication ceremony of the FSU-PC campus, partnering with Gulf Coast Community College to offer four year college degrees to Bay County's young adults.  This year produced major advancements for the world, such as the Mir Space Station launch, but also some unforgettable, tragic moments with the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle and the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl.

In 1987, technology and science had progressed to the point that DNA science was first used in the conviction of criminals through our justice system.  Computers were becoming a part of daily life, with technology supporting many aspects of our businesses.  No better evidence of this was Black Monday, caused by the stock market crash, when automatic controls in the stock exchange's computers caused a major sell-off of stocks.  In looking towards the future, the Committee of 100 acted as the steering committee for the industrial growth and recruitment aspects of the Delphi Report, which had been presented in the spring of that year.  This report identified the impact in specific areas of concern for the community - areas such as industrial growth, tourism, parks and recreation, cleanliness and the environment, transportation, education, and growth planning. Ted Haney served as Chairman of the Chamber.  The Chamber's new logo - Share the future ... stated its commitment to this forward progress.  Things were primed to move ahead in our area.  The Panama City-Bay County airport was one of the fastest growing in Florida, serviced by three commuter aircraft services, as well as offering general aviation services to the area.  The Chamber's Committee of 100 and Resort Council were working together towards economic development, while considering changes in the interrelationship of the Chamber to its major functioning 'arms.'  The vision of a better Bay County was in our sights.