During the last years of the 20^th Century, the Bay County Chamber of Commerce prepared to meet the new millennium. Across the Atlantic, England was reeling from two major events of 1996 -- the discovery of 'mad cow' disease destroyed the beef industry and the two royal divorces (Charles and Diana as well as Andrew and 'Fergie') which drastically changed the traditional framework of the island monarchy. Meanwhile, in Bay County at the Chamber of Commerce, Jerry Smithwick was the Chairman of the Board and Jim Cherry replaced Frank Bacen as Executive Director, after 25 years of service. With the Chamber's Economic Development Council (EDC) having been instrumental in bringing new jobs to the area, the spirit of volunteerism was abound, as evidenced with the Chamber's existing and new Committees - Ambassadors, Education, Transportation, Committee of Past Chairmen (new), State and National Government, and Small Business.

The following year, 1997, brought changes to the Chamber. From its new Chairman, Tom Neubauer, to the focus on a direct membership benefit program and expanding the EDC, the Chamber improved its overall efficiency through the efforts of its six areas of responsibility - EDC, MAC, Membership Services, Communications and Membership Development. Also changing was the Bay Biz format, from a glossy magazine to a newsprint supplement. The community celebrated the F-22 mission that was secured for Tyndall AFB and the 15^th anniversary of the Gulf Coast Triathlon pumped nearly $10 million into Bay County's economy that year. Across the world, the British returned Hong Kong to China and mourned the unexpected, sudden death of the 'people's princess,' Diana, while sports enthusiasts cheered the new 'king' of golf in the U.S. when Tiger Woods won the Masters.

We had 40 million tourists visit Florida in 1998. Travel was also the theme of the biggest box-office success in the history of films, the movie 'Titanic.' For the first time in years, the federal budget was balanced, while the President was impeached on perjury charges in the House of Representatives and acquitted in the Senate. For many, the good news in the U.S. was the FDA release of Viagra, one of the first prescription drugs to be offered online. Raymond Powell was Chairman of the Chamber, and an annual City Managers' breakfast was inaugurated to allow discussions on common problems in the communities of our county. New manufacturing facilities, such as IPSO Laundry Group, were coming to the area and some of our existing ones (eg. Merrick Industries) were expanding thanks to the efforts of the EDC. The controversy over extending the runway at the airport drew comments from residents and business people alike. The highlight of that year, though, was the success of the Chamber's membership drive, which produced 139 new members - thanks to the work of Chamber staff, volunteers and the Director of Membership, Carol Roberts.

The last year of the century, 1999, was newsworthy including headlines of the Euro as the new European currency, the U.S. returning the Panama Canal to the country of Panama, the death of JFK, Jr. in a plane crash, the Columbine school shooting and the growing fear of unexpected changes and computer glitches during 'Y2K.' Franklin Harrison, the Chamber's Chairman, led the Chamber in working towards its 25^th year re-accreditation through the U.S. Chamber and its 1999 campaign, which brought Chamber membership totals over 1,000. The Chamber and community celebrated its 85^th anniversary with a record 665 members attending the Annual Dinner, which featured the performance of local band Clutch. Rounding out the year, the newly named Bay County Chamber Economic Development Alliance hired Ted Clem as the new Executive Director. Bay County was poised to grasp all of the hope and opportunities offered by a new millennium to make this the BEST place to live, work and play.