BEST, Inc. Board of Directors
The Best, Inc. Board of Directors consists of seven members who serve as volunteers. The Officers of the Board of Directors consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Board meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m. at the BEST, Inc. & Friends of St. Andrew Bay offices.

Charlie Yautz
President

Charlie Yautz was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a longtime resident of Bay County. He attended the University of Cincinnati College of Design and Architecture, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Design, with a major in Advertising. He is a longtime member of BEST. Charlie also served as the City Clerk of Springfield, and is now retired and is an active volunteer.

Larry Hawks
Vice President

Larry Hawks was born in Miami Florida and moved to Panama City in 1975, and raised  two children (Aaron and Kalee) here in Panama City. Larry Graduated from Gulf Coast Community College and is currently pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Resource and Management through the University of West Florida.  He works for the Bay County Board of County Commissioners and is the Environmental Coordinator for Bay County Public Works Department / Engineering Division.  Larry has been associated with, and has volunteered with BEST and the Friends of St. Andrew Bay for some 15 years. Currently, Larry is the 2008-2009 Steering Committee Chairman for The friends of St. Andrew Bay, and is the Vice President for BEST.  Larry's hobbies are sailing, tennis and horse back ridding.

Marie Largilliere
Treasurer

Marie Largiliere was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi and has been a resident of Bay County since 2001. She obtained a BS in Biology from the University of South Alabama in 1978. In 1980 she started her career with The Southern Company in Mississippi. In 2001 she transferred to Gulf Power Company. She is currently the Compliance Team Leader at the Lansing Smith Generation Plant located in Southport. Marie has been a member of the BEST Steering Committee since 2001 and is currently a member of BEST, Inc. She has also served on the Board of Directors of Girls’ Inc.

Jill Blue Reich
Secretary

Jill Blue Reich was raised in Panama City but attended high school in Fort Walton Beach so as to dance with the Northwest Florida Ballet. Upon graduation, she danced professionally with the Atlanta Ballet for three years before attending University of Florida. She graduated in 1997 and moved to Washington, DC where she interned for Senator Bob Graham and then worked for Science Applications International Corporation. Jill then attended FSU and received her law degree in 2001. She moved to Savannah, GA shortly thereafter and obtained her real estate license. Jill moved back to Panama City in 2004 and worked for Burke, Blue, Hutchison, Walters, & Smith, PA. After the death of her husband, Major Stephen Charles Reich, in Afghanistan, Jill began volunteering and contracting with BEST. She is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Panama City.

Alice Guay
Director

Alice Guay was born in Caribou Maine at Loring Air Force Base.  She spent much of her life traveling as a military brat and then as a Navy wife.  She moved to Panama City in 1995 and has been active in the community as a volunteer for environmental organizations and a tutor at local schools    She and her husband Roland have two daughters and one granddaughter. Alice has a BS in political science, and is a certified teacher in the state of Florida. She served on BEST, Inc's administrative staff where her duties included seminar planning and event coordination; administrative support, and volunteer coordination.  She works for DeTect, Inc., a locally owned business specializing in Avian Radar Systems, Radar Wind Profilers, and Security Radar Systems. Alice is an avid tennis player and triathlete, and enjoys swimming, biking, kayaking, and exploring the beautiful natural resources throughout the St. Andrew Bay watershed.

Steve Haines
Director

Steve Haines was born in Panama City, but reared elsewhere, reconnecting with the panhandle in about 1975. He is an army combat veteran, and earned a Bachelor's degree from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee and a masters in Organizational Communication from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. Steve is a retired police officer, and owns two small businesses, as well as being Blog editor for Small Craft Advisor magazine. An avid sailor and beach bum, Steve is on the board of Panhandle Crimestoppers as well as BEST.

John Newman
Board Member

John Newman was born in Albany, Ga., and reared in Panama City. He graduated from Bay High School and holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of the South, and served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. John is Vice-President of Engineering & Equipment Co. and Vice-President of Shady Oaks, Inc. He is a Member of BEST, Inc. and is the former Co-Chairman of the Chemical Contaminants Committee of BEST. He is a Senior Active & Charter member, former Vice-President (twice) of Northside Rotary Club of Panama City, and prior to that, a member of the Downtown Rotary Club. He is a lifetime member of the Gulf Coast College Foundation; and lifetime member of the Bay Medical Foundation. Former President, Secretary, Treasurer and now current V.P. and board member of Panhandle Crime Stoppers; longtime member of the Florida Sheriff’s Association; Life Member of the Bay County Conservancy Inc. Former board member of Southern Wholesale Association (several terms); member of Bay County Chamber of Commerce, including Military Affairs Committee; and member of Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce.