Page 8 - Panama City Living July-August 2019

Note From the Publisher
Contributors
Our How We Roll issue this year focuses yet again on people with a passion for wheels. From Cam Stewart’s street rod to Joshua Schwinn’s Porsche project, our stories speak volumes about the pride of ownership and the fulfillment of dreams.
Photojournalist Mike Fender captures the spirit of the Panama City Motor Maids and reveals that 30 or even 10 years ago, women on motorcycles were not a common sight. Barbara Jones and Pam Tiller, members of the Panama City Motor Maids, can tell a story or two about the hurdles. From concerned loved ones to a dismissive instructor,
back in the day, not everyone was supportive. Even after many thousands of safely driven miles, Barbara remembers that when she started out, her instructor did not approve of women driving motorcycles. Well, I thought, such an attitude is unworthy of the Motor Maids and their story of empowerment.
I often ask myself if readers receive a greater benefit if we omit negativity from our stories. Or should we expose adversity in hope that documenting it enables readers to form an educated and fully informed opinion?
Women in Western civilizations today are encouraged to set out into the world, start careers, and simply “own it.” We are free to make our own choices and, if not politicized, many
of the challenges we face may simply be barriers in our own minds. Certainly, the freedom exercised by women such as Dot Robinson and Linda Dugeau, the original founders of the Motor Maids, continues to draw its circles. “Dot rode all over the United States looking for women who owned and rode their own motorcycles,” it states on the Motor Maids website. “She found 51 ladies who became the charter members of the Motor Maids of America, now known as the Motor Maids.” The year was 1940. Today, the organization has more than 1,300 members.
So, whatever your goals are, I hope you will be self- confident, add to the foundation that women before us have worked to establish, let your passion and interests lead you, make full use of your freedom, and empower others to be successful.
If you have a success story to share, I would love to hear about it.
val@PanamaCityLiving.com
OLIVIA CROSBY
Olivia Crosby is a native of Florida, born and raised in Panama City. Olivia is Congressman Neal Dunn’s Regional Director. She is a member of the Emerald Coast Junior Women’s Club, a member of Bay County Chamber’s Leadership Bay Steering Committee, and a big sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Prior to joining Dr. Dunn’s team, Olivia had 10 years of experience working in politics and government for the private sector, along with state and local officials. Olivia graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s in political science and communications.
MIKE FENDER
Mike Fender moved from Indiana to Panama City Beach in 2018. He spent 30 years working as a newspaper photojournalist in Indianapolis but lived in a small town outside the city. Mike covered Super Bowls, NBA Finals, climbed Mt. Whitney, and has been sent to Africa to tell a story. When not on assignment, he roams the coastal area trying to capture moments for the “perfect” photograph.
NICK MAY
Nick May is a native Floridian who grew up writing and playing in the Panama City arts and music scene. He is the author of the novels "Megabelt," "Minutemen," and "Molecricket" and lives along the Gulf Coast with his wife, Kayla, and their dog, Brother. Currently, he is working on a fantasy series for kids and young adults. Find Nick online at heynickmay.com.
LAURA ROESCH
Laura Roesch, born and raised on Florida’s east coast, earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Radford University and a law degree from Indiana University School of Law. A retired judge, she is a voracious reader with a lifelong passion for books. She and her husband collect vintage cars and motorcycles. You may see her driving around town in “Maybelline,” a purple 1956 Chevy Bel Air–her favorite in their collection.
JUDGE DON SIRMONS
Don Sirmons is a third-generation Floridian and a graduate of the University of Florida Law School. He became a judge at the age of 28, the youngest person ever to serve as a judge in the State of Florida. He served in the 14th Circuit in Bay County for 33 years, retiring in 2010.
8 • July–August 2019 • www.PanamaCityLiving.com