PANAMA CITY — The late Frank Bacen will be remembered as a man who helped shape the local community.
Bacen, who served as the head of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce for 25 years, passed away Feb. 20 at the age of 83.
"All too often we forget those who have made such a valuable impact on our community and really paved the way for growth and development," said current chamber president Carol Roberts, who was hired by Bacen at age 20. "He created a lot of jobs and had a tremendous impact on the growth and development of our community."
A native of New Jersey, Bacen moved to the area after serving as the director of the Hollywood, Fla. Chamber of Commerce for 15 years. Prior in his career, he served in the U.S. Army and was also a newspaper editor in Fort Riley, Kansas.
As an avid learner, Bacen was devoted to educating himself, the local business community and his family through frequent professional and educational conferences across the country, as well as through thoughtful conversation.
Bacen retired in the mid-1990s, but his legacy with the chamber, which also served as an economic development agency at the time, will continue as Bay County moves forward.
A passionate writer, Bacen was the founder of Bay Biz magazine, a quarterly business publication still printed today. His economic development efforts helped bring many businesses to the area, including Berg Steel Pipe and Sallie Mae, which employed more than 1,000 residents while in operation.
"He has under his belt numerous businesses or companies that he was responsible for recruiting to Bay County," Roberts said. "Of course, some of these companies are gone, but he had his fingerprints on it. He did help build the organization and build this community."
Bacen also will be remembered as a true friend and family man, and leaves behind a wife, three children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and many other relatives.
"He was probably the kindest and most gentle person you could ever encounter," Roberts said. "He was just an amazing family man ... he was a people person, he loved his job and loved his community."