Announces Minority Business Accelerator Cohort 2021, Presents H.L. Culbreath Jr. Profile in Leadership Award to Joe Lopano, Unveils New Brand
Tampa, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Chamber held its 134th Annual Meeting presented by Advent Health today at the Tampa Convention Center. A sold-out crowd of over 1,000 attendees came together to celebrate the Chamber's 2019 achievements. 2019 Chamber Chair Jamie Harden, Creative Sign Designs, passed the gavel to 2020 Chair Maryann Ferenc, Mise en Place. The Chamber also received greetings from Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Les Miller. The Chamber collected toys at the event, teaming with Metropolitan Ministries to help bring gifts to the Holiday Tent, which serves more than 26,500 children in the Tampa Bay area.
Harden highlighted the Chamber’s 2019 accomplishments, which aligned with the 10-year vision plan, Vision 2026, and Ferenc announced the plans for 2020. Ferenc also announced the 2021 Cohort of the Minority Business Accelerator program. Buyer’s Point, Ice Cold Air, Jerel McCants Architecture Inc., and Versa Tile & Marble Inc. will begin the two-year program in January 2020. Founding sponsors of the program are Tampa General Hospital, Tampa International Airport, TECO, Vinik Family Foundation and Valley Bank. For more information about the Minority Business Accelerator program, please visit www.tampabaychamber.com/mba
The new Tampa Bay Chamber logo was shown throughout the presentation and Ferenc said that the chamber is committed to strengthening relationships throughout the Tampa Bay region by working cooperatively with other business organizations. She also introduced the Chamber’s 2020 Executive Committee Members, including:
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Chair |
Maryann Ferenc |
Mise en Place |
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Chair-Elect |
Yvette Segura |
USAA |
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Treasurer |
Andy Mayts, Esq. |
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP |
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Finance |
Gary Vien |
Suncoast Credit Union |
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Legal Counsel |
Marilyn Mullen Healy, Esq. |
Akerman |
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At Large |
Brian Butler Kimberlee DeBosier |
Vistra Communications WGI |
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Anddrikk Frazier
Chris Minner |
Integral Energy, LLC
Tampa International Airport |
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Christopher Rogers Jeffrey Senese Bemetra Simmons |
Sykes Enterprises Incorporated Saint Leo University Mutual of Omaha Bank |
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The Chamber also presented the 2019 H.L. Culbreath Jr. Profile in Leadership Award to the Joe Lopano. The award is presented annually in recognition of an individual whose leadership has made a positive impact within the Tampa Bay community.
Joe Lopano, President and CEO of Tampa International Airport, has served as a catalyst to foster an era of cooperation between business leaders throughout the Tampa Bay region to look over the horizon and ensure that we have the resources to meet our destiny. He’s helped to shape a unified view around the world of Tampa Bay as a thriving market for business and pleasure. He’s delivered on the promise for international flights and has expanded domestic destinations for our region at the Tampa International Airport.
In addition, the details for the first two signature events of 2020 were also revealed. The 2020 Military Appreciation event on February 28th will be hosted at ZooTampa @ Lowry Park and it will recognize the contributions of servicemembers throughout Tampa Bay to our community, honoring those who serve our country at home and abroad. It was also announced that the guest speaker for the Women of Influence Luncheon on April 2nd is Shiza Shahid. Shiza is an entrepreneur, technologist, investor and impact leader. She co-founded the Malala Fund with Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and led the organization as founding CEO, focusing on creating access to high quality education for all children around the world.
For more information on the Tampa Bay Chamber, please visit www.tampabaychamber.com .