Tampa, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Chamber held its 138th Annual Meeting December 14, 2023 at the JW Marriott, celebrating achievements and sharing success stories from 2023. Guests also gathered to take part in the ceremonial passing of the gavel from this year’s Chair, Brian Butler, to the 2024 Chair, Brian Adcock. Following tradition, the Chamber also proudly announced the winner of the 2023 H.L. Culbreath Award, Gregory Celestan.
Celestan, Chief Executive Officer of Celestar Corporation and 2013 Chamber Chair, was recognized for his leadership and positive impact in the Tampa Bay region. His nominator, Robin DeLaVergne of Tampa General Hospital, described him as a leader who has been building ties between the military and the business community in Tampa Bay for decades. “Greg prides himself on being a problem solver and rolls up his sleeves whenever he has the opportunity to serve,” said DeLaVergne, Senior Vice President of External Affairs. “He is known as a visionary and someone who leads through the implementation of the vision,” added his nominator, also noting Celestan's consistent mentorship of young professionals and his support of Hillsborough Community College, where he is set to take the reins as HCC Board Chair in 2024.
Butler, President of Vistra Communications, highlighted accomplishments in 2023, including the 5-Star Rating from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in January that placed the Tampa Bay Chamber in the top 2% of chambers in the nation; global recognition of the Minority Business Accelerator in June; a 20% increase in new members in 12-months; Chamber members receiving nearly $100,000 in professional development coaching this year; and a 13,800+ attendance at Chamber events that surpassed pre-COVID numbers for the first time.
Entering year 8 of the Chamber’s 10-year vision plan in 2024, Chamber President & CEO Dr. Bob Rohrlack called the Vision 2026 plan foundational to the successes experienced across programming and committees led by Chamber members. The Incoming Chair, Brian Adcock, introduced the Chamber’s 2024 Executive Committee Members, including:
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Chair |
Brian Adcock |
Adcock Financial Group |
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Chair-Elect |
Edwin Narain, Esq. |
AT&T |
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Treasurer |
Rob Ledford |
Baker Barrios |
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Finance |
Susan Maurer |
INB, N.A. |
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Legal Counsel |
LaKisha Kinsey-Sallis, Esq. |
Fisher & Phillips LLP |
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At Large |
Cammie Chatterton |
Bay Food Brokerage |
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Scott Daigle |
TD Bank |
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Colette Glover-Hannah |
Hannah’s Shoebox |
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Drew Jenkins, Esq. |
Bush Ross, P.A. |
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David Judd |
Wehr Constructors, Inc. |
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Dr. Deborah Kish Stephan |
Hillsborough Community College |
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Mark Pitts |
Vinik Sports Group |
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Ryan Toth |
The Beck Group |
Chamber Members also “made news” of their own, revealing the members of the Minority Business Accelerator's 2025 Cohort; and announcing three generous grants. A sizable grant by JPMorgan Chase will help grow the accelerator in 2024. A grant from the Walmart Foundation will help support Chamber programming for service members and military spouses in 2024; and a generous gift from Member Arnie Bellini, of the Bellini Foundation, will expand next year's Collegiate Leadership program.
About the Tampa Bay Chamber: Serving the region since 1885, this not-for-profit membership organization currently serves approximately 1,400 member companies of all sizes and industries. Among its initiatives are Policy & Advocacy for the region’s business community, Small Business, Military & Defense Community, Workforce Development, Leadership and Women’s Programming, and Economic Inclusion. To learn more, visit our website.
Media Contact: Lissette Campos, Senior Director of Strategic Branding, Marketing & Communications, Tampa Bay Chamber