Tampa, Fla. – On December 12, Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay culminated their yearlong celebration marking 20 years in service to young professionals, ages 21 – 35. During its Annual Meeting, 2024 Chair Mallory Kuba and 2025 Chair Christopher Yanes celebrated the success of this past year and cast the vision for 2025. A highlight of the evening was the announcement of Tampa General Hospital’s Dr. Cortney Young as this year’s winner of the Deanne Dewey Roberts Emerging Leader Award – which honors a young professional demonstrating extraordinary service and leadership.
Dr. Young is the 12th individual to receive the coveted award, recognized as a passionate healthcare leader and a champion of community service. Dr. Young is the Manager of Rehabilitative & Fitness Services at TGH, overseeing the administrative, operational and strategy of several departments, plus expanding community outreach to increase the accessibility of rehabilitative and post-rehabilitative services. Beyond her achievements in the clinical realm, Dr. Young serves on the Chamber’s Board of Directors, the Women of Influence Committee, and is a sought-after mentor in the Chamber’s Emerging Leaders and its Minority Empowerment Program for local Black and Hispanic owned businesses. She is also a proud member of the 2024 Class of Leadership Tampa.
The award’s namesake, Deanne Dewey Roberts, was the Leadership Tampa Alum who inspired the creation of Emerge in 2004. This evening, Dr. Young became the 12th individual to receive the coveted award, which is annually sponsored by Chappell Roberts in memory of its founder. Young was one of three impressive finalists for this year’s award, which also included Megan Keplinger of the Tampa Bay Business Journal and Mattie Velasco of Open Forum Strategy. The announcement was made by Christine Turner, Partner & CEO of ChappellRoberts ad agency, a Founding Sponsor of the Emerge Annual Meeting. “On a personal note, I want to tell you how deeply honored I am to present this award. It was an extremely difficult decision as every single applicant exceeded our expectations,” she said. “Deanne founded our ad agency decades ago and mentored countless young professionals over the years. This award continues her legacy of service.”
The honor was especially poignant to this year’s Keynote Speaker who was among the first young professionals to receive the award when it was first created in 2012. Jessica Muroff, CEO of United Way Suncoast, celebrated the growth of the program now 450+ members strong. Muroff was part of the original LT Alum who launched Emerge 20 years ago.
New to Emerging Leaders was the program’s first ever “State of the Young Professionals Report” highlighting the local impact of its programming, giving voice to the priorities and concerns of young professionals to city, county and regional leaders. The brainchild of 2024 Chair Mallory Kuba, the report provides quantifiable data to ensure young professionals have a proverbial seat at the table with current leaders shaping the future of the region. “The impact that each of you has had on this organization and on each other is likely much greater than you realize,” said Kuba, encouraging Emerge members to continue to advocate on behalf of young professionals in the region. “Every action, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, has the potential to create lasting change.”
Also, during the Annual Meeting Presented by Leadership Tampa Alumni Association and Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA), incoming Chair Christopher Yanes announced the 2025 Leadership Team, new engagement via committees, an ambassador outreach program and intensified focus on regionalism.
“Building on the State of the Young Professionals Report, we will bring young professionals together for a Regional Summit to discuss our biggest challenges in the region and how we can address them together,” said Yanes, “Twenty years from now when its our turn to tell the story of how far we’ve come, what do we want to be able to say to that next generation of leaders? In summary, 2025 will be about what Emerging Leaders can do for the Tampa Bay region,” concluded Yanes.
2025 Leadership Team of Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay
Chair: Christopher Yanes, Baker Barrios
Vice Chair: Emma Stepno, Depository Trust & Clearance Corporation
Catalyst Co-Chairs: Felix Pulido, Diversity of Thought, & Marlon Skyers, Powernet Co.
Hub for Business Co-Chairs: Mattie Velasco, Open Forum Strategy, & Elijah Wharton, The Skills Center
Inclusion Co-Chairs: Alexis Black, City of Tampa, & Sean Billings, Ultimate Medical Academy
Ambassador Chair: Baillee Schott, Yacht Starship
Ambassadors:
- Community Relations Ambassador: Emma Tomlin, Tomlin Sy Cyr Real Estate
- Marketing Ambassador: Elysse Gorney, Fisher Phillips
- Recruitment Ambassador: Luna Clarke, University of South Florida
- Strategic Brand Ambassador: Ricardo Das Neves, Truist
About Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay: Since 2004, this Tampa Bay Chamber program has been providing members with access to business resources, educational opportunities, and community partnerships to enhance the local economy. With the mission of recruiting and retaining talent in the Tampa Bay region, the program has served more than 8-thousand young professionals to date.
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2024 Finalist and winner for the Deanne Dewey Roberts Emerging Leader Award
2025 Chair of Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay Chris Yanes and 2025 ELTB Leadership Team
Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay outgoing and incoming Chairs with members of the 2024 ELTB Leadership Team and Chamber staff overseeing Leadership Programs.