C H A M B E R S TA F F Heather Kasten President/CEO hkasten@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4050 Brittany Lamont Vice President blamont@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4040 Mireya Eavey Executive Vice President of CareerEdge and Education Initiatives meavey@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4045 Caitlin Bolton Communications Coordinator cbolton@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4046 Skylar Dailey Communications Intern sdailey@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4035 Shauna Donahue CareerEdge Program Manager sdonahue@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4038 Phyllis Kemp Executive Assistant pkemp@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4051 Craig McGonigal Membership Engagement Manager cmcgonigal@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4034 Sara Rachon Programs Coordinator srachon@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4039 Tim Thomas Events Coordinator tthomas@sarasotachamber.com (941) 556-4031
SERVING OUR BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY
FROM THE CEO’S CORNER
YOUR CHAMBER CULTIVATING PROSPERITY & QUALITY OF LIFE
Our Chamber is all about celebrating small business- after all small business is the true heart and soul of our business community in the Sarasota region. It was such a pleasure and honor to recognize and celebrate our small businesses at our annual Frank G. Berlin, Sr. Small Business Awards Luncheon this past month. This year we had a record crowd attend the luncheon to celebrate the hardworking men and women of our local small business community. This marks the 29th year that we have hosted the Small Business Awards, and it was tougher than ever for our judges to determine the finalists and winners. We are so grateful for the team of judges who
spent hours pouring over the many quality applications to narrow the field down to the 15 finalists recognized at the luncheon. Our finalists are extraordinary examples successful business people who truly exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit of Frank G. Berlin, Sr. Mr. Berlin was a successful businessman and community leader who chaired the Chamber more than 65 years ago. The Chamber event bears his name in honor of his many years of commitment and service. The 2019 finalists’ businesses, and the hundreds of other small enterprises, are the backbone of our community’s economy. Please join me in my celebration of their innovation and pursuit of excellence.
The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce works to cultivate Sarasota’s prosperity and quality of life through our member businesses. P: (941) 955-8187 | F: (941) 366-5621 PARTNERING TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS MAGAZINE DESIGN BY CAITLIN BOLTON, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
HEATHER KASTEN CEO/PRESIDENT