Chamber hosts annual awards gala, winners announced
The Sun City Center Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual awards banquet Jan. 10 at Club Renaissance. The event included dinner; recognition of the chamber’s trustees and outgoing board members Cedrick Wilson and Connie Huber; installation of the 2020 board, including new directors Christine Cieslik and Matt Permuth, and its officers; and remarks from outgoing Chairwoman Jeanne Burkeson, incoming Chairwoman Debbie Bates and Executive Director Lynne Conlan.
The following awards were given: Volunteer of the Year (Terry Walker), Nonprofit of the Year (Military Family Support Trust), New Member of the Year (Ginger Prusak), Business of the Year (A-Plus Heating & Air), Community Leader of the Year (Connie Lesko) and Chairman’s Award (Lois Kindle). New Member of the Year Ginger Prusak was unable to attend.
The event also included an in-memoriam tribute to Jim Severn and Larry Brigant by emcee Hal Jeffrey.
Lois Kindle
REGINA DEXTER PHOTO
Observer News writer Lois Kindle is all smiles after accepting the chamber’s special Chairman’s Award from Lynne Conlan.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTOS
The Sun City Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for 2020 sits for its first group photo at the chamber’s annual banquet Jan. 10. In the front row from left are Shannon Mitchell, South Bay Hospital; Chris Brown, Century 21 Beggins Enterprises; Debbie Bates, Allstate Insurance; Kyle Belz, Belz Law PLLC; and Nick Lanese, Lanese & Associates. In the back row are Matt Permuth, Kings Point; Jeanne Burkeson, Square-One Inspection Service; Glenna Tanner, Glenna on the Go; and Christine Cieslik, NextStage Moving Services. Missing are Brad Herremanns, Suncoast Community Health Center, and The Rev. Bill Cruz, Good Samaritan.
Connie Huber, of Physician Partners of America, and Cedrick Wilson, of ServiceMaster 24 Hour, outgoing Sun City Center Area Chamber of Commerce board members, pose with their recognition plaques.
Joe Zuniga, the Sun City Center Area Chamber’s honorary mayor, hands the gavel of leadership for 2020 to Debbie Bates, the chamber’s incoming chairwoman.
The SCC Chamber of Commerce nominees for Business of the Year gather at the chamber’s annual banquet on Jan. 10 at Club Renaissance. From left are Glenna Tanner, Glenna on the Go; award winner Steve Sciuga, A-Plus Heating & Air; Christine Stephen, Clean N Green Roof Cleaning; and Jerry Meeks, Send Out Cards.
Executive Director Lynn Conlan presents Terry Walker with the Sun City Center Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Volunteer of the Year Award.
Debbie Bates, incoming board chairwoman, presents Jeanne Burkeson, outgoing chairwoman, with a framed and member-signed photo of the 2019 board she led.
Jane Keegan accepts the chamber’s annual Nonprofit of the Year Award for the Military Family Support Trust from event emcee Hal Jeffrey.
From left, community volunteers John and Penny Smith, of Wimauma, and Linda Messman, of BorMan Construction, pause from networking for a quick photo at the recent chamber banquet.
Beth Stein, of the Firehouse Cultural Center, and Desi Ferreira, of The Observer News, were among the attendees who wore masquerade masks to match the banquet’s theme.
A visibly moved Connie Lesko, of the Retired Officers Corp. at Freedom Plaza, accepts the 2019 Community Leader of the Year Award as a beaming Lynne Conlan looks on.
The banquet also included an in-memoriam tribute to Jim Severn and Larry Brigant by emcee Hal Jeffrey.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Community Resource Deputy Jeff Merry dressed to the nines for the Sun City Center Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet at Club Renaissance Jan. 10.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTOS
Lynne Conlan addresses the audience at the chamber’s Installation of Directors and Annual Banquet, Jan. 10 at Club Renaissance.