Bickham Named Honorary Mayor At Chamber Awards Banquet!

By Gary Nager

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC)’s annual “Excellence in Business Awards” banquet, which was held on September 14 at Hunter’s Green Country Club in New Tampa. But, I was definitely there in spirit as the Chamber once again showed why it is still the heart of the business community in Wesley Chapel.

Congrats go out to the evening’s many award winners, especially to the new Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel, Cathy Bickham of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC)’s Chapel Home Health. Cathy also was one of the primary members of the fund-raising teams for previous Honorary Mayor winners John Negley of the FHWC Foundation and Troy Stevenson of Wesley Chapel Nissan, who will retain the title until January 1, 2014.

Bickham, who raised a total of $4,000 to benefit both the Lion’s Club of Wesley Chapel and Support The Troops, Inc., beat out second place finisher Mary Ann Yaney of Central Bank on BBD in New Tampa, who will replace Kenneth Stewart of Integrated Security Consultants as Wesley Chapel’s Honorary Deputy Mayor. Yaney’s campaign helped the nonprofit Tampa Leads & Philanthropy.

“I’m very honored and proud to be representing the Wesley Chapel community as its Honorary Mayor,” Bickham says. “I’m looking forward to continuing to be involved in the community and growing its business.”

Bickham also was named “Volunteer of the Year,” one of several awards given out by the evening emcee, Eric Johnson of Wesley Chapel Honda & Toyota. Other winners included “Small Business of the Year” winner A Focus on Fitness and owner Kelly Mothershead, “Large Business of the Year” winner FHWC, “Business Leader of the Year” Greg Lenners of the Shops at Wiregrass, “Civic or Non- Profit of the Year” Oasis Pregnancy Care Center in Land O’Lakes, “President’s Award” winner Dean Smith of Quest National Services & “Board Member of the Year” winner Maureen Moore of Saint Leo University.

Congratulations to all of the award winners and to Chamber president Jeff Novotny and his Board and the Chamber staff for an amazing 2012-13 fiscal year. For more info about the WCCC, call 994-8534 or visit the office at 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd. or WesleyChapelChamber.com.