Congratulations, Hope! Chamber President Earns Prestigious Title! 

Congrats, Hope! (Photo by Matt Warticki)

As I’ve written multiple times previously, North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) president & CEO Hope Kennedy and I didn’t know each other at all when she moved here from Pensacola nearly 14 years ago to take over the reins at what was then called the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber (which later became the NTBC under her leadership). 

But since then, Jannah and I have both been proud to say that we have considered Hope to be among our closest friends. As the publisher and editor of this publication the entire time she’s had her job, I couldn’t help but interact with Hope on a regular basis and what I have always found her to be is a consummate professional who took over a floundering organization and transformed it into a true regional powerhouse. In addition to her Chamber duties, Hope has served on the Boards of Directors of local hospitals and business organizations and has been asked to speak on behalf of her Chamber and the North Tampa Bay community at the openings of too many development projects to mention them all here. 

But, as a few short weeks ago, Hope now has national credentials to go along with the ever-growing influence she has earned locally. 

At the 2025 Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) conference in Philadelphia from July 22-25, Hope was proud to be given the title of CCE — or Certified Chamber Executive — which fewer than 3% of the leaders of the 7,500+ Chambers of Commerce in the U.S. have earned. 

“CCE isn’t an honorary title or an award,” Hope says. “To earn the CCE credentials, you have to go through an extensive application process and everything about your Chamber is put under a microscope — from financials to accomplishments. You have to have held your position for at least seven years and you have to be sponsored by another CCE in order to even be considered (Hope was mentored by Tampa Bay Chamber president & CEO Bob Rohrlack). It’s a pretty big deal for both me and our Chamber.” 

Hope also had to submit multiple essays, including one about a major project she’s proud of and she wrote about helping what is now called the Greater Pasco Chamber (GPCC) — which previously had been a competitor of the NTBC — recover from nearly going out of business. Hope’s NTBC Board allowed her to also take over the GPCC leadership on an interim basis, in order to right what otherwise likely would have been a sinking ship — even though there were some GPCC Board members at the time who didn’t want Hope to be the one helping them. 

Today, the NTBC and GPCC work hand-in-hand and Hope deserves much of the credit for keeping that one-time rival afloat. 

She was one of 26 new CCEs named at the 2025 National ACCE Conference — the largest-ever group to receive those credentials at the same time — but that doesn’t diminish in any way her accomplishment. “Earning the CCE designation means that I’ve reached the absolute top of my profession,” Hope says. “It was a lot of hard work, to get here, but it was definitely well worth it!” 

So, What About WC Incorporation? 

If you remember, back in March, we reported that Hope and her NTBC Board had decided to lead a group of local business owners who wanted to look into the possibility of Wesley Chapel incorporating as its own city, with the goal of ensuring that the residents and businesses located in the area had their own local government overseeing future development and other decisions and to find out if the idea was even economically or logistically feasible. 

Through its nonprofit Foundation, the Chamber began asking for donations from individuals and businesses to fund two $75,000 studies — the first to determine the economic impact of the area known as Wesley Chapel and the other, if the results of the first study warranted moving forward, an incorporation feasibility study. 

However, the possible start of the first study was put on hold when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed ending property taxes, which would have made incorporation a lot more difficult to achieve. But, the State Legislature rejected the governor’s idea when its session ended in June. 

“That at least revived the idea of exploring Wesley Chapel incorporation,” Hope says. “We have restarted our fund-raising efforts, so anyone who wants to make a tax-deductible donation for the study (or if you have questions about it) should call the Chamber office at (813) 994-8534.” 

“We hadn’t actually started collecting any money before,” Hope says. “But, we did have commitments for about a third of the amount needed for the first study.” 

North Tampa Bay Chamber Officially Opens New Office At The Shops At Wiregrass! 

Although we post photos from North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting events pretty much every issue, the photos on this page are from the Chamber’s own ribbon-cutting event during the official Grand Opening Celebration at its office next to Dillard’s at The Shops at Wiregrass on June 26! 

Yes, the office, which NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy says will be the Chamber’s last move for as long as she’s in charge, has been open for a few months, but Hope, office administrator Darlene Hill, Board chair Angelique Lenox and more than 100 people packed the Chamber office and enjoyed food from Chamber members Bubba’s 33, Texas Roadhouse, Jimmy John’s and 3 Natives. Dist. 2 Pasco Commissioner Seth Weightman talked about the days when the Chamber had a small office at the Brookside Prof. Park and Board past chair Roberto Hiller and Angelique gave Hope an award for her years of service and her impact on the Chamber and the community. — GN; some photos on this page by French Flare Photography 

Chamber Breakfast Highlights Nonprofits! 

The North Tampa Bay Chamber continues to provide unique opportunities for its member businesses — and even the NTBC’s nonprofit business members also get their respective moments in the sun. 

At the Chamber’s Business Breakfast at Pasco Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch on June 2, more than 100 attendees were treated to a roundtable featuring four NTBC-member nonprofit organizations — (seated l.-r. in top photo) The Thomas Promise Foundation (TheThomasPromise.org), the PTSD Foundation of America (PTSDUSA.org), the Wesley Chapel Theater Group (WesleyChapelTheaterGroup.org) and Pepin Academies (PepinAcademies.com). 

The roundtable — which gave representatives from each nonprofit the chance to introduce themselves and their respective needs to the Chamber members — was hosted by NTBC Board member Chuck Sullivan (standing in top photo) of the law firm McFarland, Gould, Lyons, Sullivan & Hogan, P.A., and was the brainchild of NTBC Board chair Angelique Lenox, who promised that the Chamber will host more such events for nonprofits in the future. For more info, call (813) 994-8534 or visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/Events. — GN 

Florida Cancer Specialists Opens New Building! 

NTBC Ribbon Cutting Opened The State-Of-The-Art, 45,000-Sq.-Ft. Cancer Center In Wiregrass Ranch On May 15! 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new 45,000-sq.-ft. Florida Cancer Specialists (FCS) building off S.R. 56 in Wiregrass Ranch on May 15 was more than just another Grand Opening event. It expands Wesley Chapel’s reputation as a health-care hub, now with two major cancer treatment centers. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

 Although the Angeline community in Land O’Lakes is getting what will be the largest cancer treatment and research center in Florida — the sprawling, 775-acre “Speros FL” Moffitt Cancer Center campus with 16 million square feet of lab, office, manufacturing and clinical space, the new Florida Cancer Specialists (FCS) building on the south side of S.R. 56 in Wiregrass Ranch gives the Wesley Chapel area two major cancer centers (the other is the 28,000 sq. ft. being occupied by the Moffitt Cancer Center at Wesley Chapel in the 100,000-sq.-ft. Healing Plaza building adjacent to AdventHealth Wesley Chapel). 

But, the 45,000-sq.-ft. FCS building, located only 3.5 miles from the AdventHealth/ Moffitt center, is now the largest cancer treatment facility in Wesley Chapel. 

Samantha (Sam) Watkins 

FCS cut the ribbon (in conjunction with the North Tampa Bay Chamber, or NTBC) to officially open the new state-of-the-art treatment center on May 15, as the location’s VP of operations Samantha (Sam) Watkins introduced director of patient advocacy (and Board-certified oncologist and hematologist) Richard McDonough, M.D. (holding scissors in the photo on this page), who introduced several of his colleagues, including medical oncologist Dr. Ayman Barakat, radiation oncologist Dr. Bradford Perez and GYN (gynecologic) oncologist Dr. Jessica Stine to the crowd of more than 100 people, many of whom were FCS doctors, staff members and administrators. 

Watkins mentioned that the new FCS clinic will include five medical oncologists and hematologists, two radiation oncologists, six advance practice nursing providers and a “dedicated group of clinicians and support staff.” 

Watkins also provided a lot of the basic information about FCS in general, including that in 2024, FCS celebrated its 40th anniversary of cancer care in the Sunshine State, when FCS treated more than 102,000 new patients and provided more than 4.2 million clinic visits. 

The new FCS facility in Wiregrass Ranch has 62 infusion chairs. 

“One statistic that I find incredible,” Watkins said, “is that 67 percent of all Floridians live within 20 miles of an FCS center, which serves our mission of being in the community.” 

And, although Moffitt is still the highest-rated cancer treatment center overall in Florida, FCS also ranks among the top-performing oncology practices and offers more clinical trials than any other private oncology practice in Florida. And, according to Dr. Barakat (see more from him below), the new Wiregrass Ranch location should soon be hosting clinical trials of its own. 

Dr. Richard McDonough 

Watkins noted, “More than 150 clinical trials are [being conducted] at our 29 locations across the state…. With our expanded capabilities to provide state-of-the-art genetic testing, our physicians are able to design treatment plans with the utmost precision and provide truly personalized medicine, which translates into better outcomes for our patients.” 

Meanwhile, Dr. McDonough said, “My colleagues and I share a passion and dedication to a singular goal to provide our patients with the most advanced treatments possible that are personalized to the unique needs of what they have. We try to minimize the disruption [to their lives] by making sure we are closer to where they live and that the patient can get the care with the support people and community around them, and really to be a big part of driving the best outcomes for our patients.” 

Dr. Ayman Barakat 

Dr. Barakat provided some additional statistics about the new FCS facility, and the difference between the new building and the original Wesley Chapel location that opened in 2019. “We only had four exam rooms and seven infusion chairs,” he said. “But now, we have 32 exam rooms, 62 infusion chairs, and offer expert treatment for all forms of cancer and blood disorders. We have an on-site lab, our own oncology pharmacy care coordinator, services with patient assistance through our generous foundation, and, of course, access to the most advanced and promising treatment through clinical trials, which hopefully we should be planning to start in this building very shortly.” 

Dr. Bradford Perez 

Dr. Perez, a lifelong Tampa native, talked about the team approach to patient care at FCS. 

“One of the things about FCS is that it does give us the opportunity to work together as part of a multidisciplinary oncology team and as a radiation oncologist you know I’m really glad to have an opportunity to work with the medical oncologists here at FCS. This location has state-of-the-art equipment, like the Varian TrueBeamTM machine, which does precise, stereotactic radiation treatments.” 

Dr. Perez also noted that, “Wesley Chapel is a big growth area, so it’s great to be able to provide great care for patients, with the most advanced technology, where people are moving and living.” 

Dr. Jessica Stine 

Next, Dr. Stine said that when she joined FCS four years ago, “My goal was to bring GYN oncology, which is a unique specialty that doesn’t have a lot of growth outside of city centers, to areas where patients really needed to have access to high-quality care. I felt that it was really kind of a shame that patients [in suburban areas] had to essentially go to the ‘ivory tower’ to get their surgeries and the care they needed.” 

She added, “We are also very excited to announce that we will be expanding the GYN oncology program within FCS with Dr. Heather Miller, who is actually joining us locally from her very thriving practice in the Brandon and Tampa Bay market. She will be caring for our patients here in Wesley Chapel and in North Tampa as well.” 

Hope Kennedy 

The final speaker before the ribbon cutting was NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy, who said, “It is an honor to be here with you today. We broke ground in 2019, right before the pandemic, on a cold, windy day. We saw the renderings of what this [facility] was going to be. We could not be more honored to be here by your side. The community is here to support you. We thank you for your investment, not only in this beautiful building, but also for the service you provide to our community.” 

FCS (2895 Hueland Pond Blvd.) is open every weekday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, call (813) 279-7107 or visit FLCancer.com. 

The Varian TrueBeamTM machine actually rotates around the patient to provide precise radiation treatments. 

‘Chamber Chatter’ — Our Editor Is Hope’s First Guest; Plus, Tri-Health Cuts A Ribbon 

If you haven’t yet been to the new North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) office — located at 28329 Paseo Dr., Suite 195, in the same space next to Dillard’s in the Shops at Wiregrass that previously was home to a Pasco Sheriff’s Office substation (and then, the off-site office for the Amberlin at Wiregrass Ranch apartments), you really should go check it out. 

As NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy mentioned when I was her first guest at her new in-office studio for her “Chamber Chatter” podcast last week, “This is the office I always wanted here at the mall. I’m so glad we finally were able to get it!” 

Hope said that it was only fitting that I would be her first guest in the new studio, because of the long-standing symbiotic relationship between the Chamber and the Neighborhood News, especially since Hope first took over the reins at the former Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber 13 or so years ago. 

Not only did I get to tell that story, but also a lot of the history of the only news publication directly mailed to all of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel for the last 30 years under the same owner and editor. 

My 30-minute chat with Hope also touched on my obsession with helping local mom-and-pop restaurants succeed in our communities, on my not understanding why we have to have so many chicken places and my decision to host a contest to find our readers’ favorite chicken restaurant. 

Hope also brought up my dismay over the fact that two sisters who live in Wesley Chapel — Scarlett Spongberg and Fallon Fields (above left photo) — didn’t get to win one of 20 drawn-at-random free Raising Cane’s-for-a-year prizes, despite being first in line at the Raising Cane’s Grand Opening. Hope mentioned “the nice story” that local Realtors Chad and April Emory of Emorys Rock Realty split the cost with me of providing that prize for the two young women. 

Check out “Chamber Chatter” at NorthTampaBayChamber.com. To try to be a guest on the show, call the Chamber office at (813) 994-8534. 

Congrats, Tri-Health! 

One of the other things Hope mentioned during the podcast was how much she appreciates us shining the spotlight in print on so many Chamber members who host NTBC ribbon-cutting events at their locations. 

One such event we never published was the ribbon cutting (right) for Tri-Health Primary Care & Women’s Health Services, located at 2253 Green Hedges Way, #101, in the Summergate Prof. Center, which cut a Chamber ribbon on Jan. 30. 

For more info, call (813) 771-6851. — GN