Chamber Announces Awards Finalists & Introduces New Board For 2025!

The North Tampa Bay Chamber has had a busy week. On Tuesday, the Chamber introduced its new Board of Directors for 2025. President & CEO Hope Kennedy gave Board member Jamie Hess of Computer Emergency Room her President’s Award for “all of his help with events and finding the Chamber a new office, in addition to his regular Board duties.” And, outgoing Board chair Roberto Hiller of Signarama New Tampa gave Lisa Moore his “Chairman’s Award” for her “outstanding commitment to the Board.” Also introduced on Tuesday were new Board Chair Angelique Lenox of Tampa Family Health and her entire 2025 Board:

Chair Elect Ton Benge of Benge Development

Treasurer Jamie Hess of Computer Emergency Room

Vice-Chair of Economic Development Chad Emory of Emorys Rock Realty

Vice-Chair of Membership Lisa Moore of Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel

Vice-Chair of Governmental Affairs Jennifer Batchelor of Pasco County Schools

Immediate Past Chair Roberto Hiller of Signarama New Tampa

Will Atkins of Cinn-Credible Cinnamon Packets

Tye Fowler of SGD Communications

Ryan Fink of Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel

Dr. Davina Jones of Pasco Hernando State College-Porter Campus

Justin Keeney of Fifth Third Bank

Richrd Matte of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel

Jean Carlo Penaloza of Cat’s Meow Tampa Photography

Albert Verile of Sharpline Investigations

Ralph Sevelius of Boardwalk Wealth Solutions

Chuck Sullivan of McFarland Gould Law

Troy Stevenson of Tampa Bay Mobile Billboards

Then, on Thursday, the Chamber announced its Finalists for its 2024 Celebrating Excellence Awards:

Integrity Award — Main Event Wesley Chapel, Pepin Academies & Scenthound Lutz

Collaboration Award — San Antonio Federal Credit Union, New Tampa Family YMCA & Metropolitan Ministries

Innovation Award — RP&G Printing, Outplay Marketing & Furr Wegman & Banks Architects

Inclusivity Award — Main Event Wesley Chapel, Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel & Turner Construction

The 2024 Chamber Award winners will be announced at the Chamber’s Celebrating Excellence Awards event on Tuesday, January 16, 2025, at the Pasco Hernando State College Performing Arts Center (8657 Old Pasco Rd., Wesley Chapel 33544). The cost to attend is $60 per person. For more info, call (813) 994-8534 or visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.

Hilton Garden Inn Celebrates Five Years In Wesley Chapel With A Donation 

The Hilton Garden Inn’s fifth anniversary celebration included a $1,000 donation (above) and more than 150 toys (left) donated to the Celebrate Birthdays nonprofit organization. Pictured above are (l.-r.) Lori Behrendt of Emerald Hospitality Assoc. (which owns the hotel), Celebrate Birthdays co-founder Belinda Leto and Lisa Moore and Charlie Whiteacre of the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

Sometimes, the most exciting thing about a ribbon-cutting event is the food. But, while the fifth anniversary celebration for the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel did include some pretty great food — and free drinks — the hotels market director of sales Lisa Moore and area general manager Charlie Whiteacre turned their North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting on Oct. 12 into something much more impressive, with more than 100 people attending. 

First of all, Moore had unique set-ups in three of the Hilton’s meeting rooms — one with rows of chairs, as though for a lecture, one with a circular conference table and the third with tables and chairs with black linens and gold sashes around the chairs, as you would have for a wedding or other special event. 

She also set loose the hotel’s catering staff, led by Chef Marcia, which provided a beautiful fruit display, deviled eggs, wrap sandwiches cut sushi-style, as well as pulled pork sliders, big fried shrimp, crispy egg rolls and more. 

But, perhaps the best thing was that Whiteacre and Moore had the Hilton gave a $1,000 donation and asked attendees to bring unwrapped toys to donate to “Celebrate Birthdays,” a 501(c) (3) nonprofit whose mission is “to ensure that every foster child, and all children, have the opportunity to celebrate their birthday and receive a present.” 

In addition to the big check, Moore says that more than 150 presents were collected and all of them were donated to Celebrate Birthdays. 

“It was a great event,” Moore said afterward. “We appeciate the community’s support and hope people also saw a lot of the ways they can utilize the hotel.” 

For more info about Celebrate Birthdays, visit CelebrateBirthdays.org. For info about the Hilton Garden Inn, call Moore at (813) 591-6907.