Borosch wins top Chamber award: Eugen Borosch, a Lehigh businessman, was honored with the Chamber’s first Heart of Lehigh Acres Award. At left is the new chairman of the Chamber board making the presentation, Jose Morillo, and at right is Borosch’s wife, Conchita. Photo by MEL TOADVINE

Lehigh Acres business man Eugen Borosch was the man of the night Saturday, January 23 when the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce held its 18th Annual Awards Gala at Three Oaks Banquet & Conference Center in Estero.

Borosch was the first recipient of the Heart of Lehigh Acres Award. Jose Morillo, the Chamber’s new chairman of the board, said the Chamber will each year select someone in Lehigh who has promoted the community and who has been an important person in the community through his or her business relationships.

Several people were called forward to make comments regarding Borosch who received the handsome crystal glass trophy with his wife, Conchita standing along his side. Of those were Commissioner Tammy Hall, who read a resolution honoring Borosch by the Lee County Commission; Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott, Rep. Page Kreegel and others. A letter from State Sen. Mike Bennett was read as was a special letter from Archbishop Celestino Migliori, Apostolic Nuncio to the U.N. who has befriended Borosch. The archbishop arranged for Borosch and his wife to meet the Holy Father a few years ago in New York City.

The letter was read by Borosch’s pastor, Father Robert Tabbert of the Blessed Pope John the 23rd Catholic Church near Fiddlesticks off of Daniels Parkway.

The audience honored Borosch by giving him a standing ovation during the presentation of the award. Borosch, 71, appeared humble as he accepted the award and gave credit to his wife for her love and support. Borosch owns one of the busiest shopping strips in Lehigh, the Lehigh Towne Centre at the intersection of Homestead and Alabama roads and became the landlord four months ago of the Chamber when it moved to a site at the shopping center from Lee Blvd., near Gunnery Rd.

Officers of the Year: Lee County Sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick McDonald, left, and Deputy David Brown Jr., right were named Officers of the Year. In the middle is Joe Whalen, the Chamber’s director. Photo by MEL TOADVINE

The new award has a heart in the middle with surrounding stars with the symbolism of how the heart reaches out to help others.

Borosch is known for his help to many in the community without fanfare or publicity. Many of the tenants of his shopping center were at the banquet to honor him.

Edd Weiner, the Chamber’s first vice chairman, representing ETW & Associates, said more than 170 people from Lehigh attended the event which also featured a brief speech by Florida CFO Alex Sink.

She noted the challenges facing Lehigh and how it had become one of the first areas of the nation to feel the pain of the recession.

“Your leadership in Lehigh has been incredible in re-inventing your community. I look forward in five years from now in seeing your new Lehigh.

Chamber board sworn in: Taking the oath of office are 2010 members of the board of the Chamber of Commerce. The new 2010 officers include chairman of the board, Jose Morillo, the CEO of Lehigh Regional Medical Center; first vice chairman, Edd Weiner of ETW & Associates; second vice chairwoman, Vickie Hay of Century 21 Sunbelt Realty; treasurer Cindy Dodd of Reliance Bank. Photo by MEL TOADVINE

She spoke of her support in helping to get back $23 million to people in Florida who were having problems with their insurance companies.

She credited her father for her interest in business and administration because at age 11, she said, he asked her to write the checks for the farm operation’s expenses.

“Then he would ask me to check the bank account to see if we had enough money to pay the bills,” she said. She noted Florida’s future in tourism and said the state could become a leader in providing solar energy because of the sunshine Florida receives throughout the year. She pointed to the operations of the new community at the Babcock Ranch which she said will be self-sustainable.

She suggested that the Chamber become move involved in bringing small business to Lehigh and said members should come up with a way for its younger generation to get a good education and remain in Lehigh to work.

Addressing mainly an audience of Republicans, traditionally members of a Chamber, Sink, a Democrat, never mentioned that she is interested in becoming Florida’s next governor. In fact, she had arrived at the banquet after attending a fundraiser.

Employee of The Year: Chamber Board member Cindy Dodd presents the Employee of the Year Award to Candy Gareiss. Photo by MEL TOADVINE

“Together we can work to make this a land of opportunity,” Sink said. She was given a standing ovation.

At each year’s annual banquet held in January, a new chairman and board of officers are installed and new directors are also brought aboard.

The new 2010 officers include chairman of the board, Jose Morillo, the CEO of Lehigh Regional Medical Center; first vice chairman, Edd Weiner of ETW & Associates; second vice chairwoman, Vickie Hay of Century 21 Sunbelt Realty; treasurer Cindy Dodd of Reliance Bank; and immediate past president of the Chamber, Richard Thompson of RHT Engineering Inc.

The new 2010 board of directors consists of Mike Arcentales, State Farm Insurance; Celeste Buhl, Walmart Superstore; David Deetscreek, Mirror Lakes Golf Club; Cindy Dodd, Reliance Bank; Vickie Hay, Century 21 Sunbelt Realty; Laurie Jerriey, Preferred Community Bank; Cheryl McConahy, Regions Bank; Jose Morillo, Lehigh Regional Medical Center; Daryn Patterson, Anderson-Patterson Funeral Home; Joe Pearson, Max’d Out Fitness Center; Elsa Petrick, Coldwell Banker Preferred Properties; Tom Richard, Atomic Tom’s Pizza & Subs; Nate Stout, CPA; Richard Thompson, RHT Engineering; and Edd Weiner, ETW & Associates Architects and Planners.

The master of ceremonies for the evening was Clay Miller of NBC-2 Television in Fort Myers.

Member of the Year: Joe Whalen, the Chamber’s director, presents the Member of the Year Award to Jere Carrick. Photo by MEL TOADVINE

The awards ceremony included presentations of plaques to Law Enforcement Officers of the Year, Sgt. Patrick McDonald and Deputy David Brown Jr. of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, for their life-saving efforts of a stabbing victim at Veterans Park last July. Sheriff Mike Scott went to the microphone to explain how they handled the situation which medical authorities said helped to save the victim’s life.

Jere Carrick, owner of the Majestic Golf Club was honored as the Member of the Year. Candy Gareiss was honored as Employee of the Year; and Blair Stitt was honored as Volunteer of the Year. Each was cited for their contributions to the Chamber.

Joe Whalen, president of the Chamber for a year now, made the presentations. Jose Morillo thanked the Chamber for naming him chairman of the new board and talked about the future of Lehigh.

The Chamber is the largest business organization in the Lehigh community. The Lehigh Chamber was founded in 1962 and currently boasts more than 400 members. It is a not-for-profit entity dedicated to promoting and advancing the economic, civic and social growth of Lehigh Acres.

The offices, still considered new because the Chamber only moved there a few months ago, are located at Suite 41 at 25 Homestead Rd. in offices next to a furniture store. Whalen is the president and CEO of the Chamber. Inge Baker is the assistant director.

The Chamber office is open six days a week and depends on many volunteers to help people who stop in for information about Lehigh.