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Heart of Lehigh: 24th annual chamber gala honors several

By Staff | Feb 3, 2016

MEL TOADVINE J. Nathan Stout, winner of the Heart of Lehigh award, addresses Chamber Gala audience.

The Greater Lehigh Chamber of Commerce held its 24th annual Awards Gala on Saturday night at the Pelican Reserve County Club on Treeline Blvd., drawing a crowd of 204 people.

The members of chamber were hosted by Interim Director Joan Cunningham and NBC-2 morning anchor Clay Miller.

After a dinner, Cunningham opened the program with the introduction of Miller.

As a continued tradition each year, Lynn Beck, a longtime chamber volunteer, presented the past year’s historical scrapbook to Cunningham who will pass it on to the outgoing president, Steve Thomas. The book is filled with newspaper stories and photographs.

A highlight of the evening was the performance of the Lehigh Concert Band which provided music during the meal and off and on throughout the evening.

MEL TOADVINE Volunteer of Year Diane Lashua.

DJ Jay Rigdon, of RIG Entertainment, also provided music.

The main part of the celebration of the evening began following dinner with several people in the audience being honored and called to the front to receive their awards. In order the following awards were presented.

Teachers of the Year: Winning teachers from all of the schools in Lehigh Acres were first honored with each accepting a special award in their honor.

Next was the law enforcement Officer of the Year award which was presented to Lee County Sheriff’s Sgt. Paul Harvey.

Firefighter of the year went to Christopher Torres, a firefighter/EMT at the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District.

MEL TOADVINE Employee of the year was Inke Baker who accepts the award from Mike Burgers, chairman of the board.

Volunteer of the Year: Diane Lashua, who many first see on certain days when then enter the chamber offices at the Town Centre on the corner of Homestead and Alabama roads.

Employee of the Year: Inke Baker, who was the previous CEO of the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce.

Member of the Year: Robert Dutka, of Bowland.

The final award, the Heart of Lehigh Acres award, went to J. Nathan Stout, owner of a tax accounting business bearing his name, and the chairman of the Lehigh Acres-MSID.

Stout also had offered the invocation at the beginning of the program and admitted he had not offered a prayer to such a large group at a public gathering.

MEL TOADVINE Member of Year Robert Dutka.

He was also chairman of the board of the chamber in 1989 and has been active in the community over the years.

The new executive board and directors for 2016 were asked to raise their hands as the oath of office was administered.

Included were chairman, Mike Burgers of Clever Promotional Products; vice chairman, Lenore Maffetore of Florida Community Bank; Joan Cunningham, of Heartland Payment Systems, who is also serving as interim director of the chamber while a search is underway for a new CEO and director of the chamber; Tammy Rodriguez of AC Breeze Cooling and hearing, who is the new treasurer; and past president Al Deleon of Al Deleon & Associates Inc.

Directors for the new year included Dr. Alaa El-Gendy of Florida Lung & Sleep Association; Fred Elliott of Coldwell Banker Preferred Properties; Vickie Hay, Century 21 Sunbelt Realty; Katie Hoover of LA Insurance; Mike Jacobs of Legal Shield; Susan Kostyk of Kostyk Insurance; Mike Neven of Paulie The Pool Guy; Joe Pearson of Healthy Harvest Community Farms, and Rick Rohner of the City of Palms Charter High School.

All approached the front of the dining room at Pelican Reserve to be sworn in at the same time along with the executive board.

MEL TOADVINE Commissioner Frank Mann with the Heart of Lehigh award winner, J. Nathan Stout. Also shown is Joan Cunningham, interim chamber director.

After the swearing in of the new executive board and directors, Burgers gave brief remarks saying it would be his goal for the new year to help Lehigh improve the business climate of the community.

Teachers from each of the schools in Lee County who were honored included: Amanda Carrillo, Harns Marsh Elementary; Laura Watkevich, G. Weaver Hipps Elementary; Christine Amott, Lehigh Elementary; Teri Ann Petreckin, Sunshine Elementary; Gina Bigelow, Tortuga Preserve Elementary; Amanda Innarelli, Harns Marsh Middle; Anamaria Ziettlew, Lehigh Acres Middle; Michelle Blackwood, Veterans Park Academy for the Arts; Samantha Hower, East Lee County High; Robin Walden, Lehigh Senior High; Susan Iacone, Palm Acres Charter High; and Jheri Wilson, Varsity Lakes Middle; and Jami Platz, Mirror Lakes Elementary.

A silent auction was held in the lobby. It was a project handled by Vickie Hay and Susan Kostyk.

The chamber meets monthly on the last Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.

Heart of Lehigh: 24th annual chamber gala honors several

By Staff | Feb 3, 2016

MEL TOADVINE J. Nathan Stout, winner of the Heart of Lehigh award, addresses Chamber Gala audience.

The Greater Lehigh Chamber of Commerce held its 24th annual Awards Gala on Saturday night at the Pelican Reserve County Club on Treeline Blvd., drawing a crowd of 204 people.

The members of chamber were hosted by Interim Director Joan Cunningham and NBC-2 morning anchor Clay Miller.

After a dinner, Cunningham opened the program with the introduction of Miller.

As a continued tradition each year, Lynn Beck, a longtime chamber volunteer, presented the past year’s historical scrapbook to Cunningham who will pass it on to the outgoing president, Steve Thomas. The book is filled with newspaper stories and photographs.

A highlight of the evening was the performance of the Lehigh Concert Band which provided music during the meal and off and on throughout the evening.

MEL TOADVINE Volunteer of Year Diane Lashua.

DJ Jay Rigdon, of RIG Entertainment, also provided music.

The main part of the celebration of the evening began following dinner with several people in the audience being honored and called to the front to receive their awards. In order the following awards were presented.

Teachers of the Year: Winning teachers from all of the schools in Lehigh Acres were first honored with each accepting a special award in their honor.

Next was the law enforcement Officer of the Year award which was presented to Lee County Sheriff’s Sgt. Paul Harvey.

Firefighter of the year went to Christopher Torres, a firefighter/EMT at the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District.

MEL TOADVINE Employee of the year was Inke Baker who accepts the award from Mike Burgers, chairman of the board.

Volunteer of the Year: Diane Lashua, who many first see on certain days when then enter the chamber offices at the Town Centre on the corner of Homestead and Alabama roads.

Employee of the Year: Inke Baker, who was the previous CEO of the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce.

Member of the Year: Robert Dutka, of Bowland.

The final award, the Heart of Lehigh Acres award, went to J. Nathan Stout, owner of a tax accounting business bearing his name, and the chairman of the Lehigh Acres-MSID.

Stout also had offered the invocation at the beginning of the program and admitted he had not offered a prayer to such a large group at a public gathering.

MEL TOADVINE Member of Year Robert Dutka.

He was also chairman of the board of the chamber in 1989 and has been active in the community over the years.

The new executive board and directors for 2016 were asked to raise their hands as the oath of office was administered.

Included were chairman, Mike Burgers of Clever Promotional Products; vice chairman, Lenore Maffetore of Florida Community Bank; Joan Cunningham, of Heartland Payment Systems, who is also serving as interim director of the chamber while a search is underway for a new CEO and director of the chamber; Tammy Rodriguez of AC Breeze Cooling and hearing, who is the new treasurer; and past president Al Deleon of Al Deleon & Associates Inc.

Directors for the new year included Dr. Alaa El-Gendy of Florida Lung & Sleep Association; Fred Elliott of Coldwell Banker Preferred Properties; Vickie Hay, Century 21 Sunbelt Realty; Katie Hoover of LA Insurance; Mike Jacobs of Legal Shield; Susan Kostyk of Kostyk Insurance; Mike Neven of Paulie The Pool Guy; Joe Pearson of Healthy Harvest Community Farms, and Rick Rohner of the City of Palms Charter High School.

All approached the front of the dining room at Pelican Reserve to be sworn in at the same time along with the executive board.

MEL TOADVINE Commissioner Frank Mann with the Heart of Lehigh award winner, J. Nathan Stout. Also shown is Joan Cunningham, interim chamber director.

After the swearing in of the new executive board and directors, Burgers gave brief remarks saying it would be his goal for the new year to help Lehigh improve the business climate of the community.

Teachers from each of the schools in Lee County who were honored included: Amanda Carrillo, Harns Marsh Elementary; Laura Watkevich, G. Weaver Hipps Elementary; Christine Amott, Lehigh Elementary; Teri Ann Petreckin, Sunshine Elementary; Gina Bigelow, Tortuga Preserve Elementary; Amanda Innarelli, Harns Marsh Middle; Anamaria Ziettlew, Lehigh Acres Middle; Michelle Blackwood, Veterans Park Academy for the Arts; Samantha Hower, East Lee County High; Robin Walden, Lehigh Senior High; Susan Iacone, Palm Acres Charter High; and Jheri Wilson, Varsity Lakes Middle; and Jami Platz, Mirror Lakes Elementary.

A silent auction was held in the lobby. It was a project handled by Vickie Hay and Susan Kostyk.

The chamber meets monthly on the last Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.

Heart of Lehigh: 24th annual chamber gala honors several

By Staff | Feb 3, 2016

MEL TOADVINE J. Nathan Stout, winner of the Heart of Lehigh award, addresses Chamber Gala audience.

The Greater Lehigh Chamber of Commerce held its 24th annual Awards Gala on Saturday night at the Pelican Reserve County Club on Treeline Blvd., drawing a crowd of 204 people.

The members of chamber were hosted by Interim Director Joan Cunningham and NBC-2 morning anchor Clay Miller.

After a dinner, Cunningham opened the program with the introduction of Miller.

As a continued tradition each year, Lynn Beck, a longtime chamber volunteer, presented the past year’s historical scrapbook to Cunningham who will pass it on to the outgoing president, Steve Thomas. The book is filled with newspaper stories and photographs.

A highlight of the evening was the performance of the Lehigh Concert Band which provided music during the meal and off and on throughout the evening.

MEL TOADVINE Volunteer of Year Diane Lashua.

DJ Jay Rigdon, of RIG Entertainment, also provided music.

The main part of the celebration of the evening began following dinner with several people in the audience being honored and called to the front to receive their awards. In order the following awards were presented.

Teachers of the Year: Winning teachers from all of the schools in Lehigh Acres were first honored with each accepting a special award in their honor.

Next was the law enforcement Officer of the Year award which was presented to Lee County Sheriff’s Sgt. Paul Harvey.

Firefighter of the year went to Christopher Torres, a firefighter/EMT at the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District.

MEL TOADVINE Employee of the year was Inke Baker who accepts the award from Mike Burgers, chairman of the board.

Volunteer of the Year: Diane Lashua, who many first see on certain days when then enter the chamber offices at the Town Centre on the corner of Homestead and Alabama roads.

Employee of the Year: Inke Baker, who was the previous CEO of the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce.

Member of the Year: Robert Dutka, of Bowland.

The final award, the Heart of Lehigh Acres award, went to J. Nathan Stout, owner of a tax accounting business bearing his name, and the chairman of the Lehigh Acres-MSID.

Stout also had offered the invocation at the beginning of the program and admitted he had not offered a prayer to such a large group at a public gathering.

MEL TOADVINE Member of Year Robert Dutka.

He was also chairman of the board of the chamber in 1989 and has been active in the community over the years.

The new executive board and directors for 2016 were asked to raise their hands as the oath of office was administered.

Included were chairman, Mike Burgers of Clever Promotional Products; vice chairman, Lenore Maffetore of Florida Community Bank; Joan Cunningham, of Heartland Payment Systems, who is also serving as interim director of the chamber while a search is underway for a new CEO and director of the chamber; Tammy Rodriguez of AC Breeze Cooling and hearing, who is the new treasurer; and past president Al Deleon of Al Deleon & Associates Inc.

Directors for the new year included Dr. Alaa El-Gendy of Florida Lung & Sleep Association; Fred Elliott of Coldwell Banker Preferred Properties; Vickie Hay, Century 21 Sunbelt Realty; Katie Hoover of LA Insurance; Mike Jacobs of Legal Shield; Susan Kostyk of Kostyk Insurance; Mike Neven of Paulie The Pool Guy; Joe Pearson of Healthy Harvest Community Farms, and Rick Rohner of the City of Palms Charter High School.

All approached the front of the dining room at Pelican Reserve to be sworn in at the same time along with the executive board.

MEL TOADVINE Commissioner Frank Mann with the Heart of Lehigh award winner, J. Nathan Stout. Also shown is Joan Cunningham, interim chamber director.

After the swearing in of the new executive board and directors, Burgers gave brief remarks saying it would be his goal for the new year to help Lehigh improve the business climate of the community.

Teachers from each of the schools in Lee County who were honored included: Amanda Carrillo, Harns Marsh Elementary; Laura Watkevich, G. Weaver Hipps Elementary; Christine Amott, Lehigh Elementary; Teri Ann Petreckin, Sunshine Elementary; Gina Bigelow, Tortuga Preserve Elementary; Amanda Innarelli, Harns Marsh Middle; Anamaria Ziettlew, Lehigh Acres Middle; Michelle Blackwood, Veterans Park Academy for the Arts; Samantha Hower, East Lee County High; Robin Walden, Lehigh Senior High; Susan Iacone, Palm Acres Charter High; and Jheri Wilson, Varsity Lakes Middle; and Jami Platz, Mirror Lakes Elementary.

A silent auction was held in the lobby. It was a project handled by Vickie Hay and Susan Kostyk.

The chamber meets monthly on the last Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.