Sarasota Small Business of the Year Awards: Frank Maggio

WINNER

Frank Maggio said if he didn’t win the Young Professional of the Year Award, he would have felt like the Susan Lucci of the Sarasota Young Professionals Group.

“It’s the second year I’ve been nominated and also a finalist,” Maggio says.

Maggio has been a member of YPG since 2004 and serves as its volunteer chairman. Last year, he held the at-large board member position and for the past four years has served on the volunteer committee. He went through the Leadership Sarasota program in 2007 and has been the co-chairman of the youth-leadership program for two years. His next goal is to head the adult-leadership program.

Maggio spends his time networking and establishing connections with other like-minded individuals — people who are involved in the community and are young, energetic and focused.

Although he spent nine years in the banking industry, Maggio is currently pursuing employment opportunities concerning his biggest passion — Florida State University, his alma mater — and what he calls “philanthropic adventures.”

“There are always 20 to 30 of us who want to do things for not-for-profits and do something that means something,” Maggio said.

AT A GLANCE 

Profession: business development, finance, volunteer
Age: 34
Biggest obstacle you've had to overcome in your career: Unemployment in the current economy
Advice to other young professionals: Find a niche, network like crazy and have patience — all things are possible.
Where you see yourself in five years: In a career that affords me the opportunities to not only continue to network in the community but provide outreach and volunteer work with non-profits. I’m about to age out of YPG, and, hopefully, I'll be leaving it better off than when I joined it.