- April 30, 2025
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Young Professional of the Year Award finalists Britney Guertin, Murray Devine and Andrea Knies
Young Professionals Group Chairman-elect Rob Young welcomes eventgoers to the second annual YPG Summit.
Young Professional of the Year Award finalists Andrea Knies, Britney Guertin and Murray Devine
Audience members applaud as the Young Professional of the Year award finalists are announced at the YPG Summit.
Young Professional of the Year Award finalist Britney Guertin smiles while being introduced during the YPG Summit.
Young Professional of the Year Award finalists Andrea Knies, Britney Guertin applaud Murray Devine after he won the Young Professional of the Year award.
YPG Chairman-elect Rob Young, finalist Andrea Knies, Young Professional of the Year winner Murray Devine, finalist Britney Guertin and Patricia Entsminger
What makes a young professional?
Young Professionals Group Chairman-elect Rob Young posed the question at the YPG Summit on July 21 at University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.
In short, Young said, it's a person under 40 who has to work for a living. It's a broad criteria, but some in the category are more impressive than others. YPG honored three such individuals by naming them their Young Professional of the Year award finalists — Andrea Knies, Britney Guertin and Murray Devine.
"We were able to identify individuals who have a love and passion for Sarasota and embodied what it means to be a young professional and really give of themselves," Young Professionals Group Coordinator Mimi Cirbusova said.
This is the first year YPG has given the award, which was formally part of the Frank G. Berlin Small Business Awards.
"The chamber chose to allow us to have that award and really adapt it and make it our own," Cirbusova said. "It's been really exciting thing to have such great finalists."
But only one could take home the title of Young Professional of the Year. Patricia Entsminger of Kerkering Barberio, the presenting sponsor for the award, presented Murray Devine with the honor.
Devine is the Communications Project Manager at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, which supports Sarasota's local nonprofits.
"I was thrilled to have any of them win, but I was very excited to see Murray win," Cirbusova said. "He works at volunteer events and ... is also really giving of his time to really mentor others. It was a real honor to see him win."