Young Professionals Group recognizes Young Professional of the Year

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."