Longboat Key Chamber honors members

In May, the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce will turn 60.

But before that, it had to honor some of the members who helped the Chamber grow to what it is today.

On March 13, about 80 chamber members gathered at Zota Beach Resort for the annual awards luncheon. After lunch, Chamber President Gail Loefgren gave out multiple awards, including newbie of the year, ambassador of the year and member of the year.

2017 Chairman Mike Doll also passed the gavel to the 2018 Chairman Mike Meador of Casa del Mar Beach Resort.

Doll said during his tenure, he built on projects his predecessors started, such as bringing back Small Business Week and launching a new chamber website.

Going forward, Meador said he hopes to continue this same progress. He noted that he wants the chamber to continue its mission of supporting members and serving as a voice for local businesses on issues that affect the area. He also took a minute to thank the award winners for their work.

“The power of the chamber is in the volunteers,” he said to the crowd.