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Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce gathers guests for Business After Hours

Despite the rain, a couple dozen local businesspeople came to network.


  • By Nat Kaemmerer
  • | 10:23 a.m. June 30, 2021
  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
  • Share

For the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, June 30 was cloudy with a chance of networking.

Members gathered away from the day's steady rain at the Cedars Tennis Resort Clubhouse for a Business After Hours event to reintroduce themselves to their fellow businesspeople. Several members' guests  met and greeted others in the community, while established members got a chance to congratulate the 2020 Chamber Awards winners again.  

The bartenders were the board of the Chamber, including Evan Barniskis, the assistant vice president of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium who will be the chairman of the board next year. Five ambassadors milled about the clubhouse, chatting up guests and selling tickets for the door prizes, while CEO and President Gail Loefgren tried to elicit float entries and sponsors for Freedom Fest on the Fourth of July. 

Irina LaRose and Debbie Schaefer
Irina LaRose and Debbie Schaefer
Raymond Arpke and Andrew Vac
Raymond Arpke and Andrew Vac
Tim Wirt, Michael Vejins and board chair-elect Evan Barniskis
Tim Wirt, Michael Vejins and board chair-elect Evan Barniskis
Jack Dean and Allen Horvis
Jack Dean and Allen Horvis
Jimmy Bonner introduces himself to guest Sidda Kim
Jimmy Bonner introduces himself to guest Sidda Kim
Tammy Halsted, Gail Loefgren and David Gluckman
Tammy Halsted, Gail Loefgren and David Gluckman
Susan Smith, Chris Caswell and Jennifer DeRosa
Susan Smith, Chris Caswell and Jennifer DeRosa
Reva Jackson chats with Celia Moore
Reva Jackson chats with Celia Moore
New board chair Willie McLaughlin and Frances Kelleher
New board chair Willie McLaughlin and Frances Kelleher
Brad Marner and Donna Sharp Blaney
Brad Marner and Donna Sharp Blaney
Ambassadors Jimmy Bonner, Debbie Schaefer, Irina LaRose and Scott Kuykendall
Ambassadors Jimmy Bonner, Debbie Schaefer, Irina LaRose and Scott Kuykendall

 

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