Longboat chamber awards highlight business recovery

Resiliency and community were at the heart of this year's Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce annual awards banquet. 

Business leaders took an evening to recognize how residents worked to support one another through the recovery from hurricanes that tore through the island just over a year ago. 

Attendees at the Oct. 23 ceremony at Lido Beach Resort commended local innovators who helped Longboat Key not only survive the storms' aftermath, but thrive as they opened — or reopened — their shops this year, helped the wider community rebuild, and brought life back to the island.

Chamber president and CEO Kim Verreault, joined by co-host Maria Vitale, announced the winners voted upon by fellow chamber members. 

The pair also announced three surprise winners for the Volunteer of the Year Award, Pinnacle of Excellence Award and President's Award.

Those winners were respectively Anne Kerry with the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, Laura Ritter with the Observer Media Group and Sandra Smith with Secur-All Insurance.

"When things got bad, the community pulled me up, and I started a business from scratch," Smith said with a teary smile. "It's an amazing honor to have my community build me up and support me."

Verrault credited Smith for not slowing down when the hurricanes destroyed her office. Smith has been providing insurance services to residents on the island for two decades.

"With the help of a fellow chamber member who offered office space, they continued their mission to serve nearly 2,000 residents whose homes and lives had been impacted. Even as they faced their own loss and uncertainty, they stayed focused on helping others," Verrault said when announcing the award. "It's a true reflection of their strength and heart."

The award for Emerging Business of the Year was especially meaningful to Jon Mongeau and Lita and John Brannan of Le Gardenia Bleu. Mongeau said they couldn't believe the outpouring of support they saw in their first year of operation given the impact of the hurricanes on everyone.

"We were in total shock when they announced we won," he said.

He added, "With the return of season, we've had so many of our customers checking in on us, just popping in to share what they bought from us. It makes me very happy, and it makes us believe we're doing the right thing."

Staff officially celebrated the first anniversary at 5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive on Aug. 1.

Chamber members also awarded another relative newcomer to the island. Voters chose The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort as the winner of the Tourism and Hospitality Excellence Award.

General Manager Winfred van Workum said, "It's a real pleasure to be part of this community. Longboat Key is such a special spot. This means a lot to us."

Also receiving special commendation was Longboat Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dezzi, who won the Excellence in Municipality Leadership Award.

Verreault said before announcing his win, "He exemplifies dedication and professionalism, leading public safety initiatives that protect residents and visitors across the region. His proactive approach and commitment to the community reinforce safety and trust."

Dezzi shared the credit with every municipality employee who contributed to the recovery.

"We had neighbors helping neighbors, and residents helping us with things that needed to be done," he said. "If that wasn't the case, our recovery wouldn't have been so successful. We're stronger today than we were yesterday."

Verreault said of this year's participants, "Every nominee we recognize tonight demonstrates what it means to be a leader, a collaborator, and a contributor to the betterment of the community."