myp manatee young professionals

MYP Upcoming Events

Seminar with Home Buying Panelists

Tuesday, February 28

7:45 - 9:00 AM | Manatee Chamber Lakewood Ranch Office

Join us for this special discussion with an expert panel featuring Brandon Terry with Terry Mortgage Team, Katie Howard with Insurance Time of Bradenton, and Brooke Mailloux with Florida Suncoast Real Estate. They will cover topics such as credit, firsttime home buyer programs, homeowner insurance, finding a realtor, closing costs and how to prepare for home ownership.

$15 for MYP Members |$30 Future MYP Members

Networking Serve & Social

Thursday, March 23

5:00 - 7:00 PM | Feeding Empty Little Tummies

Connect and serve the community with fellow young professionals at this casual, after-hours event. We will help F.E.LT. organize food donations for local students while we socialize. Appetizers, drink specials, and new connections are all included. Please donate food items with individually wrapped serving sizes.

Free for MYP Members | $20 for future members

Networking Lunch

Tuesday, March 28 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM | Powel Crosley Estate

This popular event is back this year featuring a speaker from the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). Join other young professionals for this special lunch including a presentation and tour of the beautiful Powel Crosley Estate.

$15 for MYP Members | $30 Future MYP Members

Welcome to the Team

Debbie

McDermott

MYP Program Manager

Debbie oversees the Manatee Young Professionals program and the Better Business Council. She works closely with MYP Leadership and coordinates the socials, lunches, seminars, and service projects as well as driving membership growth for both programs. Debbie grew up in Manatee County and has a master’s degree from USF in Adult Education. She loves to bake and spends her free time with her husband and three kids.

FEBRUARY 16 | 5:00-8:00 PM

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature

201 10th St. W, Bradenton, FL 34205

Join us as we honor young professionals in Manatee County who demonstrate initiative and excellence in their careers, contribute time and energy in serving the community, and seek to support other young professionals through leadership and advocacy. We will also honor employers in the greater Manatee County area that implement creative, intentional initiatives to attract and retain young talent to our region.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR INDIVIDUAL MVP AWARD NOMINEES:

• Evelyn Almodovar, TEDx Bradenton

• Jessica Alonso, Manatee County Government

• Caitlyn Cobb, Star Academy of Dance & Aerial Arts

• Taylor Falkner, Blalock Walters, P.A.

• Holly Garback, Your Time Medical

• Ashley Grover, Grover's Axe

• Ansley Boyd Haskins, Boyd Realty, LLC

• Colbe Herr, IMG Academy

• Kristin Hokanson, Fiorelli Winery and Vineyards

• Devaney Iglesias, Florida Power & Light

• Brooke Mailloux, Florida Suncoast Real Estate

• Jason Osborne, Bank OZK

• Shawn Osborne, Nissan of Bradenton

• Jessica Ryherd, Feeding Empty Little Tummies

• Kellie Spring, SERVPRO of Bradenton

• Aubrie Stevens, Harbor Chiropractic

• Cassie White, Terry Mortgage Team

• Andrew Wright, Compass Hotel by Margaritaville

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR COMPANY AWARD NOMINEES:

Boyd Insurance & Investment Services, Inc.

• Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County, Inc • Fawley Bryant Architecture Johnson Messal Bristow PLLC

• Pittsburgh Pirates/Bradenton Marauders • Tropicana Products

Our local public schools submitted 116 nominations for the 2022 Business & Education Partnership Awards! Through this awards program, the Chamber seeks to honor businesses for their engagement and generosity in directing more resources into our classrooms and schools. More than 200 businesses are officially registered in the Business & Education Partnership Program, a program of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce and School District of Manatee. Want to learn more? Contact Tara Poulton at 941-748-3411.

Faith-Based Partner of the Year Day 4 Hope

Day 4 Hope was nominated for hosting Back-toSchool Events for students-inneed, providing the children and their families with everything they need for the start of the school year. In addition to giving out backpacks, school supplies and food, they also help to coordinate medical & dental exams, eye screenings, child and family portraits, personal care bags and items, plus gift cards to purchase school uniforms and shoes and haircuts. In 2021-22, students from eleven different Manatee County schools benefited from these events, held on church campuses.

School Coordinator of the Year

Deborah

Barry Jones Business Partner Empowerment Award

Kona Ice of Manatee County

During the 2021-22 school year, Chris and Stephanie Edwards delighted students and staff with their Kona Ice Truck! Their total giveback to the schools in Manatee County was $50,497.50. They accomplished this with monthly visits, quarterly visits, reward visits, end of year visits and after school visits to schools countywide including Horizon and PACE Center for Girls.

District-Wide Partner of the Year

Manatee Education Foundation

The Manatee Education Foundation provides amazing resources and partnerships in the community to increase student achievement. A few of those initiatives are Arts Alive, Book Buddy Reading Program, Adopt a School with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Excellence in Education Awards, and SOAR in 4. They also support the Manatee Arts Education Council in Partnership with the school district.

Business Coordinator of the Year

Christine Michael & Casey McCabe from The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature

Perry-Gambino

Ms. Gambino was selected as the School Coordinator of the Year by this year’s Awards Selection Committee. Deb serves as the liaison between the Manatee Chamber and the School District. She is instrumental in the planning of so many of the Chamber’s workforce and educational events including Project Teach, our Big Bank Theory, Leadership Manatee’s Education Day and the Business & Education Partnership Awards. Deb has been serving in the role for a number of years, but it is the first time she’s been truly recognized for her efforts.

Each month The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature hosts the Soar in 4 FREE family literacy programs for early learning families. Aligned with the Campaign for Grade Level Reading, these events empower families with the skills to become their child’s first literacy teacher at home. Families visit literacy tables positioned throughout the museum to learn new vocabulary and literacy skills to support their child at home through challenges, exploration, and play. The museum provides an amazing interactive environment that supports classroom learning.

Good Things Come in Small Packages Myakka Communications

This partner never hesitates to provide funds needed for special projects at Myakka City Elementary School, including purchasing spirit shirts for all staff members and students. Last year, they also covered the costs for staff appreciation items purchased throughout the year. Without the help of this partner, the school’s End of Year Student Goal Achievement Celebration may not have been possible. This Partner also made a huge contribution, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to their generosity, families living in east Manatee County were able to access their E-Learning programs from their homes, while schools were closed, by waiving the WIFI installation fee.

Good Things Come in Big Packages, Too Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County

The mission the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County is to provide and coordinate the services of school readiness programs in order to help all children develop the skills needed to achieve future educational success. True to its mission, the ELC was nominated for delivering its mobile learning buses to neighborhoods, for easier access for the children in our community that need it most. The activities on the buses support classroom learning. All children that visit the bus leave with a new book for their home libraries.

Partners Together

Forty Carrots Family Center and Soar In 4

Forty Carrots offers a variety of programs addressing families' needs throughout the many stages of a child's development from birth through age 5. Through the Manatee County School District's Soar in 4 program, Forty Carrots provides free parenting education for families with infants and a play-based parenting group for parents, caregivers, and children. Families receive help to navigate the newborn phase in a supportive, fun, informative group and explore topics that are relevant to them and their family as they begin the journey of raising a healthy and happy child. Parenting Educators help families to discover how play and learning go together. Their participation at the Soar in 4 events provides services to our most vulnerable families in a safe and nurturing local environment. Working in partnership with community organizations and the School District, Forty Carrots is a huge partner for Soar in 4.

Partner in Excellence

Pittsburgh Pirates & Bradenton Marauders

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders are true partners in education. The baseball club has been a part of our community for more than 50 years and supports the community in numerous ways, from sponsorships, volunteerism and participation on local boards, all in addition to its work within the school system. Each year, the Pittsburgh Pirates sponsor the Excellence in Education Awards, Education Day, School Spirit Nights, Graduations and Back to School Night etc. In return, the School District continually promotes the Pirates/Marauders to employees and their families with consistent support and fan power.

Special One-Time Project Ancient Ways Martial Arts Academy

Since opening its martial arts studio, Boone Brown has been dedicated to changing the lives of people one person at a time, and serving as a business partner to the schools is making a difference. Ancient Ways teaches character development and self-defense classes to students after school in the Bayshore Elementary cafeteria. The classes help to teach the students to be more confident and to learn self-discipline, impulse control, and courtesy. During the 2021-22 school year, Ancient Ways matched all money raised and then donated 100% of the proceeds back to the school.

Rookie of the Year Ooh La Laa Nails

The owners of Ooh La Laa Nails were nominated by Blackburn Elementary for their tremendous support in making the 2021-22 Teacher Appreciation Day one to remember. The business donated gift certificates and treats to the staff as well as offered special discounts for services offered at their business. The salon also hosted a booth with food and information during the school’s Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month event.

Civic Partner of the Year

Books for Kids | Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch

The Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch was nominated for its commitment to increase the reading levels of Title 1 elementary school students. These volunteers dedicate one hour a week during the school year, to read with first, second and third graders. If that’s not enough, this past school year, marked the giveaway of more than 100,000 books in Manatee County school classrooms by the Club!

It’s a Two-Way Street

Yamaha Marine University | Manatee Technical College

Yamaha Marine University supplies equipment and certification training to assist Manatee Technical College in providing a relevant workforce training program to meet the local need of high wage high demand career opportunities. This year, MTC has refurbished the marine training program and Yamaha has supported every step of the way by donating a new jet boat, wave runner, numerous outboard engines, engine powered heads for diagnostic training, support for CAPE funding certification training, and even assisting of student’s employment to local service dealers. This is an ongoing partnership impacting 45 students per year!

Tri County Air | Manatee Technical College

Tri County Air has ramped up participation with the Manatee Technical College HVAC training program this year by providing multiple technical training discussions to students at MTC regarding technical field service issues, hosting field trips to provide a more in-depth understanding of the HVAC occupation, hiring of students, hosting student interns, donating tools, providing tools for students to compete at the State SkillsUSA competition, and participation of the program advisory board.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

PRESENTING SPONSOR:

PROGRAM SPONSORS:

SUPPORTING SPONSORS: