Leadership Sarasota
We are excited to announce that applications for the Youth Leadership Sarasota Class of 2026 are officially open!
Why Join Youth Leadership Sarasota?
- Build Lifelong Connections: Meet other motivated students and community leaders who share your passion for making a difference.
- Make an Impact: Contribute to service projects that support Sarasota while earning community service hours and exploring future career paths.
- Discover Your Community: Go behind the scenes of Sarasota’s government, nonprofits, and businesses to understand how your hometown works—and how you can shape its future.
Youth Leadership Applications are open until July 11th, 2025. We encourage you to apply or share this opportunity with anyone who might be interested.
*Please note, Adult Leadership Applications closed on May 2, 2025.
Engaging, Developing, and Inspiring Community Leaders
Adult Leadership
Program Overview:
Leadership Sarasota, a program of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, offers an opportunity for those enthusiastic about and interested in the leadership and welfare of our community to go behind the scenes and see “how things work”. It is a chance to meet new people, make solid life-long friendships, and experience networking opportunities that might not otherwise be available.
It is about growth – growth in leadership and teamwork skills, and growth in both personal and professional self. Interactions and face-to-face discussions with community leaders, stimulate creative thinking and encourage class members to become more involved. The class adopts a class project leaving a lasting impact in the community.
Program Objectives:
- To identify and inspire future and current community leaders
- To develop leadership skills and qualities of participants through in-depth views of the county
- To stimulate communication among present and future leaders
- To assist those already in leadership roles to increase their access to additional positions of community leadership in an informed and responsible manner
- To motivate and encourage participants to assume leadership roles in community affairs
Class of 2025:
Mike Ahern, Tandem Construction
Jenna Albers, Sweet Sparkman Architects
Spencer Anderson, Sarasota County Government
Franchesca Angotti, Angotti Design
Michael Barrett, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Justin Bellante, Titan Placement Group
Robyn Bell, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota (Bradenton)
Sofiia Bevzenko, Ian Black Real Estate
Melissa Bontrager, Peterson Manufacturing, LLC
Chelsea Bradshaw, SunCoast Blood Centers
Marnie Buchsbaum, Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy
Alex Calendo, Kerkering, Barberio & Co.
Robert Connor, Hall Darling Studio, P.A.
Nicole Coyne, Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
Kelli Dancer, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Angela De La Rosa, Children First
Chris DiBitetto, ERES Companies
Briana Dobbs, City of Sarasota
Chad Evener, Comcast Business
James Fanto, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Fiona Farrell, Gecko’s Hospitality Group
James Ferrick, Gilbane Building Company
Allison Foster, Sarasota County School District
Anthony Gagliano, CareerSource Suncoast
Kevin Golumbeck, Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce
Justin Gomlak, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Kelley Granahan, The Salvation Army
Omar Guevara-Soto, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation
Katrina Hoeft, New College Foundation
Dominque Johnson, Regions Bank - Downtown Sarasota
Dana LeBlanc, Safe Children Coalition
Scooter Maloney, Bank OZK
Teddy Mejeur, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida
Chrystal Mijares, United Way Suncoast Sarasota Area Office
April Miller, BayFirst Financial
Christopher Miller, RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture
Gregory Miller, City of Sarasota
Christopher Nigro, Williams Parker Attorneys at Law
Derek Ober, Northwestern Mutual
Denise Ogg, PNC Bank
Austin Pella, Willis Smith Construction, Inc.
Eric Pugh, Asolo Repertory Theatre
Sasha Pyatte, Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Erik Sloat, Four Winds IT
Melissa Strassner, Berlin Patten Ebling, PLLC
Ryan Thompson, J.L. Bainbridge & Company, Inc.
Jason Toale, Robert Toale & Sons Funeral Home
Sofie Wachtmeister, The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
James Wendland Jr., Intertape Polymer Group (IPG)
Jacqueline Woish, Operation Warrior Resolution
Leadership Sarasota is...
"Where you want to be"
-Philip Tavill,
Class of 1993, Adult Leadership Chair for the Class of 2022
Jamie Kahns, Bank of America
William Skaggs, The Players Centre for Performing Arts
Lucia Panica, City of Sarasota
Thomas Williams, Education Foundation of Sarasota County - PLANit Sarasota
Youth Leadership
Program Overview:
Youth Leadership, a program of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, is an exciting and educational experience for rising high school juniors and seniors. Students learn about the diversity and complexities of the community accomplished through participation in a nine-month, structured experiential program that meets once a month during school hours, all while earning community service hours.
Students are encouraged to review their course load when deciding to apply for the Youth Leadership program as acceptance into the class means that attendance is mandatory.
Program Objectives:
- Identify rising high school juniors and seniors who are leaders or have demonstrated leadership potential.
- Give young people the knowledge, tools and contacts to create successful leaders.
- Instill and nurture a sense of social responsibility in our youth.
- Offer a forum for young leaders to express their needs, goals and opinions.
- Explore the diverse facets of Sarasota's social, government and business environments.
- Provide participants a chance to serve their community.
- Present young leaders with a rewarding and fun experience while exploring career options in the Sarasota area.
- This program is about the youths learning about their county and community in hopes that they stay in Sarasota and consider it as their future home.
Class of 2025:
Kezia Alvin, State College of Florida Collegiate School
Paeton Backman, Riverview
Connor Barrows, Florida Virtual School
Moxie Bonifield, Riverview
Brooke Bowling, Out-of-Door-Academy
Yasmine Carr, Booker
Ethan Cherry, Riverview
Carlyn Collison, Cardinal Mooney
Sloan Cox, Sarasota
Sebastian Cuellar, Pine View
Brett Duggan, Pine View
Liam Farrelly, Cardinal Mooney
Anandi Fuller, Sarasota – AICE Program
Aleah Garcia, Riverview
Kegan Gargano, Out-of-Door-Academy
Aaron Gordon, Braden River
Nate Grandusky, Riverview
Jacob Grandusky, Riverview
Jake Grewal, Riverview
Stryker Gruhl, Sarasota
Theresa Harrell, Cardinal Mooney
Tasman Henry, Sarasota Christian
Charlie Lambert, Cardinal Mooney
Alvin Luu, Florida Virtual School
Lucas Marmelo, Cardinal Mooney
Kaitlyn McAlister, Suncoast Polytechnical High School
Jaidyn McAlister, Suncoast Polytechnical High School
Chelsea McKay, Cardinal Mooney
Daniel Palacio, Riverview
William Pope, Bradenton Christian School
Grace Priest, Sunshine State Homeschool Academy
Brooke Rogers, Riverview
Mia Rosenthal, Out-of-Door-Academy
Kane Ryan, Pine View
Aarya Sateesh, Pine View
Wendy Sharell, Riverview
Ryan Sokol, Pine View
Mackenzie Stencik, Riverview
Jackson Toomey, Out-of-Door-Academy
Chantal Usubillaga, Pine View
Alexandra Von Kaszner, Riverview
Gwendolyn Woodbury, Riverview
Emerson Woods, SHS – MAST & AICE Programs
Youth Leadership is...
"Creating the future"
-Hilton Hudson,
Graduate of Youth Leadership Class of 2021
Rafeh K
Ella S
Engage Sarasota
Program Overview:
Engage Sarasota is a community orientation program for executives and residents who are eager to establish business and civic relationships, meet area leaders, and want to fast-track their knowledge about the inner working of greater Sarasota – all with a minimum investment of time and money.
Participants Will:
- Broaden their working knowledge and understanding of the community via a monthly luncheon series with targeted topics at each program.
- Acquaint themselves with formal and informal decision-making channels and local leaders - the people who make things happen.
- Connect topics and meet people who will enrich their lives as business persons and residents.
"The Engage Sarasota Program ...
offers extremely valuable information from a wide variety of community sectors in a time efficient manner. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to more know about (or become more involved in) our community. Your Sarasota pride will greatly increase if you participate!"
-Tim Self,
Gulfside Bank
Leadership Alumni
Celebrating Outstanding Leadership Awards:
Nominations are closed for the 2025 Celebrate Outstanding Leadership Awards! We look forward to seeing you at the event!
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Michael's On East Restaurant & Catering
Past Honorees:
2019- Carol Butera & Michele Grimes
2020- Pam Beitlich
2021- Chris Gallagher
2022- Joy Mahler
2023 - Lisa Krouse
2024 - William Merrill III
2019 - David Lafferty & Eileen Sarris
2020 - Pam Truitt
2021 - Mark Gordon
2022 - Susan Flynn
2023 - Stacy Dillard-Spahn
2024 - Chris Pfahler
2019 - Charlie Bailey & Rick Hughes
2020 - Philip Tavill
2021 - Jennifer Vigne & Joe Hembree
2022 - Deputy City Manager, Patrick Robinson
2023 - John Stump
2024 - Meghan Serrano
Insight Into Leadership Sarasota
Discover the profound impact of our Leadership Program through the voices of past alums! Hear firsthand accounts of how this transformative experience shaped their leadership journeys and left a lasting mark.
Thank You To Our Annual Sponsors
