On August 13, the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce and The Chamber Foundation celebrated business at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort with our first ever Champions Jubilee. This event included the graduation of the Leadership Osceola Class of 2021, as well as the announcement of the winner of our Distinguished Leader Award and the business recipient of the Business Champion Award.
Leadership Osceola, which was born at the Chamber in 1989, just completed its first full year back under the Chamber umbrella in over two decades. Each year, a class of about 30 community leaders immerses themselves in Osceola County through interactive programming and hands-on experience. This year marked the 31st year of celebrating Leadership Osceola at Walt Disney World. 33 graduates of the program were honored this year and each received a certificate of completion from Chamber Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Sue Ring and 2019 Leadership Osceola graduate, and President, General Manager, & CEO of Kissimmee Utility Authority, Brian Horton. Class representative Abismael Abreu, Business Navigator with the City of St. Cloud, spoke about the class’s unconventional program year.
The 2021 Distinguished Leader Award was then presented by 2019 Distinguished Leader Mike Steigerwald, Kissimmee City Manager. After a nomination process, three finalists were selected for the 2021 Distinguished Leader Award. This award has been presented since 1992 to a Leadership Osceola graduate who has demonstrated community leadership, supported the Leadership Osceola County Program’s aims and goals, and empowered others to lead. The 2021 award went to Belinda Johnson-Cornett, CEO of Osceola Community Health Services over fellow finalists Kelly Trace, CEO of REACH, and Osceola County Tax Collector Bruce Vickers.
As “Champions for Business and Community,” the Chamber found it fitting to recognize a Small Business Champion with a new award this year. This Business Champion should possess many of the same qualities we celebrate in our individual leaders: spirit of service, engagement, and initiative. These businesses are woven into the fabric of our community creating jobs, providing opportunity, and often giving their time and resources for the greater good. The finalists for this inaugural award were Kathy Pierson Communications, RTW Photography, and Re/Max Premier Properties – Gladys Thayer. The award went to Kathy Pierson Communications.
Watch below for a recap of Leadership Osceola in 2021 and an overview of the graduating class of 2021:
The Chamber is brining you a new series highlighting some of our members who specialize in business consulting, business services, or personal & professional organization as they offer tips and tricks for managing your workday, workplace, employees, and more! This by members, for members series will feature members JKL Associates, Mantis Shrimp Consulting, and others with helpful tips and new ways of thinking for employers and employees to use in their professional lives. If you feel you have something to offer your fellow members, reach out to us at the Chamber by email or call 407-847-4145.
The first installment of this series will run Tuesday, August 31 on the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce Facebook page. It will also be available on our YouTube Channel once it airs. This first outing will feature Larry Klimek with JKL Associates as he explains the Status Quo Matrix and why it’s important to keep yourself, your employees, and your customers or clients both motivated and competent to maximize the positive energy and outcomes at your company or organization.
Future topics in this new educational and motivational series will include:
The series will also give the Chamber team the opportunity to share Chamber “how-tos” on our ChamberMaster Member Information Center, registering for events, paying invoices, and other topics that will help you maximize your membership investment. As always, if you have greater interest in any of the topics featured on a Chamber webcast, please contact us so we may organize a deeper dive into the topic, or set you up with one of our member consultants or service providers one-on-one.
During the week of August 9, 2021, Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber President/CEO John Newstreet and Government Advisory Coordinator Danny López had sit-down meetings with Congressman Darren Soto and Barry Cotton, Central Florida Regional Director for U.S. Senator Rick Scott. Their advocacy efforts on behalf of the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce at the federal level have led to updates on potential money that could be available to Osceola County as part of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, a new infrastructure bill that has bipartisan support in congress. With growing infrastructure in Osceola County, the ongoing conversation over expanding transportation in the county and region was also discussed with both offices, as well as potential new jobs in the county generated by NeoCity.
Congressman Soto took great pride in appropriations that Osceola County could receive for the ongoing I-4 projects in Orange, Osceola and Polk counties, as well as money to help with water issues that the City of St. Cloud is currently facing. The Congressman has ensured the Chamber that there will always be an open working relationship between his office, the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber, and the Osceola business community.
Barry Cotton, a staffer for U.S. Senator Rick Scott, also promised that he and the Senator’s office want to have a working relationship here in Osceola County with the Chamber and the business community. John and Danny updated him on local projects and initiatives here in the district, as well as what’s going on with the Osceola County Commission, the City Councils for Kissimmee and St. Cloud, and the Osceola County School Board. so he can keep Senator Scott informed about everything going on in our wonderful county.
The Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce will always advocate for the business community at the local, state, and federal levels of government. We have taken the skills of Danny López and John Newstreet and put them to work to the benefit of the Chamber and will always have open communications with all elected officials in Osceola County. Danny López updates our elected officials frequently on happenings and will for the foreseeable future be the liaison between the Chamber and elected officials.
Check out some of John and Danny's conversation with Congressman Soto below:
