Chamber Honors Locals With Awards

The West Pasco Chamber of Commerce recently held its 69th Annual Chamber Awards Banquet, where it honored local residents.

For a full list of those who received awards: See the chamber’s press release below:

Eminent Pioneer:  Bob Memoli

Bob hails from Manhattan, New York and has lived here in West Pasco for the past 28 years.  He has played a very active role in the success of our community and many individuals and organizations. 

Bob has served in many volunteer capacities including membership in the Richey Elementary PTA and Chairman of the Committee for Special Reading Program.   He was the Leadership Pasco Class of 2005 President and Past President for the Leadership Pasco Board of Directors.  He is Chairman of the Take Stock in Children Advisory Committee and for the past nine years has mentored Brendan Gorman who recently graduated from Saint Leo University and is heading to Barry Law School in the Fall.

Bob has served as past president of the Seven Springs Rotary Club, past Chairman of the Future Leaders of America, taught Junior Achievement for two years and chaired Reality Days at River Ridge High School to name just a few of the ways he is involved and making a difference. 

Bob is past member of the Florida Bar Grievance Committee, past member of the Board of Directors for the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin, Supervisor of Precinct 135 for the past 11 years, current chairman of the Political Affairs Committee for the West Pasco Board of Realtors, and actively communicates with our local, state and federal legislators on behalf of our business community.

Bob is a Deacon of Spirit at Grace Lutheran Church and was Church Council President for six years. 

He has served as a member of the Seven Springs Rotary Relay for Life team for ten years, member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Independence, and Past President of the Wyndtree Association.

Bob is an active member with the Chamber and the Chamber Ambassadors, holding leadership roles in both including Chairman of the Board. 

Bob has received numerous awards for his service including the Rotary Excellence Award, Paul Harris Fellow, Outstanding Young Man of America, and the Outstanding Citizen award to name a few. 

Bob is extremely active in leadership roles with the West Pasco Board of Realtors and state affiliations. 

Outstanding Citizen:  Tina Shelton 

Tina has lived in Pasco County for 13 years and is married to Mark Shelton.  They have three wonderful children.

Tina has held various leadership positions in a multitude of organizations including Keystone Rotary, Trinity Rotary, the Community Service Council of West Pasco, Junior Service League of West Pasco. 

Also in her spare time, Tina serves on many committees and volunteers her service to many other organizations including the Rotary Zone 34, PACE Center for Girls, West Pasco Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Group, Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind, United Way of Pasco County, Good Samaritan Nurses Gala Committee, Adopt-a-Precinct Supervisor, American Cancer Society, Krewe of Chasco, YMCA, Deer Park Elementary and River Ridge Middle School.  She is the current Honorary Governor of West Pasco, which means she raised the most money for Charity and the Chamber in this year’s campaign and is the current President of Leadership Pasco.

She has received numerous community service awards from various organizations. 

Outstanding Public Servant:  State Representative Mike Fasano

Representative Fasano has resided in Pasco County for 43 years and has dedicated his life to making Pasco County and our State a great place to work and live. 

Beginning in 1994, he has served in the State Legislature as both a State Representative and State Senator.  He was recently elected back into the Florida House of Representatives where he is the current chairman of the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee and member of the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Foundation Board.  He is the former chairman of the Senate Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Committee, Senate President Pro-Tempore, Chairman of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, and former House Majority Whip, to name just a few.

Representative Fasano is a member and lector at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and a member of the Knights of Columbus 3rd Degree.  He has served on many local boards including the Area Agency on Aging, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Boys and Girls Club of Pasco County, AFIRE and West Pasco Youth Soccer League.

Outstanding Service Club:  Rotary Club of Trinity

The goal of the Rotary Club of Trinity is to better the lives of children here in our community and beyond.  Each year this club works with Metropolitan Ministries to buy underprivileged kinds new school clothes to help build their self-esteem.  This year the club began providing food over the weekend for 23 families at a local elementary school.

Additionally, the Rotary Club of Trinity provides scholarships for graduating seniors, support two Interact Clubs, the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen and the Holiday Bell Ringing.  The club regularly volunteers at the RAP House for Cook 4 Kids and supports the District Governor’s efforts for Polio Awareness.  They support PURE Water for the World and send club members on trips to install filtration systems.

In existence for 16 years and with 70 members, the club has future activities in mind that include expanding the weekend food program to cover the summer and more families and are improving a school in the Honduras.

Outstanding Area Youth Organization:  PACE Center for Girls

PACE has been in existence in Pasco County for 15 years. They currently have 52 young women under their watch with 12 staff members and 14 volunteers working to provide these girls and young women an opportunity for a better future.  Last year, PACE serve 116 girls of which 72% came from neighborhoods with a higher than average crime rate.  24% reported substance abuse prior to PACE and 43% had run away from home.  After leaving PACE, 98% had no further interaction with the Juvenile Justice System within 6 months of leaving.  89% improved their academic performance and 93% were placed in an appropriate educational setting.  Of the girls followed in the Transition Program, 88% were in school or employed three years after leaving PACE. 

Outstanding Non-Profit:  Pasco Kids First, Inc. 

Pasco Kids First has existed in Pasco for 24 years.  The non-profit has over 30 staff working in three programs prevent, assess and treat the effects of child abuse and neglect.  They have several major projects underway including the evaluation of over 600 children per year for the effects of abuse and neglect, providing in-home parent coaching and child development education to over 250 families per year, and their sexual abuse treatment program which provides therapy to over 300 children and care givers per year.

Pasco Kids First will hold its 8th Annual Family Fun Day at Sims Park again this year and reach over 3000 individuals.  On November 2 of this year, and in conjunction with their Family Fun Day, Pasco Kids First will conduct its First Annual Family Fun Run.

Chamber Ambassador of the Year:  Gigi Evans 

The purpose of our Ambassador’s Club is to graciously welcome new businesses into the Chamber by hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony at their place of business and introducing them to many other Chamber members.

In addition, the Ambassadors attend many of the Chamber activities, always spreading good will.  The Ambassadors earn points for attending events, ribbon cuttings, volunteering for the Chamber, etc.

West Pasco Chamber of Commerce “Hall of Fame”

This award is given to businesses with 50 or more years as a member of the Chamber of Commerce.  This year, two companies qualified for this prestigious award. 

While the name of the company has changed the corporation has remained the same. 

Richard C. Williams, Jr., P.A.  

Scott M. McPherson, P.A.