Beaches Chamber’s leadership program starts next week

For more than a decade, the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce has hosted annual Leadership Institutes to help educate, connect and inspire leaders in the community.

The program of talks and seminars is designed to give students an inside look into various different industries and help them build invaluable leadership skills through interactive activities. 

The 2025 kickoff is June 5, with the first seminar planned for June 27.

This year’s program will feature speakers in the sports, government, environment, arts and culture and tourism industries. Each industry will have its own seminar. All five seminars are held at a different location, based on the host organization.

Representatives from Innisbrook Resort, Imagine Museum, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Bay Watch and St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport are scheduled to present at their respective places of business.

According to Charlie Justice, CEO of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce and former Pinellas County commissioner, students get to experience far more than a presentation at each seminar. “You’re immersed in the business and subject matter of each topic,” he explained.

During the seminars, students will have the opportunity to discuss the industry in-depth with the speakers and fellow attendees.

They will also be able to tour the host organization’s facilities and learn about daily operations.

Kelly Moser from the Moser Movement will offer opening remarks during the kickoff.

While all industries and participating organizations are pre-selected by the Chamber, students are involved in the planning process and help choose specific speakers based on what they would like covered.

Different students will be responsible for planning each seminar and will be guided by an alumni mentor, Justice said.

This is key to the success of the Institute program, he articulated. Students get to learn about how to plan a successful event hands-on and how to collaborate effectively with a team.

“Diagnosing a need and then working together to bring a solution that’s a part of the leadership development process,” he elaborated.

One of the greatest benefits of attending the Leadership Institute is creating lasting connections, Justice emphasized.

“How [students] look together on the last seminar is very different from the first one and how the camaraderie builds and that networking pays off. You’re building those relationships whether they just end up being a personal friend or whether they be someone you end up doing business with.”

The ultimate goal of the Leadership Institute is to encourage students’ personal and professional growth and get them involved in the community, Justice said.

“It’s an opportunity for them to develop some leadership skills, it’s an opportunity to learn a whole heck of a lot about the community around them,” he added. “The more folks we have that are engaged in the community, that makes for a better community so that benefits us all.”

Numerous members of the Chamber board of directors are alumni of the Leadership Institute program, including Scott O’Berry, Shelly Starks, Cedrick Wilson, Michael Moretti and Brian Ford. “We are cultivating our own leaders,” Justice said.

Applicants are still being accepted and are encouraged to sign up as soon as they can.

Each month will feature a different seminar until the program concludes in November.

Visit the website for more information.