- April 25, 2024
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For Rebecca DeLorenzo, life is busy: Between her job as executive vice president of the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates, her community involvement and her commitment to her family, free time is scarce.
“It’s always a balance of what I need to do professionally and what I need to do as a mother,” DeLorenzo said. “Sometimes we have to prioritize and learn to juggle.”
DeLorenzo was selected as the Flagler Business Women’s 2012 Woman of the Year for her work in the community and at the chamber.
“Home, business, community, social and professional organizations and family activities are just a few areas where (DeLorenzo) actively devotes her time and talents,” said Jeanna Passalaqua, immediate past chair of the Flagler Business Women, in a statement from the organization. “She’s been an asset to our organization, and we are delighted to award this honor given all she does for our community.”
In addition to her responsibilities at the chamber, Delorenzo is an executive board member and Dell Trayer Teacher Grant Chair for the Flagler County Education Foundation. She serves as a board member of Flagler County Business Women, the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals and the Family Life Center in Bunnell. She also is a member of Flagler County Business Women.
“There’s a saying that if you want something done, you ask a busy person,” DeLorenzo said. “When I first came to Palm Coast (in 2004), I got involved in everything. It was important that I find a niche.”
For all of her success, DeLorenzo didn’t always know what she wanted to do. Coming to find her passion for women and children and her love of a community-focused job was a process.
“I have a long line of independent women as role models in my life,” she said. “Coming to where I am now was kind of a natural progression.”
After she graduated from high school, DeLorenzo moved out of her parents’ house and started working at a travel agency. She eventually started taking classes at what was then Daytona Beach Community College, working full-time as she earned her associate degree.
Eventually, she found her way into the newly-created communication program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, while still working 30 hours each week at the travel agency and planning her wedding to Jason DeLorenzo, who is now a member of the Palm Coast City Council.
“Jason and I both have high-visibility jobs,” DeLorenzo said. “We feel very connected to the community, and it’s comforting, because it makes this feel like home. We made a conscious decision to be involved in the community we live in, and if that means juggling a bit, we’re fine with that.”
DeLorenzo said she and her husband try to synchronize their calendars so that their 4-year-old daughter, Lorelai, doesn’t have to spend time alone. Lorelai's grandmothers also help frequently.
“My mother had me at a very young age, but she worked hard to make sure that I had a stable home life,” DeLorenzo said. “That has always been instilled in me at a young age – that family is important, and family comes first. My biggest job is to make sure that Lorelai grows up to be a responsible human being.”
DeLorenzo is happy to have a hectic life in order to do her best as a mother, a professional, or an activist for women and children.
“There’s still a glass ceiling,” she said. “Women still get paid 76 cents on the dollar compared to every dollar men make. But I think that culturally, we’re starting to see a shift. You’re starting to see more women business owners and more women in power, and I think that’s fantastic.”
