Chamber's new chairman: Sal Passalaqua

Palm Coast Observer
Business

While his 5-year-old daughter squealed in delight from a table near the podium, Sal Passalaqua was inducted as the new volunteer chairman of the Flagler County Chamber at the 47th-annual installation celebration, held Jan. 30, at the Hammock Beach Resort.

Passalaqua’s co-worker at Craig Flagler Palms Funeral Home, Memorial Gardens, and Crematory, Allen Whetsell, gave the speech to introduce him, calling him “a progressive thinker.” Whetsell formerly worked with Passalaqua at a funeral home in South Florida and was so impressed with him that he recruited him to move to Flagler County about a decade ago when Whetsell acquired the funeral home.

“Once you become friends with Sal, you become part of his family,” Whetsell said. “And it's a great family to join.” Whetsell said he has celebrated Thanksgiving with the Passalaquas for about 15 years.

He addressed the packed ballroom, with tables filled with chamber members and local elected officials, and said of Passalaqua: “He is a great individual who will lead you with passion, with concern for your business.”

Passalaqua then delivered a speech in which he detailed many of the chamber’s expanding list of initiatives designed to help local businesses thrive. See flaglerchamber.org for details.

“We are in the right road to driving success,” Passalaqua said in his speech.

Also at the event, David Fowler delivered a speech as the outgoing chairman. He highlighted a change in the chamber’s structure, which resulted in the dissolution of the city-specific chambers in Flagler County; those chambers are now adopted in the Flagler Chamber as “area councils.” (See the box on this page for the leadership of those councils.)

Rebecca DeLorenzo, president of the chamber and leader of the paid staff of 12 who organize the chamber’s efforts full time, noted that the chamber now has 800 members. There were 39 ribbon-cuttings for new businesses in 2014, and there are ribbon-cuttings set up for every Wednesday from now until mid- April, she said, an indication of the improving business climate.

DeLorenzo has been president for two years now, and she said it is satisfying to see the chamber help “entrepreneurs taking that leap of faith to launch a new business they once only dreamed of.”

She also noted that the chamber has become more active in supporting government action that is favorable to businesses. For example, the chamber campaigned in favor of the 198-room hotel proposal put forth by Salamander Hotels. The audience applauded at that effort, and Passalaqua also later encouraged everyone to attend the Feb. 2 County Commission meeting and encourage commissioners to approve the proposal.

Area Councils
The city-specific chambers are no more. Instead, they are adopted as “area councils” in the Falgler County Chamber. Below are the members (and their businesses) of the leadership of the four councils:

BUNNELL
Trey Tully (chairman), Allstate Insurance; Kelly Wise, Sew & Quilt Shop Inc.: John Distler, Servpro of Flagler County; Trevor Tucker, Sun Country Pest Control; Ann Weaver, WNZF Radio

FLAGLER BEACH
John “J.B.” Birney (chairman), JBirney Financial; Michelle Brown, Flagler Beach Gift Shop; Lynne Carr, Kesier University; Mark Gerling, Gerling Travel Group; Joseph Pozzuoli, Joseph Pozzuoli Architect

THE HAMMOCK
Julie Mathis (chairwoman), East Coast Premier Properties; Lori Gottlieb
SunTrust Bank Inc.; Derek Vidal, Hammock Wine & Cheese Shoppe; Mike Goodman, Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s Landing; Janine Regina, Hammock Gardens Nursery

PALM COAST
Joe Rosseheim (chairman), U Name It-Graphics & Apparel; Cindy Dalecki
Marketing 2 Go; Luis Maderios, New Costal Homes; Jimmy Milhollin, RE/MAX Flagstaff; Brad Thomas, Auburn Homes

Board of directors
FLAGLER COUNTY CHAMBER
Sal Passalaqua (chairman), Craig Flagler Palms Funeral Home, Memorial Gardens and Crematory; David Fowler (immediate past chair), Alliance Financial Partners; Rich Stanfield (executive vice chair), Billy Casper Golf; Jimmy Milhollin (vice chair) RE/MAX Flagstaff; Scott Sowers (vice chair), S.E. Cline Construction Inc.; John Subers (treasurer), Florida Hospital Flagler; Lea Stokes (secretary), Preferred Management Services Inc.; Winnie Costello, CareerSource Flagler/Volusia; Tom Grimes, Hilton Garden Inn Palm Coast; Howard Holley, The Holley Group; Mark Langello, M&M Development; Bill Mills, TBD Partners; Donald O’Brien, Hayward Brown, Flagler; Kent Ryan, Daytona State College; Margaret Sheehan-Jones, Parkside Realty Group

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
John Distler (chairman), Servpro of Flagler County; Meredith Rodriguez (immediate past chair), Marketing 2 Go; C.J. Betau, Evoscapes; Kyeesha Cannon, Alani’s Creations LLC; Jaclyn Centofanti, Palm Coast Observer; Mike Davis, Lawyer Mike D; Melissa Moore Stens, Flagler County judge; Sean O’Brien, Hayward Brown Flagler Inc.

Winners of chamber awards
Outgoing chairman Dave Fowler and President Rebecca DeLorenzo presented the chamber’s four awards for businesses this year. They are as follows:

Outstanding emerging business of the year
Richard Van Dort, House 2 Home Inspection Services
Started the business in 2008 and was the first licensed home inspector in the county.

Most innovative product or service
Christopher Marlowe, Golden Lion
Key Lime Tartar Sauce was created and marketed, with half of the proceeds benefiting local charities (“Every bottle makes a difference”). By the end of the year, the sauce was being sold in 380 Publix supermarkets and 75 Winn-Dixie stories in Florida and Georgia.

Most innovative marketing campaign
Amy Wade-Carotenuto and Jeffrey Ritter, Flagler Humane Society
In November 2014, FHS teamed up win Flagler Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, for a Certified Pre-owned Adoption event, raising $2,747.

Excellence in customer service
Jeff and Cindy Evans, Jeff Evans State Farm Insurance
The Evanses make it a point to “adopt a best-that-I-can-be attitude.”